Surprise…
We got married!
On a cold, March morning in 2021, Jess and Fred met for breakfast in Portland.
A diner with pancakes, of course! Neither one of them ordered pancakes.
From there, their friendship grew, and so did their adventures! In the summer of 2021, on Flag Day, (which they refer to as Red Flag Day–IYKYK), they called it, and made it an official relationship. From there, the love only grew, which led to Freddy’s proposal in New York City on a NYC FERRY amongst many commuters. Years later, that’s where the idea of eloping in NY emerged from. They decided Jess’ birthday would be sneaky enough. NY in the fall, what could be better? They “planned” their elopement in only a few months with no one the wiser.
During their trip in September, the friends they visited slowly learned of their plans, surprising them with the news in hotel lobbies, in the back of cars on Long Island, and sitting on couches in living rooms. September 22nd, the day of, was perfect. The weather needed no Etsy witch (not that we don’t love a good Etsy witch). Sitting down with the makeup artist, they enjoyed coffee, bagels, and a crazy playlist that was made for a birthday celebration, but in reality, the music to set the day. Jess and Fred took a car to City Hall and that’s where it all began! They met their photographer (also the witness) and walked inside and lined up with multiple other beautiful brides and grooms in their own unique wedding day attire and bliss. They waited and waited and had their ceremony in literally less than two minutes.
Jess said “yes” while Freddy said “I do”.
They were pronounced awfully wedded. Just kidding. They kissed, and their smiles radiated throughout the city. From there, they left through the iconic doors and stumbled upon… the set for LAW AND ORDER SVU—WITH MARISKA HARGITAY ONLY 30 STEPS AWAY. They walked down to the subway of all subways, the New York City subway, took some incredible photos, and charged on, walking all the way to Chinatown for the most magical pancakes (made with soy sauce maple syrup) at The Golden Diner.
They drank Diet Coke and soju Bloody Marys and took lots of photos eating! From there, they stepped outside onto the unusually quiet, empty streets for some golden hour photos to commemorate the happy day. They felt as though they had run a half-marathon (not a full one). From there, they spoke to family and received so much love and a couple of “of course you got married!”s.
And that evening, they rested their feet and had the finest slices of pizza New York City had to offer.
And fell asleep by 8 pm.
Our day, in jams.
Sharing the vibes of our day together, for your browsing enjoyment.
September 22, 2025
Your Questions,
Answered
What the heck?
Yes. We coordinated a wedding coup, but we love you all.
Did you cry?
Absolutely. Jess shed many a tear, and both shed tears of joy.
Who was your witness?
Our new bestie, Mariska, ofc — JK it was just us and our photographer @deirdre.alston!
It’s not necessary, but cards and gifts are always welcome! If you’d like to contribute to our honeymoon fund we will gladly accept (Venmo @Jess-Orloff)
Can we get you a gift?
I need to know more about those pancakes…
SAY NO MORE: Golden Diner Pancakes