Thanks to Prideful Engagements, a pro-gay vendor, for sending us this Santa Monica Pier engagement
April and I were moving into a new house in Pasadena, which for me meant new beginnings. I knew I wanted to propose so I started looking around for rings. I found the perfect one and started cooking up the scenario… The house we were moving into didn’t have a dishwasher, and April is notoriously bad at not doing her dishes, so I made her promise that she was going to sign a ‘contract’ with me that she would not let her dishes pile up sans dishwasher. The morning we moved in we brought our dogs over to the new house first thing in the morning before the move, and I brought my briefcase with the ‘documents.’ I took out the dishwashing contract and April laughed. She then noticed there were other documents underneath with the final one being an application for domestic partnership. Her eyes grew wide and she looked at me standing there. I told her how much I loved her and…broke into song. I had the ring in my hand and started singing my version of how we met to Beyonce’s ‘Put a Ring On It” – horrible choreography and all! It was a mess but apparently a loveable mess as when I presented her with the ring, she said yes!
It was the weekend of Long Beach Pride and I (Kari) was there with my friend Carrie, who I was trying to find a date for. I actually went up to April to try to introduce her to Carrie, but then we ended up hitting it off. April had promised herself that she wasn’t going to be with anyone that year so it really goes to show that you really do meet someone when you’re not looking. We talked more and more until my friend bluntly said “Kari I’m tired, just get her number and let’s go.” To which I laughed and looked at April and said “Ok, can I have
your number?” Thankfully, she gave me the right one!
We were planning on having a party to celebrate our domestic partnership last August. When the courts ruled Prop 8 unconstitutional, two weeks before our event, we decided to turn it into a wedding! Once the stay was put on the decision, it was devastating for us that we couldn’t actually legally tie the knot, but our families’ flights were already booked and everyone told us that in their eyes, we were getting married that day. It was a beautiful day in Pasadena, in April’s brother’s backyard. There was romance, love, unexpected speeches and so much support. It was a beautiful day. We also made it ‘legal’ in Vermont in December in a small snow covered town where the Justice of the Peace doubled as the librarian and town clerk. Since the ‘restaurant’ we were in was actually the chef’s house, her Bassett Hound was gnawing on his rawhide the whole time, and April actually stole my ‘I do’ moment, thinking it was her turn. We laughed and shared our love once more
So awesome! Love these pictures and your story!! Congrats!
These photos are wonderful, congratulations!
You’re both so well suited to each other!!!