Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Chicagoans tie the knot in surprise wedding
by Ross Forman, Windy City Times
2015-12-30

This article shared 10089 times since Wed Dec 30, 2015
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


When Kevin Romero and Philip Maziarz got engaged, it wasn't very exciting or even a truly memorable moment.

"Illinois had just legalized gay marriage before Christmas 2013 and both of our families were wondering when we would make it official," Romero said. "Around that time, while sitting at dinner, we decided that getting married made sense.

"Then after Christmas, we went to Puerto Vallarta with friends and we ended up getting engaged while sitting on a couch next to each other."

Maziarz was browsing wedding venues and their friends asked if they were engaged. They looked at each other and said, "No"—because neither had proposed.

So right then and there Maziarz asked Romero if he wanted to get married.

Romero replied, "Sure."

"It's not a very exciting story," Romero admitted.

But their wedding, wow, it was an amazing story, an unbelievable tale, one worth Hollywood writers.

"We had lots of varied plans [for a wedding]—some were extravagant destination weddings, such as Puerto Rico, Yellowstone or Napa; some were super-practical, [such as just] getting married at the courthouse when the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage; and some were crazy, [like being a part of a] bulk gay wedding, married by Art Smith on the [TV] show Top Chef," Romero said. "The plans kept changing because, in many ways, we already felt like we were married—we had a condo, cars, and dogs together.

"We talked about lots of different scenarios, but the overarching theme was that Philip wanted a small wedding and I wanted something over-the-top."

Romero won—and, boy, did he go over-the-top.

He conceived, planned and executed a surprise wedding.

On Dec. 19, they were married at Firehouse Chicago, with 58 guests attending, including family from London, Long Island, Florida, Seattle, Denver, Phoenix and Santa Fe; plus friends from Miami, New York City, Madison, Scottsdale and, of course, Chicago.

Maziarz didn't know that morning that he'd be married that evening.

Romero, 34, works as a director of healthcare information technology at NorthShore University HealthSystems. He also boast the glamorous title of "Miss Andersonville 2015" and is a cast member with pH Comedy Theater. So Romero told Maziarz that he was hosting the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce 50th-anniversary holiday party and performing with pH.

Maziarz believed he was being "forced" to attend.

"I had also planned our going-away party on Facebook, so he thought that was occurring later that evening," Romero said. ( The two are moving to New York City this winter for two years. )

"The reality was, we were getting married, having dinner, and then having a combined wedding reception/going-away party."

Romero opted for Vincent since that is Maziarz' favorite restaurant. Then he had to determine the venue for the ceremony and the reception, and he chose the Firehouse Chicago in Andersonville.

Then it was a lot of lies—for months—by Romero, he admitted with a smile.

"I misled Philip about a few things," Romero said. "If people know me, they know that I am a talker and I love to share, so this was perhaps the biggest challenge of my life.

"My [then]-soon-to-be sister-in-law helped out a ton with the wedding planning. She helped pick out photographers and decorations and vendors, and she did it all from London. So I would speak with her nearly every day to and from work to talk about what needed to be accomplished and by when. One benefit of Philip traveling for work was that I could work on components of the wedding while he was away."

There certainly were challenges along the way, Romero admitted. Such as, who knew what.

"The biggest internal challenge I had was that I couldn't share accomplishments with Philip," Romero said. "I had to remind myself that keeping the secret would be worth the outcome."

And yes, the secret was nearly leaked several times, such as the time their mailman tried to deliver a box which had their seating assignment cards, even though it was addressed to a friend down the street.

"He was being helpful in that the box had my name on it and he was confused that it had a different address," Romero said. "The funny thing about [that delivery issue] was that Philip told me that our friend must have bought me a Christmas present and that the mailman was trying to deliver the package to us."

Their surprise wedding even survived Facebook. Romero had to ask out-of-towners to not share their travel plans on social media.

More so, "everyone helped out by throwing Philip off," Romero said.

So, why do it?

Why not, Romero replied.

"After purchasing our condo, Philip and I had to pick out tile, paint colors and cabinet styles. I saw how much Philip would put pressure on himself to make the best choice for those things," Romero said. "Keeping that in mind, I thought preparing for a regular wedding would take a lot out of Philip to get all of the pieces just right. So when I solidified the plan with his sister, we thought that in many ways, this would take a huge burden off of his shoulders."

When Maziarz arrived at what he thought was a holiday party, Romero, who had arrived earlier and already changed into his wedding attire, took Maziarz' hand, told him how much he loved him and that he couldn't imagine life without him. Romero then got down on one knee and asked if Maziarz would marry him … and if he would marry him in 15 minutes.

With tears in his eyes, Maziarz agreed.

Maziarz was then sent to a dressing room to change, as Romero had already even planned his change-of-clothes for the wedding.

Ultimately, Maziarz's parents walked him down the aisle while a guitarist and violinist played Adele's When We Were Young.

Ryan Ruskin and Michael Andrews, who introduced Romero and Maziarz back in 2008, officiated the ceremony.

"Rather than doing traditional readings, I had friends perform funny and emotional/poignant lines from our favorite movies, Mrs. Doubtfire and The Birdcage," Romero said. "The ceremony was designed to express our love for one another, and to also show that weddings can be fun, emotional and surprising. While weddings are intended to celebrate the couple, weddings are also a celebration of families and of friendships. Having people witness the re-proposal, participate and witness the ceremony, and celebrate with us throughout the evening was an honor."

