Rooftop Beginnings: Inside Brittany & Brandon’s Elegant Outdoor Wedding

Brittany and Brandon’s love story began on an ordinary Sunday afternoon in June 2019—though nothing about what happened next felt ordinary. On a Manhattan rooftop buzzing with friends, family, and summertime energy, they spent hours sneaking glances at each other without ever quite meeting eyes. Then a brief summer shower—meant to interrupt the day—ended up changing everything.

Seeking cover, Brittany and her sister were ushered to the lower level by one of Brandon’s friends, and at last, the two finally met. The connection was instant. They joked about which Harlem neighborhood reigned supreme, drifted back to a sunlit rooftop once the rain cleared, and spent the rest of the day wrapped in conversation as if they’d known each other forever. Meanwhile, their friends were already teasing that they were witnessing the start of a wedding story—and as it turns out, they were right. That unexpected rooftop spark eventually led them to a gorgeous outdoor wedding beautifully captured by Optikool Illusions.

Bride: Brittany Davis, 34, Nonprofit Associate Director and Therapist

Groom: Brandon Brooks, 41, Architect

Photography By: Optikool Illusions

Videography By: Optikool Illusions

Event Planner: Weddings Made to Order

Place of Residence: New York, New York

Wedding Date: August 18, 2024

Wedding Location: The Bradford – New Hill, North Carolina

Wedding Theme/Motif/Inspiration: Timeless Elegance

Honeymoon Destination: We went on a brief minimoon to Los Cabos, Mexico right after the wedding and went on our two-week honeymoon in June 2025 to South Africa. We went to Johannesburg, Kruger National Park, the Cape Winelands, and Cape Town.

Briefly tell us about your wedding experience and how the both of you felt on your big day.

Our wedding was a beautiful whirlwind. We experienced so many emotions and felt so blessed to be able to share our special moment with all the important people in our lives. Some favorite highlights include having Brittany’s father marry us, something she always dreamed of as a little girl; having our rings blessed by Brittany’s grandmother and Brandon’s father; and Brandon finally getting his chance to dance with his boys to Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe, a throwback to their days at North Carolina A&T.

It actually began to pour on our wedding day about fifteen minutes before the ceremony was set to begin. This was almost a major stressor, but the rain only lasted a few minutes and we were reminded that the exact same thing happened on the day we met — a true full circle moment (shoutout to our amazing vendor team for handling this so quickly and gracefully).

Wedding song, and the significance of the song:

Our wedding songs held deep meaning for us. Brittany walked down the aisle to “Agape” by Nicholas Britell, which she describes as the musical embodiment of falling in love—capturing both the soft, sweet moments and the overwhelming rush of big emotions. Brandon entered to “Writing’s On The Wall” from Spectre. A die-hard James Bond fan, he loves that it’s the film where Bond meets his true love (and he even watched it the morning he proposed).

For our first dance, we chose “You’re All I Need to Get By” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Brandon has always been a fan of the Method Man and Mary J. Blige version, “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By,” while Brittany—an old soul—has long adored the original. She even included it on a custom vinyl she created for Brandon for their two-year dating anniversary, and both songs have made frequent appearances in our birthday and anniversary posts on Instagram. We love its message of love as a foundation and the reminder that, through mutual support and partnership, we can navigate and grow through anything life brings our way.

What are you most looking forward to as a married couple?

We’re most looking forward to making new memories and building our life together, wherever that takes us. We love to travel and hope to explore many new places as well as revel in the simple moments in the home we share. We’re also excited about supporting each other as we pursue our purpose in life and eventually starting a family of our own.