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Inside Their Star-Studded Celebration (Exclusive)! Broadway’s Jessica Phillips and Chelsea Nachman Are Married

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Published Time: 12.11.2024 - 21:41:44 Modified Time: 12.11.2024 - 21:41:44

Jessica PhillipsandChelsea Nachman celebrated their "I dos" on Sunday, Nov

Jessica PhillipsandChelsea Nachman celebrated their "I dos" on Sunday, Nov. 10, alongside a sea of family, friends and fellow members of the theatrical community.

The couple — who both have extensiveBroadwaycredits for their work in the theater industry; Phillips as an actress and Nachman as a publicist — officially tied the knot on Sept. 20 in an intimate backyard wedding at their home in South Orange, New Jersey.

But while just 50 guests were there on that day, more than 250 loved ones including PEOPLE gathered at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg on Sunday for what the two dubbed their "Broadway Opening Night Party."

Among the crowd were Tony Award winners Laura Benanti and Celia Keenan-Bolger as well as The White Lotus breakout Meghann Fahy and Tony nominees Jenn Colella, Micaela Diamond, Will Chase, Betsy Wolfe, Eden Espinosa, Michael Greif and Jarrod Spector.

A slew of other the stage's brightest stars were there, too, including Alysha Umphress, Drew Gehling, Julia Mattison, Lora Lee Gayer, Zachary Noah Piser, Jenifer Foote, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Nkeki Obi-Melekwe, Joel Waggoner, Tyler Merritt, Eric Anderson, Jessica Rush and Spector's wife, Kelli Barrett.

Many took to the stage at the venue to perform throughout the evening, starting with Ingrid Michaelson, who is currently represented on the boards by the musical she penned, The Notebook. The singer-songwriter started the evening off while Phillips and Nachman had their first dance by singing "Love Is," the same song she played when Nachman proposed back in April.

Later, a roster of Broadway's best took the stage between dance sets by DJ Ash Ball for covers of their own favorite songs. Selections included Colella singing AC/DC's "Shook Me All Night Long," Diamond fittingly performing Lady Gaga's "Diamond Heart," Benanti doing Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now," and Umphress giving a touching rendition of Etta James' "At Last."

Spector also sang Elton John's "Your Song" after duetting on Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye's "It Takes Two." And Wolfe ended the evening with a pitch-perfect cover of Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club."

"We're still buzzing," the couple tell PEOPLE. "Everything from the venue, to the DJ, to the decor, to the live performances by some of our nearest and dearest friends was just perfect, top to bottom. The vibes were immaculate." 

Both of the brides looked beautiful in coordinating white looks. Phillips, 52, wore a white Nadine Merabi jacket with a pants and corset top adorned with a bedazzled heart, both by Clio Peppiatt. She accessorized with shoes by Badgley Mischka.

Nachman, 35, went with a strapless Alex Perry cocktail dress and gold Christian Louboutin shoes.

"It was not the traditional wedding I used to dream about when I was younger; it was so much better," Nachman admits. "And it was only possible because of the lives we've created and the people we've surrounded ourselves with over the years." 

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Between dancing, guests sipped on signature cocktails, enjoyed comfort food like fried chicken and mac n' cheese and partook in games of bowling. Artist Deanna First was also doing custom fashion illustrations of attendees willing to pose.

Socks were waiting for those who needed a rest from their shoes, while a guest-book filled up throughout the night with Polaroid selfies and heartfelt notes. In lieu of a traditional cake, desserts were served including frozen treats from Big Gay Ice Cream.

The venue was accented with florals by Justin Davis, sparkling lights and custom logos, while screens showed a slideshow of photos of Phillips and Nachman snapped over the course of their three-year courtship.

Phillips and Nachman originally hoped the bash would double as a celebration for the country’s first woman president, and tell PEOPLE that "it was a tough decision to move forward with the party" after the election.

"What we know is that the only way forward in this moment is in community, so we wanted to lock arms, love each other and drink a lot of tequila," they joke.

"The result was life-affirming; it turned out to be so important for us to gather together to celebrate love and celebrate joy," the happy couple adds. "We partied as protest."

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