** Tickets for Yay New York, APW’s Mass Reception for Marriage Equality, will be going on sale at 9:30 AM, PST today. So check back to buy tickets!**
Two weeks ago, we opened applications for couples to apply to legally wed with us on August 25th, followed by the Yay New York party. Over the last few weeks, we’ve decided to re-tool the event in keeping with the APW philosophy that less is almost always more. So instead of doing five quick civil services, we’ve decided to do two fabulous weddings. Each couple will have up to thirty guests, their own private reception, and then be honored by Team Practical, dancing like crazy, at a party that night. So without further ado, I’m delighted to introduce you to the two couples.
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{Leanne & Anne}
Our first couple is APW reader and So You’re EngGAYged blogger Leanne and her partner Anne (read her post about navigating the wedding industry as a non-traditional couple here; it’s a doozy). In some sort of magically synergy, Leanne and Anne are getting married on Sunday, September 25th, in Philadelphia, exactly one month after Yay New York. So one month before the celebration, they’ll be getting married legally married with us, a handful of loved ones, and piles of kindred spirits celebrating in their honor. Here is more about them:
Anne is from the eastern shore of Maryland and Leanne is from the Jersey shore, but we both call Philadelphia home. In December of 2005, we met online, had a spectacular first date, and the rest is history! We have been building our relationship for the past five years and have been engaged for about six months. When we are not busy at work (Anne is a surgical nurse and Leanne is a pediatric psychologist), we can be found relaxing on the roof deck at our new home, chatting over a good meal and a glass of wine, geeking out with NPR, or at a concert listening to our favorite music. We are getting married in front of 150 friends and family at the end of September, and so we are thrilled to make it legal next month in New York. Yay NY!
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{Cory & Aaron}
The second couple is Cory and Aaron, and this will be their one and only wedding. Saying we’re honored to be a part of it is a little bit of an understatement. When they applied, Aaron told me, “Now, in our third year together we’ve moved to Chicago for new jobs, and about two months ago I proposed to Cory. We’ve been debating where to have our marriage, but even here in Chicago they don’t say the word ‘Marriage,’ which makes us cry a little bit. After hearing the news about New York, we’ve talked about going there. Cory and I both agree small weddings are best to make them more meaningful to us. You don’t need 100 people, just family and close friends to cheer you on as you tie the knot.” So on August 25th, Cory and Aaron will be tying the knot with a close band of loved ones, on a terrace in midtown Manhattan. Tying the legal knot, may I add. Here is more about them:
Cory and Aaron are a geeky couple with skills and hobbies in computers and technology. That’s also how they met, via an online site built with a programming language they were both interested in learning. It was love at first date and three years later, Aaron proposed to Cory, leaving him speechless. Aaron is the one with red hair and matching shirt on the right.
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We can’t wait to celebrate with Leanne & Anne and Cory & Aaron (and you!) in just one month. Jane Austen may have put it best when she said:
“The wedding was very much like other weddings, where the parties have no taste for finery or parade, and Mrs. Elton, from the particulars detailed by her husband thought it all extremely shabby, and very inferior to her own. ‘Very little white satin, very few lace veils; a most pitiful business.’ But, in spite of these deficiencies, the wishes, the hopes, the predictions, the confidences of the small band of true friends who witnessed the ceremony were fully answered in the perfect happiness of the union.” – Jane Austen, Emma
Here is to Leanne & Anne and Cory & Aaron! We’re so honored to witness your legal union. We will be spending the next month making this the most fabulous pair of small weddings we can possibly throw. Now Team Practical, can I have a cheer?
This will be amazing and brilliant and awesome and amazing (again).
We can’t wait. But we’ll have to. And that’s okay. Did I mention it’s gonna be amazing and awesome? I think we’ll have to bring something super extra special special for our photobooth.
July 27, 2011 4:54 am
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I love them already! This is going to be amazing….
July 27, 2011 4:59 am
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[...] of their Yay!NY event. I asked Anne what she thought, and we figured we had nothing to lose. Well, WE WON! WE WON A WEDDING IN NEW YORK! Pretty awesome, huh? Now, exactly one month before we tie the knot with all of our friends and [...]
July 27, 2011 5:03 am
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Congratulations to the happy couples! Can’t wait to know more about them and their special APW Wedding!
July 27, 2011 5:06 am
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Yaaay! (well you did ask for a cheer)
Congratulations to all of you, I hope you have an amazing day
July 27, 2011 5:19 am
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[...] have our couples for APW’s Marriage for Equality event! It’s been retooled for even more amazing goodness, and the couples are just adorable. I [...]
