Mike and I are about to celebrate our 20th year together July 16. Over the years we had seen many of our friends travel all over the country and Canada to get married, and although we could have we always said we would wait until it was legal in Pennsylvania. A few weeks ago I told Mike I don’t think it’s going to happen for a while, in fact a LGBT lobbyist told us it wasn’t going to happen for another 5 years, so we started talking about getting married in Delaware as there are a few things we wanted to protect legally in our union.
Surprise, surprise Marriage Equality passed in Pennsylvania last week. It was a whirlwind week as Mike and I decided we would take the plunge as soon as possible. Then came the news that marriages would happen Friday and Saturday at City Hall:
Judges who have volunteered to perform marriage ceremonies on Friday included: President Judge Sheila Woods-Skipper, Judge Daniel J. Anders, Judge Diana Louise
Anhalt, Judge Mark I. Bernstein, Judge Ann Butchart, Judge Barbara A. McDermott, and Judge Lisa M. Rau.
Judges who have volunteered to perform marriage ceremonies on Saturday included: President Judge Sheila Woods-Skipper, Judge Daniel J. Anders, Judge Diana Louise
Anhalt, Judge Ann Butchart, and Judge Joseph D. O’Keefe. Mayor Nutter also performed marriage ceremonies today.
Christie Honigman, maid of honor, Mike Toub, Rita Addessa, Mama Toub, me, Kory Aversa, Best Man, Phyllis Halpern, maid of honor.
Thanks to everyone who was there on the special day. I know a lot of my friends were sad they weren’t there, and I told many of them we would do a blessed ceremony, we decided not to. It was a great day, and we appreciate all the love and support you all showed us through SM, calls and emails.
Thanks to Christie for the gorgeous boutineers, Mama Toubs wrist corsage. She got them at
@FlowersOn19th
So many people asked us about them, and the choice of color.
Rita Addessa lead the forefront of LGBT rights in Philly during the 70s through mid 00s. I used to see her on TV during the morning shows broadcast in Philly, and she re-assured me there were others out there like me. Mike and I used to volunteer for her organization (
GLBT Task Force) in the 90 – 00s.
Judge Dan Anders performing the ceremony. (Christie took this shot and many others that will be in our forever book.)
Love this #Selfie shot of Michael Toub, Hughe Dillon and Judge Dan Anders after announcing us as groom and groom. So great to have Dan do our nuptials, a trailblazer, great judge, the first opening gay judge in Philly.
“Tuesday
was a truly historic day in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and
another victory in the long fight for equality and freedom for every
American,” said
Mayor Nutter. I was honored to
join the judges to officiate a few unions myself, and hopefully, I
will perform many more ceremonies in the future. Uniting two people in
marriage is one of my favorite official duties to perform as Mayor of our great city.”
Thanks to
Kory Aversa for doing the most amazing social media on our wedding. He really captured the day and kept our friends at the beach engaged. Follow him on
instagram.
(I got my ring at Garland of Letter’s 10 minutes before they closed on Friday night. I love it. Symbols mean happiness and luck. Mike bought his somewhere else on South Street. He’s currently in the market for another one.)
He threw me a great bachelor party at Chima Steakhouse too. (With Emily Tharp, it was her bday)
We headed over to XIX restaurant at the Bellevue for a post wedding lunch. It was delicious and the perfect spot. Thanks to Christie, Kory, Phyllis and Stacey Kracher for lunch. So sweet.
All this gorgeous is only 3.5 hrs away.
We stayed at Comfort Suites. We called them at 9PM Sunday night and Dana found us a beautiful suite for $180 with this view. (Hampton Inn next door only had a smoking, double for $225, yuck.)
Main Street is adorable
The Wildlife Loop on Assateague Island, nearby.
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