Juice Rodriguez and Cristal Veras may have grown up in the same Bronx neighborhood, but they didn’t connect until Juice reached out over DM in 2022. After some back and forth, they decided to meet up IRL, choosing a party on December 23 as the perfect occasion—though the date stretched well into the next morning, ending with chess and tea at Cristal’s Brooklyn apartment. “I never left,” says Juice, who owns the creative agency Colorway. “I brought my toothbrush the next day, and the rest is history.”

Their shared background and love of art, community, and family helped their relationship easily grow. Juice proposed to the non-profit founder in early 2026, and the two decided to get married six weeks later. “We thought, ‘Let's do what we want to do now with the people that we love now, and use that time and intentionality to build something that's beautiful and is very us,'” he shares. They decided on a courthouse ceremony and an intimate celebration at the Andrew Friedman Home in the neighborhood where they grew up.

While at brunch in the midst of planning, the couple joked with fellow Bronx native Raul Lopez (and Luar designer) about making their wedding day looks. He replied, “Of course I am…and you guys are going to look fabulous.” Juice has known Lopez for more than 20 years—“before the glam and before the renown”—and Cristal had met the designer attending queer events across the boroughs. When they ran into him at a party as a couple, he was excited to see the two had come together and began growing a close friendship with the pair.

“I am a mood board queen,” explains Cristal of their first design meeting. “I came prepared.” The said mood board included an image of the dress the designer made for Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl performance. “I wanted something romantic, I wanted something elegant, I wanted something powerful, I wanted something that was me—but through his lens,” adds Cristal. Lopez came up with a sketch minutes later. “It was everything I dreamed of.”

After multiple fittings, the final result included a head scarf-inspired veil and a long silk dress with a corset, one-shoulder detailing, and lots of draping. “It was just incredible to see,” Cristal says about the experience. “I love it all.” For a final accessory, Lopez gave the bride a purse from his last collection with feather details. It was by her side the entire party.

For Juice’s wedding day wardrobe, the groom aimed to elevate his day-to-day fashion with a formal, all-black look. “My personal style is a Carhartt T-shirt, Issay Miyake pants, a Rolex, and a bucket hat,” he shares. “I wanted to feel regal, I wanted to feel like Luar, I wanted to feel special. I wanted Raul to elevate and push what I usually do.” Lopez took the challenge and pulled out a never-worn suit from the back originally designed for Solange. “He asked me my thoughts on a round collar,” remembers Juice. “In all honesty, I hesitated. Then he just looked at me and said, ‘You’re going to look chic.’” The groom put his trust in him and moved forward with the modern ensemble.

In a fitting the week before the wedding, Lopez thought something was missing from the look. “So he goes to the floor, finds a small black garbage bag, and pins it on the left-hand side of my chest,” describes Juice. “He’s like, I’m going to make you a brooch.” Days later, he sends Juice a photo of a piece with black and white feathers and crystals. The groom says he loved it.

To tie together the two ensembles, Lopez also created a white feather brooch to add to the hip of Cristal’s gown. He even created an original monogram for the couple, tying their two initials together, for the Luar tag, too. “It’s our new family crest,” shares Cristal. “We used it on all the invitations and decorations around dinner.”

The two first saw each other’s coordinated look when they arrived at the Bronx courthouse. “She walked out, and I was just in awe,” shares Juice. “She was everything that I’ve ever dreamed of, everything that I could imagine of what my future wife would look like. She was beautiful. I was speechless.” Says Cristal, “I was so happy and full of joy. It’s just this high.”

While Lopez was unable to make it to the wedding due to work travel, the couple FaceTimed him while taking photos. “He was crying more than we were,” remembers Juice. “It’s just a special moment—us being Dominican—seeing each other grow. I’m growing as an entrepreneur, he's growing as a designer. It's like we’re crossing paths, but we're also working together.”

After officially tying the knot at the courthouse, the celebration continued with their intimate party full of amazing food, plenty of martinis, and lots of joy. Adds the bride, “My only complaint is that it wasn’t longer.”