John and Derek have been best friends for nearly 20 years. John’s the older one, so he likes to think that makes him wiser but after four days in Mexico with him, you can decide for yourself. Both proudly hail from the Pittsburgh area and speak fluent “Yinz,” which is basically its own language. Their friendship kicked off at Cirque du Soleil, back when it was still called Pleasure Island. Because, what says 'lifelong bond' better than shirtless acrobats defying gravity and overpriced popcorn? Since then, they’ve cruised the high seas, taken many trips that end up with late night Taco Bell runs, and consumed an unhealthy amount of Chinese takeout. John’s been there through all of Derek’s life chapters, relationships, job changes, minor meltdowns and somehow still stuck around. Derek’s beyond lucky to have him as a best friend, partner-in-chaos, and now, Best Man.

Will and David met in the fall of 2001 when Will said, “Hey! Come have dinner at my Chinese restaurant.” The rest was history! Whether they were partying too hard on Thursday nights or treating themselves to a fancy dinner (despite being broke), it was only the beginning of what would become a lifelong friendship. Since then, David and Will remained inseparable through every milestone, graduations, moves, new jobs, tough losses, one wedding, and now another one. Will has always been the kind of friend who shows up not just to celebrate the good times, but to help shoulder the hard ones. Whether it was offering his couch to crash on or being a steady voice of reason when life got chaotic, Will has proven time and again that he’s someone you can count on. Will was all in as best man and ready with the kind of advice (like handing over a drink) that only a lifelong friend knows to give. On this special day, Will stands not just as a friend, but as chosen family, someone who’s been part of the journey from the very beginning

When we started thinking about who we wanted to marry us, we knew right away it couldn’t just be any officiant. This wasn’t something we wanted to check off a list, it was important to us that the person standing with us was someone special. We wanted someone who not only knows us but also represents the community we’re so proud to be a part of. Someone who’s a husband himself, who has walked the journey, and who so many people in the LGBTQ+ community admire and look up to. That made the choice pretty easy. We couldn’t imagine anyone better than our dear friend, Bruce Rohr to officiate our wedding in Mexico! From celebrating Pride in our nation’s capital to sharing late-night laughs (and plenty of cocktails), Bruce has always been someone who embodies love, friendship, and joy. We couldn’t be happier to have Bruce standing with us on such a meaningful day.