Wedding Dance Goes Viral As Grooms Have "The Time Of Their Lives"

Noah and PJ

At their wedding in upstate New York this month, Noah and PJ decided their ‘first dance’ was going to be something special.

And thanks to the mashup of totally gay dance music and a wide-ranging choreography covering just about every dance style, it looks like they accomplished their goal.

It all begins oh-so-innocently with the boys slow-dancing to the romantical “It’s a Quiet Thing.”

But then, the music cuts out.

Cue the Miami Sound Machines’ “Conga,” and the boys are off!

Soon they segue into some “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” before slipping in some “Vogue” by Madonna.

You can’t have a wedding dance without classic disco so next up is KC and the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight,” followed by some tap dancing “Puttin on the Ritz” via Young Frankenstein.

But you need a big finish, and the boys bring it with “The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing complete with high-flying lifts.

And the crowd goes wild!

In posting the video, PJ and Noah share, “We seriously did have ‘the time of our lives.’ An incredible night surrounded by incredible people!”

We can all use some uplifting moments these days, and this certainly fill the bill.

Check out Noah and PJ’s ‘first dance’ below.

And congratulations, boys!




(h/t Pink News)

Wedding Bells: First Same-Sex Active Duty Couple Weds At West Point

Capt. Daniel Hall (L) and Capt. Vincent Franchino (R)
Image via Facebook

Great news to end the work week!

Last Saturday, West Point's Cadet Chapel hosted it's first same-sex wedding between active-duty service members.

Captain Daniel Hall and Captain Vincent Franchino, both Apache helicopter pilots, were wed in Cadet Chapel in a ceremony officiated by a Unitarian Universalist minister.

From NewNowNext:

The two met at the academy in 2009, when Hall was a senior and Franchino was a freshman, and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was still a year away from being repealed.

“We’ve experienced everything from people feeling awkward around us to being called faggots while holding hands and walking down the street, stuff like that,” Franchino told The New York Times. “But despite what we’ve been through, nothing was worse than having served during the ‘ Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ years.”

Through those years he and Hall had to keep their sexuality—and their relationship—secret.

“We couldn’t tell the truth for fear of what would happen to us,” Franchino says. “So we put it in our minds that we were never going to say we were gay. We were never going to get made fun of, and we were certainly never going to get kicked out of the Army.”

“It’s really frustrating when two people have feelings for each other but are not allowed to act on them,” he tells the Times. “We were serving under a policy that was telling all of us—perfectly capable soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines—to lie about ourselves.”

And then came the end of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in 2011 and a gateway to "happily ever after."

Thirty-four military officers attended the couple's wedding and honored them by raising their sabers in a military arch for the couple.

It's important to note that this wasn't the first same-sex wedding at West Point. That distinction goes to Sue Fulton and Penny Gnesin in 2012.

In 2013, Larry and Daniel Lennox-Choate became the first male same-sex couple to wed at the military academy.

California Bakery Refuses To Make Same-Sex Wedding Cake

A local bakery in Bakersfield, California, has received criticism for refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple's special day.

The owner of Tastries Bakery has said she chose not to create the cake because of her beliefs.

Owner Cathy Miller told reporters from the local ABC affiliate, "Here at Tastries, we love everyone. My husband and I are Christians, and we know that God created everyone and he created everyone equal. So it's not that we don't like people of certain groups of people, there are just certain things that violate my conscience."

Miller also said she referred the couples to a competing bakery who would be willing to take on the order.

I can hear the haters now: "Why can't the gays just go to another bakery? Why make a stink about this?"

That logic would be as lame as asking African-Americans in the 1960s, "Why can't you just find another place to eat instead of my 'Whites Only' lunch counter?"

Watch the news report at this link.

Video: Gorgeous Surprise Wedding For Same-Sex Couple In Hawaii

Check out this really fab surprise wedding in Hawaii. One of the grooms serves in the Air Force and the other just completed his enlistment in the Marine Corps.

Wedding are SO emotional :)

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau — the private, nonprofit marketing organization for the tourism industry — released an emotional video on Monday featuring the surprise wedding of Christian Alarid and Shayne Barnes, an Oahu couple whose family and friends traveled to Honolulu to see the two men tie the knot. The video and teasers for it quickly went viral, with more than 6.5 million total views on social media by Tuesday afternoon.

Now known as the Alarids, the two had gotten engaged last June. They had been planning a 2016 wedding and had agreed to be models in an HVCB wedding photo shoot last August on the Big Island, after which HVCB staffers had a brainstorm. What if the bureau surprised the couple by organizing a picture-perfect surprise ceremony in Honolulu?

