Brianna Ki Hill and Austin Trent Glover first met at a friend’s party and ultimately ended up as high school sweethearts. Years later, Austin surprised Brianna with a proposal at home with flowers, Champagne from the year they first started dating, and a mini cake. “It was perfect,” Brianna says.
Once engaged, the two wanted to get married somewhere meaningful and non-traditional. “We sought a place that had real design and the history to go with it, so this brought us back to our home state of New Jersey and to Downtown Newark, where we’ve both seen beautiful and inspiring spaces as children pursuing artistic endeavors there,” Brianna shares. The couple said, “I do,” at the Newark Public Library, followed by a reception at the Newark Museum of Art—both are more than 100 years old.
“Our aesthetic is fairly traditional; although, we like little nods and moments that suggest something different is actually at play,” the bride-to-be says. “Visually, things were pretty classic; however, we made sure there was lots of color, texture, and small details that suggested a creative hand. It was a fall wedding, but we wanted to make sure things weren’t too heavy, dark or cornucopia-adjacent.” To bring their vision to life, the couple hired Mode by Brandon Casey.
For her early autumn wedding, Brianna chose a sleek, minimal gown from Amsale. She styled the dress with a tennis bracelet that Austin had gifted her a few years prior and earrings that are dubbed “the wedding earrings,” as they originally belonged to Brianna’s friend’s late grandmother and two of her friends had worn them to their own nuptials that year. On the day-of, Tara Patterson of Simply Chic Hair Studio styled the bride’s hair in a classic low bun, and makeup artist Yubi Leoce gave Brianna a natural beauty look with subtle pink shades on her eyes and lips.
Jonathan Simkhai personally helped the bride find her second dress. On the Saturday before the wedding, Brianna and her brother, Alec, went to the Simkhai store in SoHo, and she “dramatically explained that the wedding was next week.” The designer himself was in his boutique and suggested she try a metallic orange fringe dress, which of course turned out to be perfect.
Austin looked handsome in a classic black tuxedo by Suarez Clothing and Stubbs & Wootton shoes.
On September 24, 2022, a friend of the couple officiated the ceremony in the library. Brianna’s sister’s boyfriend played the violin as she walked down the aisle with her father. After doing a first look in the Van Vleck House and Gardens, the bride was excited to see Austin at the altar and exchange vows. “It was really incredible to see everyone we know and love there to support us during the ceremony,” Brianna says. “The energy in the room was full of love, and everyone seemed excited to be dressed up and present for the celebration.”
Once officially announced as married, the couple led everyone to the cocktail hour with a local jazz band. After the delicious seated dinner, a croquembouche from Ceci Cela was served instead of a wedding cake.
For their first dance, Brianna’s friend, Hilary, sang “This Magic Moment,” accompanied by the jazz band, as the newlyweds twirled around the room. Then everyone joined the two for more revelry. “I had so much fun with my family and friends dancing, but the stand out moment for me was when my friends, Kelsey and Reed, filmed my father-in-law twirling through the venue with sculptures and decor in the background as we were ushered out to the after-party,” Brianna recalls. The celebrations continued on a hotel rooftop in Montclair with Beyoncé’s Renaissance blasting through the speakers on repeat—a Queen Bey–approved ending to the day.