July 27, 2011 5:21 am
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This post makes my heart sing and go all pitter-patter and feel like it’s going to explode out of my chest with love. I’m keeping my eyes on Priceline for reasonable tickets to NY to celebrate with y’all. xo!
July 27, 2011 5:22 am
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COME!!!
July 27, 2011 6:11 am
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Yay!!!!!!!!! I am so excited for Leanne, Anne, Cory and Aaron!!!! Go Team Practical!!!!! :) :) :)
July 27, 2011 5:27 am
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Hip Hip HUZZAH!!!!
July 27, 2011 5:29 am
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Yay yay Hooray! I am so excited for them and I know it will be a fantastic event for everyone involved. Now I just need a tote bag… I’m on pins and needles!
July 27, 2011 5:48 am
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Hooray hooray hooray! I’m gonna need a handkerchief for this one… *sniff*
July 27, 2011 5:52 am
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Congrats to two lovely couples and yay for that fab Austen quote – she was one wise lady.
July 27, 2011 6:04 am
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Woot woot! Yay this makes me so happy. Congratulations to the two couples!
July 27, 2011 6:08 am
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Yay yay yay!! What fantastic couples, so excited for all of you!!! I wish I could afford a trip to NY; alas, it’s not in the cards, but there will be some Team Practical members in Lincoln, NE, gathering in your honor in August. :)
July 27, 2011 6:22 am
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Yay! (is that too on-the-nose?) Well, Yay anyway! So excited to meet the couples over the internet and can’t wait to meet them in person. Though everyone would have done 5 right, 2 done perfectly is just as good (maybe better!) Congrats to the happy couples!
July 27, 2011 6:22 am
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::takes a deep breath::
HOORAY!!!!
::happy dance::
July 27, 2011 6:29 am
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As my people say: MAZEL TOV y Felicidades!
Hooray!
July 27, 2011 6:35 am
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I love how diverse your people are. :)
August 2, 2011 11:26 am
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Me too, we like to keep it interesting around here.
August 2, 2011 11:29 am
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Yea for Leanne & Anne and Cory & Aaron! Is it weird I feel like a friend of these two couples already. I’m finding myself invested in their weddings and I’ve never met them. The power of APW is incredi-mazing!
July 27, 2011 6:54 am
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This made me cry a bit…I wish I could go :(
July 27, 2011 7:05 am
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Hi APW! We are SOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to be a part of this celebration! Anne and I can’t wait to meet Cory and Aaron, as well as the wonderful people who are putting this together for total strangers. We are so lucky to be part of such an amazing and supportive virtual community, and it will be even more awesome to feel that in person!!! XOXO Leanne (of THE Leanne & Anne)
July 27, 2011 7:06 am
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::hugs::
July 27, 2011 9:16 am
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Yay!!! Congrats to all four of you!
July 27, 2011 9:44 am
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Congratulations to both couples!!! I cannot wait to see all the awesome pictures from what’s sure to be a beautiful event.
July 27, 2011 7:18 am
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Congratulations everybody! This is going to be so wonderful! Major props to all for love, courage, and sense of fun!
July 27, 2011 7:21 am
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HOORAY!!!!!!
I’m jealous of all y’all who get to meet our happy couples. I’ll be there in spirit, and I’ll be waiting to see the pics!
July 27, 2011 7:27 am
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Woot, woot! Congratulations!!
July 27, 2011 7:36 am
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Can I just say how excited I am there is a MALE couple? I don’t think I’ve seen a gay male wedding grad post here to date (maybe I missed something in the archives…?) but I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
I’ll be sending my well wishes from Texas :)
July 27, 2011 7:39 am
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there is one! long time ago: http://apracticalwedding.com/2009/08/wedding-graduate-mad-gay-wedding/
July 27, 2011 9:22 am
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Yay! This is awesome–I’m so excited! Huge congratulations to both of the happy couples!
July 27, 2011 7:46 am
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Congratulations to these two loving, beautiful couples!
Lucky me – I live in NYC! I’m so there!
July 27, 2011 7:50 am
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Woo-Hoo!! So excited for this! Congratulations, Leanne & Anne and Aaron & Cory!!
July 27, 2011 8:03 am
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HURRAY!!!
that is all.
