“We initially connected over Labor Day weekend in September of 2015 over Tinder. I had been single for quite a while and had had an eventful summer of traveling and enjoying the single life. Kyle was living in Birmingham, Alabama at the time and he had also been single for a while.”

Over Labor Day weekend, Shane was house-sitting for a friend in Midtown Atlanta. Kyle had just arrived into the city with a couple of his friends from Birmingham to enjoy the long weekend. “We both "swiped right" on Tinder, and our first connection was made. However, once I realized that we had connected and opened his Tinder profile, he had already made it back to Birmingham. So his profile showed that he was 156 miles away. My initial thought was, "Oh, he was just in town for the Holiday weekend"...I decided not to pursue the connection any further. A few days later, I got a Tinder message from him. I ignored it at first, but one evening a day or so later, in my boredom and with a half a bottom of wine in my bloodstream, I responded. The conversation was very natural, and fluid. We are both in the healthcare field, so that made for easy, relatable dialogue.”

The next weekend, Shane’s sister was getting married in South Carolina. Shane was given the role to lead her down the aisle and giver her away as well as singing in the wedding. “Throughout the entire trip, Kyle and I stayed in constant communication. Once I returned home, we decided it was time for us to meet in person. Kyle was insistent that he come to Atlanta. Initially, he was going to travel back here with the same friends he was here with when we connected on Tinder, but the day they were supposed to leave, his friends got into an argument and abruptly cancelled on Kyle. But Kyle was so intent on us meeting that he came anyway, on his own.”

Shane and Kyle met for their first date at Cafe Intermezzo, on the corner of 11th and Peachtree in central Atlanta. “I chose that restaurant because they have a vast menu to choose from, it's very public, and it was close to where I was staying at the time… in the event that the date didn't go well.” 

It was raining, and it was particularly chilly for an Atlanta evening. Shane got to the restaurant first and found his seat. Shortly after, Kyle arrived wearing a light tan jacket, glasses, and you could obviously tell that he was bit nervous.

“Our first impressions of each other were so different. Kyle seemed shy and quiet at first. He says I was relaxed and seemed confident. It didn't take very long before we both started to loosen up… with the help of a couple of cocktails. I knew one thing, Kyle was absolutely adorable. I was instantly attracted to him."

After dinner, the two continued on to Lawrence, a nearby restaurant and bar. “We both enjoy a good whiskey, so I took him there for my favorite cocktail called a Whiskey Wobegon. He volunteered to drive us the few blocks down, it was while he was driving that I looked at Kyle and knew this was different than just a crush.” They crammed into the extremely crowded bar and managed to find a seat at the bar facing the open kitchen. Their feelings for one another developed rapidly. The date just felt different, and they knew it. “Kyle knew before I did that we were destined for each other. He knew whenever he was walking back from the restroom. He said that he saw me from across the restaurant in the light from the flames on the kitchen grill…”

“The way it illuminated your face...I was smitten at that moment.”

Over the next couple of years, Kyle and Shane grew closer together, continuing to date with marriage as a clear goal in their minds. “It was my idea to propose. Kyle and I were at a fundraiser for the Gay Men's Chorus that we both sang in, and we bid on a 4 day/3 night stay in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains.” Winning the bid, they invited both of their families to join them in the Blue Ridge Mountains for a weekend. “I coordinated the proposal with my sister. On the second night we were there, we had just gotten back from dinner and were all sitting out on the big deck overlooking the mountains. My sister stood up and got everyone's attention, she said "Daniel (her husband) and I have a question, we'd like to know how all of you would feel about adding a new member to the family?" Of course, everyone thought she was going to announce that she was pregnant. With everyone hanging on what she would say next, I slipped down on one knee with the ring, and when Kyle turned to me, I asked him if he would marry me and become part of our family.” Surrounded by their loved ones, Kyle gladly accepted to proposal, promising to become Shane’s husband.

“Our wedding was absolute magic. I was more than we could have hoped for. We got married at 6 in the evening in a small, beautiful park in our neighborhood. It was October 18th, the perfect fall day. Autumn is our favorite season, the leaves were changing, and the weather outside was absolutely perfect. Most of the music was played by harp. I had a small ensemble of the Gay Men's Chorus sing "In Whatever Time We Have" from Garden of Eden, and I had our former Artistic Director recompose "Grow Old Along With Me" by the Beatles, and my friend Brian sang it. We processed out to the ensemble singing "Thank You for Being a Friend". Our dear friend and reverend Greg Wiggins officiated. My sister was my matron of honor and Kyle's brother was his best man."

The celebration, full of emotion, definitely had its toll on the grooms. “We were both basket-cases throughout the day. There was so much emotion!! I booked a massage earlier in the day in an attempt to relax, but I ended up crying through the whole thing. I cried all day. I think much of it was because I spent so many years wondering if I would ever see this day come...both personally and legally. Kyle and I were overwhelmed with joy and happiness. We just felt so much palpable love coming at us from our friends and family in attendance.”

After the ceremony, Kyle and Shane were whisked away to the reception venue before the guests arrived to take some photos. Kyle and Shane, now husband and husband spent a few moments just the two of them to soak in what had just occurred. “That evening produced the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen. Vibrant pinks, purples, and oranges… we've never seen anything like it before.”

“The most surprising thing to us was how much everyone enjoyed the evening. So many of our guests have expressed to us how our wedding was the sweetest, loveliest wedding they'd ever been to...gay or straight. One of our older friends told us that our wedding has inspired him to get back out there and look for love again. He said until our wedding he had given up on ever finding a partner or getting married.”

When asked what advice they would give to other couples planning their wedding, the newlyweds recommend to take your time. “We had a two year engagement, which really gave us time to think about what we wanted. Always compromise with one another. You are never going to see eye-to-eye on every detail, but with discussion and compromise, you can plan a ceremony that works best for both Grooms. And finally, find someone to help you. Matt Mitchell, our wedding planner, was amazing and we couldn't have done it without him.”

“On your wedding day, let all the stress of the planning go. No wedding is ever going to be perfect. I held a lot of stress about the wedding, even up to the day itself. There were last minute issues with chairs, parking, and background noise. However, when I heard those first few cords from the harp, I let go of all of my stress and decided to live every moment of the ceremony. Kyle did the same thing.”

Since Kyle is in school at Emory University working on his Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia, Kyle and Shane did not have the time off to take a honeymoon. However, they plan to go on a trip together once he finishes school in 2022. “We plan to spend a week in Greece and a week in Italy!”

Ceremony Venue — Winn Park
Reception Venue — Le Maison Rouge at Paris on Ponce
Photography — Familiar Roots Photography
Planner — Matt Mitchell
Officiant — Greg Wiggins
Invitations — Zola
Apparel — The Black Tux
Catering — Bridge Catering