Equality Wedding Registry

Are you here to support an ENC couple listed on our wedding registry? Click the link below to give the gift of Equality:

If you'd like to be listed in our wedding registry, please contact Shawn at 919.829.0343 x 114 or shawn@equalitync.org. You can also arrange to have gifts made to Equality NC or Equality NC Foundation in honor of your marriage. Thank you for your support of marriage equality!

The Family of John Hopkins and Stuart Williams

We are Stuart & John and our son Ramsay; this is our story of how we became a family ....

We have recently moved from Charlotte to Montreat, which is close to Asheville, North Carolina. We moved due to our love for the mountains and the slower, yet exciting pace of the area.

We met in May of 2006, and we both knew from our first date that we were meant for one another. We went to go see the movie Adam & Steve, went to Nikkos Restaurant and then afterwards had a glass of wine together on the rooftop of a high-rise building. We saw the City of Charlotte all lit up and we talked for hours there and we just knew this was the start of something magical.

In January of 2009 we had our ceremony. We had just a few of our closets friends enjoy our special day on a cruise ship with us. A month after our ceremony, we got word that the adoption we started was final. Our worlds both changed for the better in February of 2009 when our son Ramsay Hopkins Williams became part of our family. 

There is nothing quite like our weekends together as a family. We have an active lifestyle, which includes paddle boating on a nearby pond, feeding the ducks, hiking, and rock hoping in the creeks here in Montreat. Also, we have a love for the theater and we are always going to see local musicals or plays in our community. When he's not in pre-school, our son Ramsay is at gymnastics practice or playing in the creek in our backyard like a typical little 5-year-old boy. 

Our extended family is large. Stuart is from a family of five siblings & John is from a family of three siblings. We enjoy being with each of them and all their families. We counted up that Ramsay currently has thirteen first cousins in our family, ranging from1 to 25 years of age. We have a guest bedroom at our home, which stays occupied many weekends with aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters and brothers who we always love having in town. We had Thanksgiving at our home last year and we had over 40 family members attend. We had to rent a big white tent to put in our backyard because we both wanted our whole family to sit at one table; it was truly a happy moment for our family to sit at one table and know that we are blessed to have each other. We both love the show on ABC called "Modern Family." We both relate so much to that show and our families and all the craziness (in a good way of course). There's never a dull moment at our house but laughter and unconditional love brings us all closer each time.

The Marriage of Diana Coe and Li Hooper

Diana and Li grew up barely 30 minutes from each other here in North Carolina, yet they didn't cross paths until Li transferred to college in Philadelphia where Diana was wo-manning the front desk as a resident assistant registering new students. That was in September of 1984. Diana was immediately smitten and the two embarked on an on again-off again relationship that lasted until Diana graduated in 1987 and moved on to New York. By that time, Li had returned to North Carolina and they kept in touch infrequently over the years. In September of 2009, following a bad break-up, Diana had the irresistable urge to contact Li. The first thing Li said to her was "When are you going to stop all of this nonsense and move down here and marry me?" Diana replied, "Well, anything can happen, I am single now."

While still a bit gun-shy, Diana consented to dating and the two embarked on a long-distance relationship (Diana was now living 900 miles away in Massachusetts, where they could have, ironically, gotten legally married had they decided to live away from their respective families) in December of that year. In July of 2010, Li flew up to pack Diana's belongings, load up the U-Haul, and move her and her then 9-year-old son, to Winston Salem.

While family circumstances mean that they live two miles from each other in their own homes, Li and Diana have, nonetheless, decided to join their lives in a joyous celebration of their love on October 1, 2011. They will be surrounded by more than 100 of their dearest family and friends, more than half of whom are traveling from all across the country. Diana works at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro and is proud activist for marriage equality and transgender rights. Li is hard at work starting a non-profit organization to provide direct services and advocacy to the GLBT community in Winston Salem and the surrounding areas. She hopes to launch GRASP (Gender Revisioning and Sexuality Pathways) after returning from their weeklong honeymoon in Sedona, Arizona. They pray that someday soon they will be able to legalize their marriage in a civil ceremony and eventually join their households. In the meantime, they welcome donations to Equality NC in their honor.

