Gramercy Park Hotel: New York, NY: Kevin & Derek's Wedding

A few weeks before their destination wedding in NYC, Kevin and Derek traveled up to the city from their home in Austin to take care of some final planning details. They also made sure to carve out some time to visit some of their favorite spots in Manhattan. In the course of doing so, they were stopped by a mother as they were walking by the Empire State Building. She told them that her son had just recently come out to her and she was moved to speak to them because the seeing them walking hand in hand down the street gave her so much hope. She hoped that one day her son would find the same happiness as they have and to be able to express that love as openly as they do. 

While that mother would not have known it, she probably would have been hard-pressed to find a couple whose love is inspiring as Kevin and Derek’s. These are two men who love one another with their whole heart and who are clearly thankful every single day that they found each other. As they exchanged vows this summer in New York with all their friends and family surrounding them, it was hard to hold back tears - even as you watched them just look at one another during the ceremony. The room was filled with love because everyone in that room knew, just like that mother, that they were seeing something truly special. And it wouldn't surprise me one bit if Kevin and Derek inspires more people to have hope and to live and love with every fiber of their being, because that’s exactly what they are doing.