On the morning of Friday, May 7th, several residents from Glen Cove and the surrounding area met in the parking lot of Glen Cove’s First Presbyterian Church to carpool to the Port Jefferson Ferry Terminal.  The ultimate goal was to arrive in Bridgeport, Connecticut by noon for a wedding honoring three couples from the church.  Those gathered were friends, neighbors, family and church members joining Gaitley and Jim Stevenson-Mathews, Judith Gallagher and Patricia Meilinger, and Thomas Motz and Paul Haywood – the couples to be wed.  Over 70 guests attended the celebration overlooking the Long Island Sound.  “It was a perfect day filled with love and commitment and joy,” commented Glen Cove resident and church member Gail Allan.

While Gaitley and Jim have been together for eight years and had a religious marriage in May of 2005 and Judith and Patricia have been together for more than 22 years and had a civil union in July of the same year, their marriages were not considered legal under New York State law.  Paul and Tom are planning a religious service for 2011, however, wanted to go ahead and be legal joined in marriage along with their friends in order to secure the protections afforded other married couples.


One of the grooms, Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews, explained that gay marriage is not currently legal in New York State.  However, according to a 2008 ruling, legal same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions are entitled to recognition in New York.  “Our choices were to travel to Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Iowa, or Washington, D.C., and we all chose Bridgeport so that family and friends could more easily join us.” 

Given that this past Friday’s celebration was an “extra” wedding ceremony the couples decided to invite other friends already married to join with them by renewing their vows.  Those joining the couples in renewing their vows included Lance and Sue Cheney, Revs. Betsy and Joe Simpson, Eleanor and Pete Rapelje, Hon. Charles and Ronnie Lavine, Vincent Gattorno and John Bartul, Tom and Carolyn Willson, Rabbi Judith and Michael Cohen-Rosenburg, Thom and Valerie Ruckert, Rev. Debra Given and Tom Philips, David and Lois Goldberg, and Dennis and Barbara D’Andrea. “We know all three couples and it was an honor to renew our vows with them,” explained church member Eleanor Rapelje who will be celebrating her 54th anniversary with her husband Peter this summer.  Mrs. Repelje was also noted as one of two best women along with local poet Evelyn Kandel.  Local designers and friends of all three couples, Dean Yoder and Jonathan Dean, served as Best Men.

 
Readers, Justice of the Peace and clergy assisting with the service included Rev. Dennis Carter (Pastor - Roslyn Presbyterian Church), Carolanne Curry (Justice of the Peace), Rabbi Judith Cohen-Rosenberg (Rabbi - Westbury Community Reform Temple), Rev. Bonnie Jean Giebfried (Interfaith Pastor), Rev. Debra Given (Pastor - Presbyterian Church in Leonia), Rev. Donna Ives (Pastor – First Congregational Church of Derby), Father Joseph Krasinski (Rector – St. James Episcopal Church of Danbury), Valerie Michelesen (Session Member - Frist Presbyteiran Church of Glen Cove), Rev. Betsy Simpson (Pastor – First Presbyterian Church of Glen Cove), and Rev. Robert Stuart (Pastor Emeritus – First Presbyterian Church of Amagansett).  While the three couples getting married are members of Glen Cove’s First Presbyterian Church, there were serveral couples from other faiths and denominations involved renewing their vows.  For this reason, the couples getting married invited clergy from other faith to participate in the service.  “It was unique and moving to have so many faiths represented in one marriage ceremony,” stated Rev. Betsy Simpson, pastor of Glen Cove’s First Presbyterian Church.

 
Friends of the recently wed couples and the couples who renewed their vows attended an infomal reception in their honor on Sunday afternoon, May 16th in Glen Cove. The reception included a photographic exhibit titled “A Tale of Two Weddings x3.”  The title acknowledged not only the legal celebration of marriage held on May 7th, but also earlier religious celebrations held when the couples’ marriages were not legally recognized under state law.  Honored guests at the recepton included Rev. Robert Stuart, Rev. S. Bruce and Sylvia Wagner, Rabbi Judith Cohen-Rosenburg, Melisa Geller, Cantor Gustavo and Gaby Gitlin, Sea Cliff Mayor Bruce and Robin Kennedy, New York Sate Assemblyman Charles and Ronnie Lavine, Don Mistretta, Revs. Betsy and Joe Simpson, Glen Cove Mayor Ralph and Jane Suozzi and Nassau County Minority Leader Diane Yatauro.

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Ref: http://www.mlp.org/article.php/ConnecticutMarriageGlenCove