“Amidst the uncertainty and despair, marrying the love of my life in the most NYC moment was perfect”

BY SOPHIE PERRY. NYC SKYLINE BY ROBERTO VIVANCOS

Coronavirus might be grounding flights, closing down capital cities and turning (some) people into toilet roll-hoarding, doomsday preppers – but it won’t stop true love.

Even in the middle of a city-wide lockdown, a New York City couple still had their special day, by getting married in the middle of the street…Ā 

View this post on Instagram

we were supposed to get married in October. the reality of that happening in our current climate seemed slim. Amanda’s business closed and everything has just blown up. we got our marriage license yesterday and were walking out the door to get hitched at the courthouse when the mayor announced the immediate closure of the marriage bureau. after several hours of crying (& drinking), one of our dear friends @iknowmattwilson sent us a message saying he was ordained and could marry us through the state of NY (nyc has weird laws that you have to be married by someone ordained by this county clerk). we said YES, finished our work meetings, walked down the street to his apartment and got married below his fourth story window as the neighborhood looked on alongside 4 of our best friends @kktapper @harold_gibbons @joselynmujica (& @erikahenningsen through a car because #socialdistancing). what a day. amidst the uncertainty and despair we all feel right now, marrying the love of my life in the most NYC moment was perfect. i’ve waited 4 years to call @wheelsfit my wife and this was all just the cherry on top of the love i feel every day. ā¤ļø

A post shared by Reilly Jennings (@reillyjennings) on

Reilly Jennings and Amanda Wheeler were originally meant to get married in October but, ā€œThe reality of that happening in our current climate seemed slim,ā€ Jennings revealed in an Instagram post.Ā 

Amid coronavirus uncertainty, the couple got their marriage licence early and were on their way to say their “I Do’s”. However, just as they were leaving for the NYC Court House, it was announced that the venue would be closed following stricter social distancing measures in the state of New York. All was not lost, though…

After, ā€œseveral hours of crying (and drinking)ā€, Jennings explains: ā€œOne of our dear friendsĀ @iknowmattwilsonĀ [Matt Wilson] sent us a message saying he was ordained and could marry us.

ā€œWe said YES, finished our work meetings, walked down the street to his apartment and got married below his fourth story window as the neighbourhood looked on alongside four of our best friends.”

With their close friends and the local neighbourhood watching from a (safe) distance, Wilson performed the ceremony for the pair from his apartment window. 

An adorable video of the ceremony posted on Jennings Instagram shows the pair getting hitched in a near-deserted street. As the two women are pronounced wife and wife, the physical emptiness of the street is replaced with rapturous cries of celebration throughout the neighbourhood. 

Jennings finished off by saying that, ā€œAmidst the uncertainty and despair we all feel right now, marrying the love of my life in the most NYC moment was perfect.”

DIVA magazine celebrates 26 years on the newsstands in 2020. Get behind LGBTQI media and help us celebrate another 26, at least. Your support is invaluable. Get the latest issue here now.

divadigital.co.uk // divadirect.info // divasub.co.uk

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.