(h/t JMG)

Funny: Gay Couple Rejects "Gay Wedding" Request

Funny, parody video where a gay son's parents are actually upset he doesn't WANT a big gay wedding.

Clip description: A family threatens to disown their gay son after he reveals he and his fiance won’t have a “gay wedding”.

True story - I got married twice (to the same hot hubby Michael). We got married first in Toronto in October 2003 and then again in California in October 2008. We only did the second one because we wanted an American marriage license.

BOTH were City Hall weddings :)

Dan Savage Ponders Rick Santorum's "Imaginary, Hypothetical Gay Friends"

Last night on ALL IN with Chris Hayes, Dan Savage discussed the 2016 GOP contenders contention that they have "gay friends," and whether or not they would attend their weddings.

Via Raw Story:

“When the anti-gay bigots like Rick Santorum are challenged on their anti-gay bigotry, or [Ted] Cruz or [Mike] Huckabee, they always point to their imaginary hypothetical gay friends who might apparently invite them to a gay wedding,” Savage told MSNBC host Chris Hayes. “In Walker’s case it was his own sister, and that’s what’s so interesting about it.”

GLEE Weddings - "I Am A Work In Progress"

GLEE heads toward it's series finale, I am reminded that at one time I was a big Gleek and loved how fresh the show was.

I haven't watched GLEE regularly in years, but every now and then I catch an episode and remember how much the series has done to bring LGBT lives into America's living rooms.

This past week was no exception as Kurt & Blaine and Santana & Brittany exchanged wedding vows in a surprise double ceremony.

And look - Gloria Estefan made it to the weddings!

Wedding Video of the Day: Michael and Marty

Meet Michael and Marty, married September 27th in Omaha.

What a wonderful wedding.  Beautiful video.


Michael and Marty - Highlights from Dundee Digital Wedding Films on Vimeo.

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka wed in Italy

Neil Patrick Harris, fresh off his Tony Award winning run in "Hegwig and the Angry Inch" married longtime bf David Burtka in Italy this past weekend.

"We happily confirm that Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka were married in Italy in an intimate ceremony surrounded by their close friends and family," Harris's representative tells PEOPLE.

Wearing custom Tom Ford tuxedos, the How I Met Your Mother star, 41, and Burtka, 39, wed with close friend and mentor Pam Fryman, the long-time director of How I Met Your Mother, officiating.

Also taking part in the celebration were the couple's fraternal twins, Harper Grace and Gideon Scott, 3½.

One highlight of the festive evening was a special performance at the reception by Sir Elton John.

Congrats to the happy couple!

Guess what? @DavidBurtka and I got married over the weekend. In Italy. Yup, we put the 'n' and 'd' in 'husband'. pic.twitter.com/R09ibF41rt

— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) September 8, 2014

"Days Of Our Lives" makes history with wedding of Will & Sonny

The nuptials of Will Horton (played by Guy Wilson) and Sonny Kriakis (Freddie Smith) on NBC's Days Of Our Lives made television daytime history this week.

Will Horton and Sonny Kiriakis made it legal on NBC’s Days of Our Lives today, becoming the first gay male couple to get married on U.S. daytime television.

The ceremony, performed by veteran Days actress Deidre Hall, was teased out over a three-day storyline culminating Thursday.

“So honored to be part of history right now. Thanks to the LGBT community for inspiring me with your courage and your strength everyday,” tweeted Freddie Smith, who plays Kiriakis.

(via NewNowNext)

THE TALK's Sara Gilbert marries long-time girlfriend Linda Perry

In a ceremony overlooking the ocean, THE TALK host Sara Gilbert married her long-time girl friend Linda Perry yesterday.

The ceremony capped a year-long engagement that began with a park, a guitar player and a brass band.

Gilbert told E! Online:

"We go to a park, and we have food and we're eating it, it's really sweet and there's this guy sitting playing guitar, like a street musician, and he starts playing this song that we love," Gilbert recalled.

"I'm like, 'Oh, that's so weird, this is so magical and amazing.'"

She continued, "So that ends, and she's like, 'Oh, I'm gonna ask him to play this other song,' but this other song is really obscure and this guy wouldn't know it, but magically he knows it."

The next thing the Talk star knew, she said, their fellow picnickers pulled out instruments and joined the guitarist to serenade the couple with "Love Song." At which point, Perry put on a series of T-shirts that each had one word, eventually forming the question "Will You Marry Me?"

Congrats to the happy couple!

