- Jency Roberts and Kevin Hughes got married on Feb. 8 in Mexico
- Envisioning “a wedding that celebrated bold self-expression,” the couple invited their 130 guests to “Upstage the Bride” with their unique dress code
- “Think, a night where anyone could be the star of the show … We wanted guests to push boundaries and genuinely feel amazing,” the groom tells PEOPLE
A bride wasn’t afraid of her wedding guests upstaging her. Instead, she encouraged them to.
Jency Roberts and Kevin Hughes got married on Feb. 8 at Acre Restaurant in San José del Cabo, Mexico. The following day, their videographer Abbey Merzlock posted clips from their wedding on Instagram. The video compilation quickly went viral because of the unique “Upstage the Bride” dress code.
“The theme is ‘Upstage the Bride,’ meaning you are invited to go all out with your outfit — no need to hold back!” the couple’s wedding website reads. “It’s your chance to dress to the nines; we’re talking bold choices, loud colors, and standout accessories to create a look that’s sure to turn heads. Have fun with it!”
While many brides dread the possibility of someone even wearing the same color as them, Roberts didn’t care what her 130 wedding guests wore, as long as they went all out.
“Jency chose it because she’s confident, she loves her friends fiercely and it showed,” Merzlock tells PEOPLE. “She wanted them to have a creative outlet where a lot of them are creatives themselves!”
Roberts and Hughes tell PEOPLE that they wanted their wedding to be a “really fun” experience for their guests.
“As millennials, we have gone to a ton of weddings over the last four years. We joke within our friend group that we are all basically professional wedding guests at this point,” Roberts says. “So with that in mind, we wanted to give our guests an experience that was new, where people could be creative and express themselves.”
Hughes adds: “We wanted a wedding that celebrated bold self-expression — think, a night where anyone could be the star of the show. We are huge fans of drag, and Jency never met a dramatic outfit she didn’t love, so telling people to ‘Upstage the Bride’ just felt on brand. We wanted guests to push boundaries and genuinely feel amazing.”
Merzlock says the “Upstage the Bride” dress code was the “most unique theme” she’s ever witnessed, as she’s used to seeing people attend weddings in church-like attire.
“This was something else,” she says. “I think Heaven looks like [if] your favorite people are in one place. So why not let them be fierce and expressive! Besides, everyone knows who the bride is, there was no competition, just everyone coming to bring a vibe.”
The couple’s photographer, Caitlin Hammar, agrees that it was the “most creative and unique dress code” she’s ever encountered.
“It’s rare to see a dress code that encourages such bold fashion choices; by flipping the traditional rule of not overpowering the bride, the couple created a visually striking atmosphere,” she tells PEOPLE. “Their friends and family truly understood the dress code and showed up in a way that complemented it. The dynamic layering of outfits was really fun to capture, something not often seen at weddings. As an artist, I found it incredibly visually captivating.”
While Hughes admits he got some “panicked texts” from guests who were “scared” and “a little intimidated at first,” once they realized the dress code wasn’t a joke “they ran with it” and “everyone went above and beyond.”
There were a variety of wild, conversation-starting outfits, but a few people stood out.
The bride’s friend, Bex, deconstructed her own wedding dress for her first look before switching into a vintage ’60s mint-blue taffeta dress that was gifted to her by her mother-in-law, accessorized by a lampshade headpiece that lit up.
Meanwhile, Mitchell wore a pink suit to the ceremony and “did an insane outfit change” for the reception. He entered wearing a black dress and stripped it off to reveal a red dress underneath. Similarly, Keart did multiple outfit changes, which included a floor-length pink cape and a flower crown.
“We basically had the best runway show between ceremony and reception,” Hughes says.
The bride’s sister, Lily, made her way down the aisle in pointe shoes while her “flower fellas” put on a show in “full cowboy gear” before a dramatic “Wild West standoff” took place.
The bride was “beyond happy” with how everyone followed the theme.
“Every single outfit came with its own story, and it turned our wedding into a living, breathing art piece,” Roberts says.
“It was the best night of my life and I feel so lucky and loved to have lived it,” she continues. “Seeing everyone from every walk of my life so in the moment and free to be themselves was the greatest gift I could have ever asked for.”
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In the comments section on Instagram, people were wowed by how many “fabulous friends” the “cool” bride has, and applauded their playful and campy efforts to upstage her.
“The Met Gala of weddings!!!! Love the looks!” one Instagram user wrote.
“An amazing and very secure woman and she wins the internet for the coolest wedding ever 👏👏👏,” another individual commented.
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