Aldrin Arche & Michael Moreno
The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers
February 16, 2013
For Aldrin Arche and Michael Moreno, both 37, marriage wasn’t necessarily a given. The two, who met in 1996 as members of Oakland University’s show choir, always wanted to make their sixteen-year relationship official, but only if they could do it in New York. “We didn’t want to have our ceremony in a location that didn’t mean anything,” says Michael, a music teacher. Although there was no actual proposal, Aldrin and Michael consider June 24, 2011, the day Governor Cuomo signed the same-sex marriage bill, to be the day they got engaged. “We were watching NY1, and when the bill passed, we just looked at each other,” says Aldrin, a digital-sales rep. The couple, wearing matching electric-blue suits, wed in front of 104 guests. Aldrin made the programs, menu cards, and escort cards by hand with help from his mother and best lady. “The week of the wedding, we were cutting and gluing everything,” he says, and it paid off. “The day was perfect. I would do it every year if I could.”
The Details
Event Planner: Jeff Stillwell at the Lighthouse
Caterer & Cake: Abigail Kirsch
Flowers: Superior Florist
Suits: Enzo Custom Clothiers
Ties: The Tie Bar
Band: Aramis String Quartet
D.J.: D.J. Ryan from Scratch Weddings
Hair: Yelena Ryadchikova at Dramatics NYC
Rings: Firenze Jewelers
Stationery: Yuen Advertising & Design
Photography: Kelly Williams
“Our friend who officiated is also a stand-up comedian. We wanted the audience to feel the emotion, but also to laugh with us.” Photo: Kelly Williams
“Our closest friends and family were all there. It felt like this bubble of our lives that was just amazing.” Photo: Kelly Williams