.@aishatyler on @THEsaragilbert& @RealLindaPerry wedding:It was an amazing night.The most beautiful ceremony @ sunset over-looking the ocean

— The Talk on CBS! (@TheTalk_CBS) March 31, 2014

(via E!Online)

Houston Mayor Annise Parker marries longtime partner

Kathy Hubbard (L) and Mayor Annise Parker (R)

Via press release issued by Houston:

Mayor Annise Parker and her long-time partner, First Lady Kathy Hubbard, were joined in marriage today in a sunset ceremony held at a private home in Palm Springs, California.

A small gathering of family and friends, including the mayor’s mother and Ms. Hubbard’s sister, were on hand for the exchange of vows, which were presided over by the Reverend Paul Fromberg, a family friend from San Francisco. Two other close friends from Houston, Judge Steve Kirkland and Mr. Mark Parthie, served as the attendants and formal witnesses.

Mayor Parker and the First Lady selected January 16th for their wedding because it marks the 23rd anniversary of the start of their lives together.

“This is a very happy day for us,” said Mayor Parker. “We have had to wait a very long time to formalize our commitment to each other. Kathy has been by my side for more than two decades, helping to raise a family, nurture my political career and all of the other ups and down and life events that come with a committed relationship. She is the love of my life and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life married to her.”

California caterer refuses to service gay wedding based on religious convictions

Kama Kaina and Mathew Rivera

Here we go again. 

On the grounds that doing so would violate her religious beliefs, a California caterer has refused to service a gay couple's wedding reception.

The Advocate reports:

On November 26, Kama Kaina contacted Janet Zimmerman Catering with a request to cater his wedding to his longtime partner, Mathew Rivera. Zimmerman, who had been recommended by the couple's planned venue in Big Bear, Calif., initially agreed. But several hours later, she sent an email expressing a change of heart because of her "Christian beliefs."

"Thank you for contacting me in regards to your upcoming wedding," Zimmerman wrote to Kaina, according to an email forwarded to The Advocate. "I really appreciate that you were honest with me and gave me a heads up that this would be a same sex marriage. I hope that you will also appreciate when I am honest with you when I say that catering your wedding would comprise [sic] my Christian beliefs and I will be unable to accept this job. I am sure that you will be able to find someone who will better suit your needs."

I realize that this is discriminatory, but after so many of these stories I'm of a mind that we should just let the community know about these folks who don't want to provide services to LGBT weddings, and then make sure we spread the word about companies that ARE happy to work with LGBT events. Make sure that the good guys get credit for their open nature.

And once we know who the haters are, leave them alone. Who wants to deal with people like that anyway?

I would like to know if Zimmerman is so devout about EVERY biblical teaching, or if it's just the gay issues that "compromise" her Christian beliefs...

T.R. Knight marries longtime boyfriend in quiet ceremony in NYC

US Weekly is reporting that T.R. Knight is officially off the market!

The former Dr. O'Malley married his boyfriend of three years, Patrick, in a quiet ceremony in New York City over the weekend!  And Katherine Heigl was there

The pair said "I do" on Friday, Oct. 4 in an intimate ceremony in front of family and friends.

"It [was] very small and quiet," an insider revealed to US Weekly. Knight's former ABC costars and  friends Katherine Heigl and Kate Walsh flew in for the ceremony, the source says.

Congrats to the happy couple!

Lance Bass of 'NSYNC is engaged

Lance Bass announced on Instagram today that he's engaged to boyfriend Michael Turchin.

"He said YES!!" Bass tweeted "Love this man."

"Happiest guy in the world," wrote Turchin.

The couple, who live in Los Angeles, have been dating since December 2011.

Turchin is an actor and model, and self-described "nice Jewish boy" on Twitter. Bass most recently joined his former band mates on stage during the MTV video music awards.

(via source)

US Marine Corps Captain Matthew Phelps marries Ben Schock

U.S. Marine Corps Captain Matthew Phelps wed Ben Schock this Saturday in Seattle.

Captain Phelps famously proposed to Schock this past December, becoming the first gay couple ever to do so at the White House.   

As you may recall, Phelps and Schock have been outspoken about the damage DOMA has caused gay military couples such as themselves. 

Congratulations to the happy couple!  More wine!

Photo credit - Nate Gowdy Photo

(source)

Marriott now welcomes gay weddings at their hotels

The Mormon-owned Marriott chain of hotels has begun welcoming gay weddings at their hotels.

From the Marriott website:

"Marriott hotels provide ideal venues for ceremonies honoring you and your partner. With luxurious hotels and stunning resorts all around the world, we offer the perfect settings and Planning Services for your most special day. Continue the magic of your union with the perfect honeymoon. With our Honeymoon Gift Registry, we make it possible for your friends and family to provide the get-away of your dreams."

Mind you, Mitt Romney was once a member of the board at Marriott...