You can view their wedding website and read more of their amazing journey at www.theknot.com/ourwedding/DianaCoe&LisaHooper

The Marriage of Hillary and Kate

Hillary and Kate met in 2009 through a mutual friend and have been together ever since!  They'll be tying the knot in Chapel Hill in October of 2011, with a ceremony at the Community Church of Chapel Hill Unitarian Universalist and a reception to follow. The couple will also have a civil ceremony following the wedding during their honeymoon in Vermont.

Originally from Connecticut and California respectively, both Hillary and Kate moved to North Carolina for educational opportunities. While both of their home states currently recognize some form of same-sex unions, they feel that it is important to marry here in North Carolina, since it is where they have made a life together, surrounded by their friends and families. Hillary and Kate know that their love, commitment, and care for each other is equal to those of legally married couples and look forward to the day that our state and country will catch on!

While both care deeply about equal rights for LGBT individuals for personal reasons, they also have professional ties to the cause. Hillary is a former ENC intern and currently works for a pro-choice non-profit and Kate is writing her dissertation (at UNC-Chapel Hill's Department of Sociology) on Pride parades and has researched anti-gay constitutional amendments.

They feel that a gift made to Equality NC is the ultimate show of support for their union, as well as all LGBT people, as it will help fund the tremendous work this organization does across the state.

The Marriage of Crystal and Gen

They met at Steel Blue. Crystal saw Gen from across the room and it took her two hours to approach her. When she finally did, it was instant. They clicked and sparks flew!

Gen and Crystal fell deeply in love and to this day are inseparable. After years together and raising a wonderful (and at times challenging) 5 year old son, the sparks have remained. They have dedicated time and love and truly feel they share a deeply rooted soul connection. Gen and Crystal have been through both amazing and trying times, but through it all they have remained best friends and dedicated partners.

They are planning a small beach wedding on the sand to represent their love and to formally commit their lives to each other. Though marriage equality is not a reality in North Carolina, they will continue their dedication to the cause and speak out for equality, while sporting equality t-shirts and car magnets.

"Material gifts are nice, but a true gift is one that keeps giving and will have a deep meaning," say Gen & Crystal. "Donating to HRC & Equality NC will be a true gift because they are fighting for equal rights so that one day, all people can have the right to marry and the social stigma will lessen because of attention on the LGBT community."

The Marriage of Sara and Holli

We met in 2005 in college at UNC-Greensboro. After a few years of living separate lives, we found ourselves crossing paths again while out for a night on the town! We have enjoyed a year and a half of a fun relationship. We love to camp, hike, take walks with our two crazy dogs, Emmett and Archie, and enjoy "porch time" with friends. 

We decided to get married in January 2010. Once gay marriage was legalized in Washington DC, we decided to make it official.  We will be traveling there on August 5th to be legally married and drive to Oak Island, NC to enjoy a small ceremony with our pastor, friends and family.

We have experienced many hard-hitting realities of the rights that gays and lesbians are denied, even in the last months of our engagement. We ask that our friends and family contribute, even the smallest amount, to help move this movement forward for us, and the many couples that struggle with inequality.

Our wedding website is http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/SaraHancock&HolliDuke.

The Engagement of Justin and Joseph

Justin Clapp, originally of Roxboro, North Carolina, and Joseph Lee, originally of Little Sandy Mush, North Carolina, will celebrate their commitment to each other on Saturday, May 28, 2011, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with family and friends.

The Marriage of Emily and Jacob

After six years of love and laughter, Emily Elizabeth Herbert and Jacob Alan Traverse joyfully announce that we exchanged marriage vows and celebrated our love and commitment on Saturday, December 12, 2009, in Chapel Hill, NC.

We recognize our civil marriage as an unearned privilege, and believe that all couples in love should have the right to marry and all families should be treated equally. 

(These newlyweds for equality are pictured on their honeymoon in Costa Rica.)

The Marriage of Bo and Michael

Let it be known and celebrate

 that the spiritual union of

Lenwood S.“Bo” Dean Jr.  and Michael Alexander Freeze II,

brought fourth 12 years ago by the grace of God,

was civilly recognized and consecrated in marriage on the

historic grounds of the Great Barrington, Massachusetts Town Hall

Thursday, July Thirtieth, in the year of our lord 2009

What God has brought together in marriage, let no one essay to keep apart in word or deed!

