On April 10th, a seemingly average Thursday afternoon, about 360 guests gathered in St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Downtown New York City in anticipation of a runway show showcasing Tanner Fletcher’s spring 2026 bridal collection. However, these guests got far more than just a fashion show, they were also unknowingly filling the pews of a real wedding ceremony.
This New York Bridal Fashion Week, Tanner Fletcher took the opportunity to reinvent bridal fashion releasing their new genderless bridal collection. The show, the collection and the surprise included at the end of their show turned lots of heads and brought a refreshing take on what bridal fashion is and represents.
The Collection
The collection titled Going to the Chapel drew inspiration from 1930’s silhouettes, pieces from the collection utilized ivory silks and overlaid lace. Half of the collection is comprised of tailoring including tuxedos; the other half a collection of dresses and gowns. Tanner Fletcher, being a gender-fluid fashion brand based in New York City, wanted to use this year’s bridal fashion week as an opportunity to shake up bridal fashion.
In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, the founders of Tanner Fletcher explained the motivation behind this collection. “With everything going on in the world right now, we wanted to show up in a queer way,” said Tanner Richie. “It’s about reclaiming tradition and being like, ‘I can do [marriage] my own way,’” added Fletcher Kasell.
You can view the full collection here.
The Show
The show took place in St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Downtown New York City. The church, decorated with gorgeous florals and completed with a live harpist and flower girl walking the isle, simulated the magic and beauty of a real wedding ceremony, which it turned out to be. The models walking the runway were gay, lesbian and gender-queer couples, representing the majority of Tanner Fletcher’s clientele. However, the most interesting moment of the show came at the very end of the aisle.
The Wedding
The shows finale ended with two of the models, an actual couple, sharing their vows and officially tying the knot. There wasnt a dry eye in the house, all 360 strangers shedding happy tears for the couple.
This bold and joyful show reinvents what wedding fashion means and represents, and shows all that it has the potential to be in the future.
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