Jo and Taylor
got married!
On June 6, Jo and Taylor tied the knot
in a private ceremony in their backyard
After a 16 month engagement
and many attempts to plan a big wedding, we decided on what felt right: a very small, intimate ceremony with just our closest loved ones, right in our own backyard.
We braided together cords and ribbons contributed by our families and friends as the core of our ceremony, and this braid was used to perform a traditional Irish Handfasting.
Jo's best friend, Maeg Keane, wrote a beautiful ceremony and traveled from Brooklyn, NY to be our Celebrant!
Why we chose a small/intimate wedding with a guest list to match
There are many reasons we chose to keep our wedding small with very few guests, but the first thing I'd like to share is that we always intended to announce the happy news to our extended families personally, out of respect and consideration. The last thing we wanted was for important people in our lives to find out second hand, making what was a beautiful, special time feel like a big secret we were keeping from our loved ones. We regret that we were not able to share the news with you all personally as we planned. Still, we wanted to move forward with our original intention for sharing the news by telling you all a little bit about why we chose to have a small, intimate wedding:
A big reason we had a small backyard wedding was financial. Taylor and I both work non-traditional jobs with no benefits and less stability, and I personally am self-employed, which is tough in this economy to say the least. Neither of us had the means to rent a venue that would accommodate both our families and friends, and our medium to long term financial goals were not aligned with going into debt to have a larger wedding.
Another reason we decided to go small was because to us, the moment of our union was incredibly intimate. Both Taylor and I are private people; when we imagined sharing this moment with others, we both felt more and more stressed when we imagined a larger crowd, and more and more at peace when we imagined the smallest number of people possible.
It was also important to us to have the wedding in our own home, which is very small and cannot accommodate very many people. We literally rearranged all our furniture to make room for everyone, and it was still a tight squeeze!
Perhaps the most personal reason we made the decision to have a private wedding was because of my history. Many of you know that this was not my first wedding. I was only 19 when I got married before, and that began a very unhappy chapter in my life. When I met Taylor, I wasn't sure I ever wanted to be married again; I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that it is an actual miracle that I not only wanted to get married again in the first place, but to have a wedding at all.
It was very special to me to have the opportunity to plan a wedding as an individuated adult, rather than a teenager who was desperate to find purpose in life. My history made what is already a sacred, intimate moment in a couple's story even more vulnerable, emotional, and meaningful.
Taylor and I are so happy with how our wedding went, and we couldn't have imagined it any other way. We appreciate your understanding, and please don't hesitate to reach out to either of us directly with questions and curiosities!
FAQ & What's Next
Are you going to have a reception?
Yes! The plan from the beginning was always to have a big party to celebrate with everyone later in 2025. We will be in touch with the date and details once life levels out!
Is your new last name really Underhill?
We originally planned to change our last name to Underhill legally, but since that would require petitioning the courts individually, we decided not to for now. We consider Underhill to be a kind of spiritual last name that honors the very beginning of our relationship (it's a long story—as us about it some time!).
So what is your last name now?
Taylor is taking Jo's name, so he is officially Taylor O'Neill now!
Do you have more photos?
We are waiting on our photographer to get our wedding gallery back in the next month, then we can't wait to share more.
Do you have a gift registry?
We do not have a gift registry! In today's economy, we understand that not everyone has the means to give right now. But if you'd like to offer us something, in lieu of gifts, we are asking for a contribution to our honeymoon fund. You can donate on venmo here, or bring cash or check to our reception (date TBD).
"Do not scorn the pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you.
"Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you."
—J.R.R. Tolkien (Return of the King, Book VI Chapter 5: The Steward and the King)