The Wedding Everyone is Talking About

Photo courtesy of Marisa Guzman-AloiaEven though they got married in May of 2014, the wedding photos of Justin Johnson and Simon McNorton have gone viral this month. The pair was married at the D.C. War Memorial in Washington and is being commended for beautifully blending their very different cultures into their ceremony.

Photo courtesy of Marisa Guzman-Aloia

The couple shares different backgrounds and traditions and each had stipulations that they were firm about incorporating into their wedding day. From wardrobe to who was to officiate the ceremony, Justin and Simon had a lot of compromising to do. They were able to make every decision work for their special day and created a unique celebration that suited them perfectly.

Photo courtesy of Marisa Guzman-Aloia

“One of the lucky things about having a non-traditional wedding — a same-sex couple, one of us being non-religious, coming from two very different backgrounds — is that we weren’t fixed down by any particular traditions or cultural norms,” the couple commented in an interview.

Photo courtesy of Marisa Guzman-Aloia

The way Justin and Simon were able to mesh their different cultures and beliefs into their ceremony is inspiring for couples in the same situation. When the people engaged are complete opposites, finding compromise can be hard, especially with the amount of decisions that need to be made to plan a wedding. Norms don’t have to define a wedding, so couples shouldn’t be afraid to make up their own rules. There is always room to have each person represented in the ceremony, no matter what culture or tradition needs to be represented.

Photo courtesy of Marisa Guzman-Aloia

It’s important to remember that a wedding is a couple’s celebration of love and commitment to each other. Everything else is just details.

Leah Morrison is a Toronto-based writer who loves boating and Oreos. You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram and her blog.