Transgender Activist Corey Rae Marries Lyle Seebeck in ‘Fairytale Garden Party’ Wedding: Exclusive Photos!

The couple's chosen theme was evident throughout the ceremony and reception, from the baby pink vinyl dance floor to the greenhouse-like tent above it

• Transgender activist and model Corey Rae has married fiancé Lyle Seebeck one year after their engagement

• While growing up, Rae reached a major turning point in her life during middle school, when she read a PEOPLE story about a transgender teen who felt “trapped in the wrong body”

• "My goal is to prove that trans women can be and do anything," says Rae, adding, "Together, we prove that the now-cliche 'love is love' is true"

Transgender model and activist Corey Rae is married!

Rae, 31, tied the knot with fiancé Lyle Seebeck, 29, a senior technical account manager, on June 15 — a date chosen for its significance as it falls during Corey’s birth month and Pride.

"We are two very different people from two very different backgrounds. I'm a Jewish, trans woman born in Los Angeles and raised in New Jersey by an at-times single mother and money wasn’t steady in our household," Rae tells PEOPLE.

"Lyle is a midwestern boy with strong southern roots, born into a more wealthy family, and had never knowingly met a trans person before me," Rae explains. "We are an 'unlikely' pairing, but we fell in love because of our differences and our similarities, and all the highs and lows that we’ve both gone through that have shaped us into the people we are today. Our yin and yang balance is what makes us the perfect match."

Rae gained national attention when she attended the 2019 Golden Globes alongside close friend Amber Heard.

While growing up, Rae reached a major turning point in her life during middle school, when she read a PEOPLE story about a transgender teen who felt “trapped in the wrong body.”

Now, she works as an activist, model, speaker and writer, "working towards changing the way people perceive and treat trans people," she says.

The pair first met by chance in November 2021 at a Rufus du Sol concert via a party bus with a group of friends. "At the end of the night Lyle kissed me goodnight, and I told him he could take me out on a date if he wanted to see me again," says Rae. "A few days later we went on our first date, and we both quickly realized that this was the person we had been waiting for. We fell in love."

In April 2023, Seebeck proposed at the Exposition Park Rose Garden, "located across the way from the concert venue where we first met," Rae adds.

Related: Who Is Amber Heard's Golden Globes' Date? Meet Transgender Model and Activist Corey Rae

The couple's love for one another was on full display at their June nuptials, where 175 of the pair's friends and family members gathered at Seebeck's family estate in the north suburbs of Chicago.

The location for the ceremony was an easy one, as Rae tells PEOPLE, "When it came time to start planning, there was no decision but for us to host our wedding at Lyle’s family estate. In fact, we asked Lyle’s grandmother on the very weekend we got engaged."

"It’s a magical property that’s been the setting of many of Lyle’s most precious memories, especially those with his late mother, Elizabeth," she adds. "Planning at a family home came with its complications, and while other venues such as Millennium Park did cross our mind, we stuck to our vision that 'the farm,' as the family calls it, was the perfect place for us."

Rae and Seebeck exchanged personal vows beneath two trees with interconnecting leaves, "which was our chuppah 'canopy,' " says Rae.

The "Fairytale Garden Party" theme was evident throughout the ceremony and reception, from the baby pink vinyl dance floor and bar to the sprawling tent with a clear roof. The cocktail tables featured small white vases filled with hot pink and bright cantaloupe roses. A small colorful butterfly was also placed in each arrangement.

The reception decor reflected the timelessness of love stories, with clear chiavari chairs, glass candle stick holders and pink glass goblets. That same vibe was further evoked through hints of gold in the rimmed plates, rimmed glassware and gold-brushed silverware.

Wedding planning was not without its ups and downs, though. The couple initially hired an event planning team before they ultimately decided to take a more hands-on approach and plan the multi-day event in partnership with a local wedding planner, Jaclyn Duffield of JDetailed Events.

