All love should be celebrated. Young love, new love, familiar love, old love, playful love, enduring love, soulful love, passionate love, wholehearted love, blissful love, devoted love, enamored love, inspirational love, soothing love, energetic love, love between a woman and a man, love between two women, love between two men, LOVE BETWEEN PEOPLE. Love is love is love is love. There is something beautiful to be found in each love. Something unique that only exists within that love, between those two people. Sometimes we can see a glimpse of it from the outside and it is such a wonderful thing to witness. Since June 25th, 2014 here in our city we have had the pleasure of seeing types of love that had been forcibly uncelebrated by matrimony. When St. Louis legalized same sex marriage, our eyes were opened to celebrating equality in love and we haven’t closed them since.
This week, four years ago, our community and Mayor at the time {Francis Slay}, pushed for love equality and four same sex couples were legally married! One of the couples, Miranda Duschack & Karen Davis had previously been married in a spiritual ceremony however they remarried to celebrate a legality of their love. Tod Martin and David Grey, also married on 6.24.14, had been in a committed relationship since 1991. They were engaged on June, 26th, 2013; the day the Windsor decision was handed down from the Supreme Court. John Durnell and Richard Eaton had been together for 39 years, living together in Soulard. On their special day they were finally able to wed at the ages of 63 and 75. The fourth couple, Bruce Yampolsky and Terry Garrett celebrated their 30 years of love and wedding day bliss on that fabulous day in June four years ago as well. Bruce and Terry both served on many community boards including Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders {SAGE}. Can you imagine not being able to be legally joined with the one you have shared your life with for decades? Neither can we. We’re so happy to support all couples in our community and their love journey.
You know that type of love that is so powerful you want to shout it from the rooftops? So do we! We see it in our lovely couples {like these two handsome guys above} and it is such a magical thing. Its something too special to be hidden. So, this weekend, in honor of the four couples married on June 24th, 2014; those that fought for their rights before them; and the many happy duos that have and will wed after them we will celebrate the outcome of the battle of love equality. Because we’re firm believers that LOVE WILL ALWAYS WIN!
Want to celebrate too? Check out PrideFest St. Louis for details. LGBTQ+ Vendors we had the pleasure to work with on this lovely affair. Kassaundra Schario {St. Louis Wedding Officiant}, Bobbi Brinkman Photography, Jewel Box {Ceremony and Reception}, CJ’s DJ’s {Music and Lighting}, Celebrating Life {Cake}, Jed Transportation Photos Courtesy of Bobbi Brinkman Photography