The Marriage of Amy and Laurel

Amy and Laurel met in college when they both became members of the College Democrats. They were friends for about two years before they fell in love.

They were celebrating their first anniversary when Laurel asked Amy  "Assuming we could, would you marry me?" and she said yes and asked Laurel if she would. Laurel said yes. Later that day Laurel explained that this was her proposal!

They are having a ceremony but it won't be a legal union since their state has not legalized same-sex marriage yet.

They ask people to donate to Equality NC instead of using a typical registry because they have lived together for a year now and do not need any more things.

"Why not ask people to donate to an organization that we support, and that supports the legalization of our marriage? We can't think of a more appropriate gift."

View their wedding website here.

The Marriage of Deb and Mary Love

We have been together for 12 years and had a Commitment Ceremony in December 1997, after which we both changed our last names to Love because that is what we both want to be in the world. We had to pay to petition the courts to have the same last name, something that straight couples can automatically have for free after being married.

In August of 2008, we went to Long Beach, California (where we lived for seven years before moving to Asheville) and were LEGALLY married on August 13 by a very dear friend. When standing in line in Norwalk, CA (not a very gay community) to get our marriage license, we were congratulated more than once by passers-by who said “you deserve it.” This was a wonderful experience for us. We know that the day is coming when we will have the right to marry and have the federal benefits that come with it.

The Marriage of Jake and Ted

Jake and Ted got married (legally in Boston, MA) in early March 2009 with a reception later that month in Chapel Hill.

This picture shows them in New York on their five-year anniversary, just after they got engaged. Jake is on the left and Ted is on the right, and they are standing below the statue of Atlas bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. Jake says that promoting equality is one of the best ways we can share the weight of the world.

You can read their story, find details of their wedding, and see beautiful pictures of their rings at their wedding website.

The Marriage of Kelly Margolis & Jacob Dagger

We will celebrate our love and our commitment to one another with a ceremony in Chapel Hill on December 27, 2008. We met in Carrboro in 2005, and our friendship quickly grew into a loving partnership. As we come together with our friends and family to celebrate our relationship through marriage, we want to remember all the loving couples who are deprived of the right to marry. We realize how lucky we are to be able to take advantage of the benefits and protections of marriage, and we will do all we can to extend these rights to everyone. Your tax-deductible donation to Equality NC Foundation will be a step toward recognizing all partnerships equally.

Please click here to go to Kelly & Jacob's wedding website.

Click here to make a gift to Equality NC Foundation in honor of Kelly & Jacob's wedding.

The Marriage of Mark & Robert Buchanan

Mark's Story:  Bob and I were married in Canada on May 8, 2008. We wanted to do this as a celebration of the ten years we had been together. We had a religious ceremony in 2000, but in the eyes of our co-workers and family it wasn’t the same as married. Our civil ceremony was held in a picturesque Bed and Breakfast in Vancouver, British Columbia. One of the witnesses was an 82-year-old woman who was visiting the guesthouse. She cried during the exchange of vows. Afterwards, she told us that the ceremony was beautiful and reminded her of her own vows with her late husband many years ago.

When we returned to North Carolina, I decided to change my last name to match Bob’s. Had we remained in Canada, that right would have been automatic. In North Carolina, I had to petition the court and have two people sign affidavits to my character and wait for my name to be changed. This was only the beginning of the documents we signed to try to protect each other legally in case of death or accident. All this would be unnecessary if there was marriage equality in the United States.

We support the work of Equality North Carolina and encourage others to do the same. We give through the State Employees Combined Campaign. Marriage isn’t for every same-sex couple, but if it is the right thing for you and your partner to do, each marriage takes us one step closer to equality.

The Union of Michelle & Julia

While there are many rights and privileges that we are currently unable to share with our heterosexual married counterparts in this wonderful nation, our hope is that someday our family will be awarded the same rights and privileges that our parents' families have held. 

On Saturday, June 7, 2008, together with Colden (age 15) and Marah (age 12) Stefanisko, Michelle Cooper and Julia Simmons participated in a holy union and blessing at St. Davids Episcopal Church followed by a community celebration in Sylva, North Carolina.  We celebrated the love we share with our extended family, our friends, our Lord and each other in beautiful western North Carolina.