The Grand - Edinburgh Hall (5th Floor)

Wedding Day

Wedding

The Grand - Corinthian Ballroom

Reception

Embassy Suites by Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor

Farewell Breakfast

Our Wedding

We met in 2001 during our freshman year at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School.&nbsp; It was not love at first sight.&nbsp; As our friends can tell you, we did not get along.&nbsp; Things started to improve in college when, through shared interests and shared friends, our&nbsp;friendship started to develop.&nbsp; On Tommy's 25th birthday, his parents set up a trip for two to New York City to see a show and take in the sights.&nbsp; Since he was currently single (and ready to mingle), they asked him who he would have the best time with on this trip and he said Louis.&nbsp; This trip marked a change in our friendship and we became travel buddies from that point on.&nbsp; From enemies to frenemies to friends to a couple, our friends always said we were destined to be together, and in 2014 on a trip to Key West we proved them right.&nbsp;

Although we were dating, marriage wasn't on the horizon until on June 27, 2015 when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality.&nbsp; This was a huge moment in both of our lives!&nbsp; It opened the door to many conversations about proposals and engagements because now our marriage was possible.&nbsp; It was during one of these conversations that Louis told Tommy he would propose when he took him out of the country for the first time. (Super romantic, I know!)&nbsp; Over the next few years of dating, moving in together, and settling into our relationship - to quote Lord of the Rings: "some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the [details of the engagement] passed out of all knowledge.” (This is our really REALLY nerdy way of saying we never talked about the engagement again and Tommy forgot all about Louis' promise to propose on our first international trip. If you get the Lord of the Rings reference, you're awesome. If not, just roll with it.)

How did we get here?

In November 2017, we took a cruise to Central America along with our amazing friends Yolanda and Randy.&nbsp; It was Tommy's first time out of the country.&nbsp; On the second night at sea, the four of us got dressed up for the captain's dinner.&nbsp; &nbsp;When we were finished, Louis suggested that we have an impromptu photoshoot around the ship. (Why waste a great outfit, right?)&nbsp; Secretly this was all part of the plan that Louis and Yolanda had developed for the proposal:1) Louis would suggest that they take a stroll on deck after dinner.&nbsp;&nbsp;2) Once the perfect spot for the proposal could be identified, Yolanda would suggest we take pictures since we were all dressed up.&nbsp;&nbsp;3) Yolanda would make Tommy check if he liked how he looked in the photo.4) Once we knew Tommy liked the way his hair looked, Louis would say let's take one more.5) Yolanda would begin filming and Louis would propose.&nbsp;It was super romantic and a bit surreal - kind of like being in a movie.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Louis's Proposal to Tommy

After Louis' proposal, Tommy knew that he needed&nbsp;to figure out a way to propose that would match that level of thought and romance.&nbsp; After many months of wracking his brain,&nbsp;the perfect opportunity presented itself.&nbsp; We were in the process of planning locations for our engagement photo shoot and the Supreme Court was brought up as one of the options.&nbsp; Tommy had a "light&nbsp;bulb" moment and knew that was the place that he wanted to propose.&nbsp; This location marked such an important moment in their lives that it was the perfect place to bring everything full circle.&nbsp; He immediately called up Brad, their photographer, and filled him on the plan.&nbsp; Brad was an awesome planning buddy!&nbsp; He helped Tommy work out the logistics of how to navigate the proposal during the photoshoot without Louis figuring out something suspicious was going on -&nbsp;Louis is extremely hard to surprise and Tommy is a bad liar.&nbsp; The game plan was:

1)&nbsp;Convince Louis that the Supreme Court photos should be the first ones taken&nbsp;because Tommy was not going to make it very long with the ring burning a hole in his pocket.





2) During the photoshoot, Brad would lead us through various poses and locations around the Court.&nbsp;





3) Brad and Tommy came up with the code word "pizza" to indicate&nbsp;that Brad was positioned and ready to take the proposal photos.&nbsp; Louis is a very food-motivated person&nbsp;and chimed right in about how he would love to get pizza after the shoot.





4)&nbsp;While Louis was still daydreaming about the pizza,&nbsp;Tommy launched into his speech and proposed to Louis on the courthouse steps.&nbsp;&nbsp;



A large group of tourists appeared&nbsp;out of nowhere and cheered as Tommy got down on one knee.&nbsp; It was a little awkward but really made the moment special.&nbsp;&nbsp;It was pretty romantic and worked out perfectly.&nbsp; Louis had no idea!