July 27, 2011 8:09 am
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My fiancee and I started planning our wedding almost a year ago in a state where it was already legal, but have since been advised by our lawyers and lawyer friends that it’s better for us to be married in NY, where we live, first (for a few reasons). Like Leanne and Anne, we will also be getting married about a month before our big wedding. At first, I was a little sad that the moment our marriage became legal would not be shared with our loved ones, not because we didnt want it to be, because we felt that it was necessary to protect ourselves. Having thought about it more, I am so excited to be getting the best of both worlds – an elopement and a wedding ceremony in front of family and friends, and I am glad that we have the “problem” of being able to get legally married in more than one place.
But more importantly, best wishes to Leanne and Anne, and Cory and Aaron!!!!
July 27, 2011 8:18 am
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oh my gosh, we’ve been through the same thing. after the initial oh-my-god-we-won buzz wore off, we started to worry that our legal ceremony in NY would take away from the celebration with our family in PA. But, we’ve decided to keep it simple in NY, only invite our immediate family, and then share all of the wonderfulness with our guests in September. Anne’s so nice I’ll marry her twice!
July 27, 2011 9:38 am
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Absolutely! All of our planning conversations lately have gone as follows:
Her: What do you think, should we do xyz?
Me: Let’s do it! You only get married twice!
July 27, 2011 11:19 am
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This website has great taste because Leanne & Annie are AMAZING!! congrats to all!
July 27, 2011 8:35 am
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YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This makes my heart happy.
July 27, 2011 8:40 am
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Congratulations to both lovely couples. We will all be there in spirit, sending love to make your evening glow a little brighter still. :)
What a lovely quote too.
July 27, 2011 8:50 am
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[...] the original post: Announcing: Two Couples, One Universal Right This entry was posted in Work From Home and tagged advice, archives, budget, flickr, friends, [...]
July 27, 2011 9:05 am
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How exciting! Congrats to the couples and I can’t wait to read all about the weddings!
July 27, 2011 10:34 am
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I’m so excited I just “exactly”-d every comment!
Yay! Yay! YAY for Leanne & Anne and Aaron & Cory!
July 27, 2011 11:09 am
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Hurray!!! Congratulations to both of the lovely couples. :D
July 27, 2011 12:40 pm
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This made me weepy this morning. How I wish New York weren’t so far away.
July 27, 2011 12:48 pm
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This makes me happy!
July 27, 2011 12:52 pm
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Cheers and Cheers and Cheers!
Everyone has (at least) some small bit of power in the world and I thank you Meg for using yours so well.
July 27, 2011 12:58 pm
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A thousand exactlys to that! and congrats to the happy couples! Can’t wait to wave frenetically at you as if I know you already in NY!
July 27, 2011 7:12 pm
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FREAKING AMAZING. CONGRATS AND BEST WISHES! Now I’m sad I no longer live on the East Coast! But I can’t wait to see photos and read posts!
July 27, 2011 7:20 pm
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Congratulations to both couples!
(Also, love for Aaron’s shirt. I bought that shirt for the boy last year and giggle everytime I see someone wearing it.)
July 27, 2011 11:35 pm
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This is a lovely thing to see. I love that quote from Emma — says it all. Best wishes to the happy couples!
July 28, 2011 7:45 am
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[...] and Lowe House Events to celebrate the legalization of same-sex weddings in new york state. two lucky couples were chosen from many applicants to have their wedding during the event. each couple can have up to [...]
July 28, 2011 12:00 pm
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[...] a dance party on August 25th, for 200 people, in New York City. A special dance party, at which these two couples will be getting married, and everyone else will be dancing, carousing, and enjoying themselves with [...]
August 8, 2011 6:22 am
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[...] marriage, gender, feminism, and social equality. And next week, the lady behind it all is throwing weddings for two LGBTQ couples, not to mention a benefit for LAMBDA Legal, with the help of hundreds of mostly-female readers and [...]
August 17, 2011 7:18 pm
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[...] Practical Wedding and Lowe House Events will be throwing two free daytime weddings for couples who were selected through an application process. The weddings given away for Two Marriages, One Universal Right will take place on a beautiful [...]
August 19, 2011 6:56 am
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[...] this up today because 1) it makes me livid and 2) I sometimes get so absorbed by events like Yay! New York that I forget that the fight continues. (Side note: I thought this post on APW, “Not Equal [...]
September 15, 2011 2:00 pm
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[...] – we announced our couples this morning, and could not be more excited about them. Yay Leanne & Anne and Aaron & Cory! [...]
November 27, 2011 2:23 pm
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[...] Announcing: Two Couples, One Universal Right « A Practical … ** Tickets for Yay New York, APW’s Mass … the legalization of same-sex weddings in new york state. … pingback from APW Yay New York » Kelly Prizel Photography [...]
April 19, 2012 9:31 pm
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