Big fat gay wedding marriage or mortgage

Over the course of many years—and a lot of flirting, kissing, tears, estrangements, and semi-serious marriage proposals written on class notes—the pair finally got together for good in Upgraded rooms, use of a bridal suite, pre-wedding spa treatment, couples massage, customized menus, themed décor, entertainment, wedding favors, and live streaming capabilities are all part and parcel.

Although Michelle is not Jewish, we are raising our daughter as a Jew and are both active in our Reform congregation. I finally know first hand what all the fuss is about when planning a wedding. Rabbi Millstein has been incredibly vocal in his support of the issue and has become a local activist in the Worcester press and other public forums.

Then, six years ago, after several years of trying to become pregnant, I gave birth to Hannah, and Michelle legally adopted her. Although it is not his practice to officiate at interfaith weddings, he has been there for us on an emotional and spiritual level that has buoyed us through difficult times and embraced us in times of joy.

After several rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and more chemotherapy, we have experienced an entirely new dimension to the depth of our commitment to one another. To make it even more fun, a themed groom’s activity and a fun and trendy Trash the Dress photo shoot attach even more novelty and value.

Of course, we took them in our hearts and have made them the central force of our life together. Michelle, my partner of fourteen years, and I will have a civil wedding at Worcester City Hall on May 20, the first day possible under the new Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision.

Now, try finding a rabbi who will not only marry two lesbians, but two interfaith lesbians! Our relationship will be legitimized and will be equal to those in heterosexual marriages.

How We Pulled It

A couple gets pregnant and decides that perhaps it is the right time. In addition, we also had to cope with making our way through this journey with no legal attachment to one another. Michelle was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer.

My Big Fat Gay Wedding This week David and I will celebrate our fourth year of marriage. Friends from the congregation who I always knew were privately supportive of gay rights have impressed me with their eloquence and their willingness to now take a public stand for same-sex marriage as a civil right.

It is important to both of us that our union be blessed in a religious ceremony. But twenty-five mostly middle-aged and fabulous straight and gay friends came from across the country last December to our joyful marriage ceremony and dinner in New York did we get married after twenty-one years together?

We selected the date based on where we wanted to get married and what seemed to work for the majority of our families. That is the main reason that we will be married. As a child, I had all the usual dreams of being married and having children, but when I came out as a lesbian in my early twenties, I gave up that dream.

It is only as I sit down to write this that I realize our wedding is during the same month as gay pride! That was not planned at all. Last July, our lives took a very different turn. And perhaps those people who want to define us by what happens in our bedroom will be able to see that there is far more depth to our relationship, just as there is far more depth to a heterosexual relationship, than the act of making love.

Wonderful Gay WeddingMy big fat gay wedding: It was a long time coming, but couple who fought for marriage equality ties the knot in grand style. Personally, one of the most rewarding parts of this progress toward same-gender marriages has been seeing how much support there is in my Worcester Jewish community.

We have also been blessed with tremendous support from our own rabbi, Jordan Millstein. Well why does anyone get married? Those who have experienced the agony of having a spouse diagnosed with a terminal illness know that there is no comparable pain. Our upcoming weddings will not make our lives together more valid in our own eyes, in the eyes of our loving and supportive families, in the eyes of our fellow congregants at Temple Emanuel, or, in my opinion, in the eyes of God.

In the eyes of the law, however, we will be viewed differently. As if one wedding is not enough, Michelle and I will also have a religious ceremony in August. Although he has made the decision in his rabbinic practice not to officiate at interfaith weddings, he has been an ongoing source of strength and support to both Michelle and me.

And when I announced at our last temple board meeting that Michelle and I would be getting married in May, I received an overwhelming round of applause and resounding mazel tovs. Yes, I am sad that we cannot be married in our own synagogue with our own rabbi, but we are working on ways to include our temple family and be a part of this event together.