And yes, Maziarz was truly surprised.

"Kevin's desire to create the wedding I always wanted was a completely selfless act of love," Maziarz said. "He made me feel unconditional love, made me cry, made me laugh, and made me feel the way I felt when I knew he was the one.

"There were things that came up over the week [leading up to the wedding] that I thought were strange, but none of them together would have led to me to believe I was going to get married that day. I was surprised that one of Kevin's best friend's from New York City was coming into town, but it was not uncommon for him and his husband to visit to see old friends. I also thought it was strange that some of my friends didn't want to go out to dinner with us after our friend's master's program graduation the night before. They had good reasons why they couldn't go, but they are usually the ones that want to go out."

Maziarz said he wouldn't have changed a thing.

"I must have said 'This is crazy' and 'You're crazy' a thousand times the night of our wedding. It was crazy because I never imagined so many people would go out of their way to make Kevin and me so happy. I thought Kevin was crazy because he made so many of my dreams come true and made me so happy to have found the person that I want to spend the rest of my life. I always knew Kevin was the one and the events of that night showed all the most important people in our lives the same."

Maziarz is now responsible for their honeymoon, the two agreed—and there's pretty much no chance Romero will know anything about it beforehand. "I feel that I need to keep up with the theme and make the location and events of our honeymoon a surprise," Maziarz said.

And do you plan to get even with Kevin?

"I don't think I could ever top this," said Maziarz, 35, who is a managing director with Protiviti. "There are only a few events in our lives that are truly special, so I'm limited in my options … but who knows … I might be able to get back at him one day."


This article shared 10089 times since Wed Dec 30, 2015
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Thailand parliament passes landmark marriage bill 2024-03-27
- On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margin—a landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist 2024-03-21
- Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...


Gay News

Greek legislature approves marriage equality 2024-02-15
- Greece has become the 36th country, and the first Christian Orthodox-majority one, to legalize same-sex marriage. The BBC reported that same-sex couples will now also be legally allowed to adopt children after the 176-76 vote that ...


Gay News

Tenn. legislators back bill that lets officials refuse to perform same-sex weddings 2024-02-15
- Defying a national ruling that authorized marriage equality, Tennessee lawmakers approved a measure that would allow public officials to refuse to perform weddings of same-sex couples, The Hill reported. Tennessee's House Bill 878/Senate Bill 596 says ...


Gay News

WORLD Marriage in Greece, UK politics, cruise death, HRC grants 2024-02-02
- The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece unanimously agreed at a recent meeting that it is "strongly opposed" to the Greek government's promised bill on same-sex marriage and adoption, Balkan Insight reported. The conservative New ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Marriage news, fighting fentanyl, anti-LGBTQ+ crimes, Grindr 2024-02-02
- The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill that would affirm marriage equality in the state, The Washington Blade noted. House Bill 174, introduced by state Del. Rozia Henson (D-Prince William County), passed in the Democratic-controlled ...


Gay News

WORLD Activist honored, marriages in Estonia, Madrid law, trans sports item 2024-01-05
Video below - The National AIDS Commission (NAC) recently honored Caleb Orozco—a leading figure in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Belize—for his instrumental contributions to the national HIV response, BNN reported. According ...


Gay News

Catholic Church allows priests to bless same-sex couples but reaffirms disapproval of gay marriage 2023-12-22
- LGBTQ+ couples can now receive blessings from priests, but the Catholic Church maintained its strict ban on gay marriage, according to a Vatican document approved by Pope Francis Dec. 18. This historic change in doctrine marks ...


Gay News

Greek government vows to back marriage equality 2023-12-22
- Despite opposition from the Church of Greece and within the ruling New Democracy, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' government said it will eventually move to legalize same-sex marriage, The National Herald reported. However, no timetable was ...


Gay News

Dignity/Chicago welcomes new rule on church blessings for same-sex marriages 2023-12-18
--From a press release - Dignity/Chicago, the advocacy organization for LGBTQI Catholics and friends, welcomed the news that the Vatican's doctrinal office has officially declared it possible for Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions and ...


Gay News

New Ways Ministry: Pope's blessings approval is Christmas gift to LGBTQ+ Catholics 2023-12-18
--From a press release - MOUNT RAINIER, Maryland—Statement by Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director, New Ways Ministry: Pope Francis gave LGBTQ+ Catholics an early Christmas gift this year by approving blessings for same-gender couples. The Vatican ...


Gay News

Pope Francis changes policy, allowing priests to bless same-sex unions; GLAAD responds 2023-12-18
--From a press release - GLAAD: "By removing barriers to priests blessing LGBTQ couples, the Pope accurately recognizes that LGBTQ people and our relationships are worthy of the same affirmation and support in the Church, and this strengthens couples in their ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ couple the first in South Asia to have marriage recognized 2023-11-30
- Transgender woman Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey became the first LGBTQ+ couple to have their marriage legally recognized in South Asia after they received a legal certificate in Nepal's Lamjung district on Nov. 29, The Guardian ...


Gay News

WORLD Thai marriage law, French bill, Miss Universe, IKEA, activist dies 2023-11-24
- Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that the cabinet approved a draft law on marriage equality and that it would be brought to parliament during a session starting in December, Reuters reported. If the draft law ...


Gay News

Pope: Trans people can be baptized and act as godparents 2023-11-09
- Pope Francis has stated that trans people may be baptized and act as godparents or witnesses to marriage under the same conditions as any other adult—as long as a scandal does not result, according to PinkNews. ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.