Our Story

We met in Durham, North Carolina by chance on June 29, 2024. We bonded right away— John had just lost his husband Ted to a sudden illness and Mick had just lost his sister Leona to cancer. Mick is one of 8; John one of 7. John is a professor of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where Mick is a PhD student in Musicology.

On June 29, 2025 John proposed to Mick at our special restaurant Vin Rouge
On June 30, 2025 Mick proposed to John at our special place in Duke Gardens

We are excited to celebrate with YOU at our June 29, 2026 wedding on our second anniversary. Mick insists on calling it “the first Monday wedding in history.”

Why New England?

We are not ordinarily people who would burden our loved ones with a destination wedding. However, because we both have gigantic families spread out through the US, a destination wedding makes the most sense. We chose the New Hampshire/Maine seacoast because of its stunning waterscapes and provincial charm. Mick attended the nearby University of New Hampshire for graduate school and always thought the area would be a lovely place for a wedding. Our ceremony is waterfront in Maine, a state with the most legal protection for a gay marriage. Maine is known as “Vacationland,” so we hope you will be able to extend your stay for some summer relaxation.