Related: Amber Heard's Globes Date Corey Rae on Their 'Special Relationship' and Her Trans Activism

Being actively involved in the planning meant the couple was able to ensure the wedding and reception was everything they wanted.

The duo incorporated several Jewish traditions into the ceremony and also made their own special touches. The bride walking herself down the aisle as a "statement that she was giving herself to Lyle on her own."

Rae drew inspiration for her wedding weekend outfits from "fashion icons including Blake Lively, Victoria Beckham, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Princess Diana," with a nod to old Hollywood glamour.

When it came to shopping for her gown, Rae tried on "more than 100 dresses from seven different boutiques" before setting on "the one" from NWLA by Nadia Williamson, featuring a Pronovias princess organza gown with a sweetheart neckline that she took off the rack and had altered by Nano, of Tailored by Ted. Also from NWLA, was her Pronovias “royal length” pearl embellished veil.

"I originally wanted something tight and sexy, but the simplicity of the gown spoke to me, and once I tried it on I knew it was the one. It was sophisticated, classic and timeless," says Rae.

Seebeck, meanwhile, wore a midnight blue tux with black lapels from The Black Tux, and patent leather slippers by Calvin Klein.

During the reception, guests dined on hearts of palm ceviche, crispy pakora battered cauliflower and fresh pear and vegan goat cheese bruschetta before a dinner of vegetarian nigiri and seafood maki, ginger braised chicken and grilled shrimp, salmon kabobs with sweet peppers and onions, Greek marinated chicken with lemon and oregano and Au Cheval-style mini cheeseburgers and tater tots.

The cake was a two-tiered, Lambeth-inspired, vintage-designed cake with a vintage Barbie and Ken cake topper Corey purchased from Etsy. "As guests were filing into the tent, a wedding guest bumped into the cake table and it toppled over and onto the ground," Rae reveals. "The caterers did what they could to salvage the rest so we could have something to cut and feed one another!"

Following the ceremony, Rae changed into two different outfits: a Victoria Beckham x Mango halter-top dress and a silk jumpsuit from Nasty Gal.

There were personal touches too – like Rae's engagement ring, wedding band and Seebeck's wedding band — all made by Rae's mom, Judy, who has a fine jewelry line called Judabud Jewelry.

The ceremony moved guests to tears, with string musicians playing Taylor Swift's “Love Story” as Seebeck and the wedding party made their way to the ceremony and the Kacey Musgraves version of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as Rae walked down the aisle.

"For the recessional, as we walked out together, they played 'You Belong with Me,' " Rae says, adding that that was the same song played when she became the first transgender person to be named prom queen.

Reflecting on their special day, the couple agreed that the end result was "magical."

"Everyone felt it. It was perfection," says Rae. "Even the imperfections like the cake falling over, a blackout happening an hour before the party ended (so we kept it going a bit longer), all those things that 'went wrong' helped the wedding feel real."

She continues: "If it’s too perfect, it doesn’t feel right. The entire weekend was our version of perfect and we have no regrets."

For the couple, saying "I do" is a beautiful milestone.

"It means committing to the person who makes me feel my best and that I want to be the best for," says Rae of marriage. "It means forever thinking of others, and carrying on a family legacy. It means success. It means unifying our families. It means becoming one and making it known. It means growing and evolving together, as one."

Seebeck echoes Rae by adding, "[Marriage] means being solemnly dedicated to one another, no matter what happens. My parents’ marriage was the gold standard to me for how adults can work together and build a life together. My mom was the consummate nurturer, and when she got sick with cancer my dad was the consummate caretaker. This is my chance to emulate them in building a family."

As the couple looks forward to the future, they share that they can't wait for what's next.

"My goal is to prove that trans women can be and do anything," says Rae. "Together, we prove that the now-cliche 'love is love' is true. We both had mothers who would do anything for us, made sure we had the best education and home life possible and taught us to be open-minded and kind-hearted."

"Neither of us would be where we are today without them," the model adds. "We hope to continue the love we felt from our parents and our ability to see the other side of the coin and different perspectives and bring that into our future family."

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