Tommy's Proposal to Louis

This wedding has been a long time in the making - 17 years, 3 apartments, and 2 Supreme Court justices to be exact. We couldn't be more thrilled to share it with all of you!

In conclusion...

Our Story

Details

Photos

I’m a graduate of the University of Tampa where I received a Bachelors in Music specializing in Opera Performance. I’m currently working for Starbucks in Washington, DC. In my spare time, I love to cook, sing whenever possible, and above all spend time with friends and family including my brotha from another motha, Louis. I first met Louis and Tommy through my sister in 2006. Through a series of events, Louis and I became roommates and our friendship blossomed. There were many nights we would stay up talking about our days and trying to tackle all the world’s problems. It was easier than tackling our own. Since we were both broke, we’d have impromptu dance and Rock Band parties until the wee hours of the morning. Those days were some of the happiest of my life.&nbsp;

One of my most cherished&nbsp;memories of us is when we were sitting on our patio in a snowstorm just a few days before Christmas.&nbsp; I commented that it looked like a snow globe. Louis asked me to sing Oh Holy Night. When I was finished, the neighbors all around the apartment complex started applauding and Louis had tears in his eyes&hellip;he is such a softy.



We struggled a lot back in those days. There were a few times where I hit some pretty low points, and if I did not have Louis, I don’t know where I would be today. I can remember when Louis made me watch Oprah’s Life Lessons because he knew it would change my life. We both knew if we found our purpose in life things would get better.&nbsp;&nbsp;



When Louis said he was going to propose to Tommy, I knew I had to be there to support my best friend. From the moment we confirmed that Randy and I were going to be on the cruise too, we were in go mode. We knew it had to be done after the formal dinner because we would all be beautiful and the pictures would be flawless. When we got on the ship,&nbsp;we had to put our plan into action while&nbsp;not raising&nbsp;suspicion. Tommy did wonder where we were off to, but luckily Randy was there to distract him with a beer. Louis and I found the perfect spot and he proposed to me&hellip; I mean he practiced with me. I could not help it; I cried&hellip;I’m a softy too. This was the most beautiful thing I had ever been a part of, and I loved the fact I got to witness true love that day. I could not imagine my life without Louis in it and could not love anybody more.

Yolanda Richards

Tommy and I go way back. It’s been about twenty two years now and I would say he’s like a brother to me. Just kidding, we are actually brothers. We don’t really look alike and he definitely wishes he was as funny as me but at the end of the day, I’ll keep him. He was the first person to introduce me to screaming music, the Simpsons, Final Fantasy, Mortal Kombat, and of course... pants with lots of buckles and chains on them.

Regardless of his fashion choices in high school, I’m grateful to have had a big brother to help guide me along the way. He was always there to listen and give me advice on whatever I needed. No matter how much I annoyed him by waking him up at 5 AM on Christmas or how many times I ratted him out for smoking cigarettes to Dad, he never stopped loving me. I can’t wait to be a part of such a special day in his life.

I only want the best for Tommy and I know Louis will be the one to give him that. I should’ve placed money on this a long time ago because I KNEW this was where their thirteen years of friendship was headed. They tried pulling the “we’re just best friends” card but we all saw right through that immediately. I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to take Louis’ spot and become a part of this family. I’m so happy for Tommy & Louis, and I can’t wait to nail that best man speech!

Shane Berry

I met Tommy and Louis back in 2008 through mutual friends at our local bar. We quickly became close. Tommy and I bonded over an interest in LGBTQ+ history, and&nbsp;Louis has been a young advisor to me over the years.&nbsp;I am very proud to have them in my life.

A favorite memory of mine is when I first met Tommy’s parents, Betsy and Tom. He introduced me and we had a nice little conversation. After Tommy took me home, his parents asked him if they should be worried about me and him. Caught off guard, he asked why, and they responded, "well he is twice your age."&nbsp;Tommy called me the next day to tell me the story and we both had a good laugh. We are still laughing about it to this day.

Louis and Tommy&nbsp;are so special in my heart, and I cannot tell you how much I love them both! I am so excited and honored to stand with them on their special day.

Steven Faulds

My name is Nadia Anabtawi...I don’t know where I am and I don’t know what’s going on. If you get this message...please call my mom.Just kidding.My name is Nadia and I am the ethnic princess of the Berry family. I was first introduced to Tommy and Louis at the Berry household in 2015 after I began dating Tommy’s little brother, Shane. Once they figured out that I wasn’t the housemaid, our relationship took off. They were the brothers I always wanted. From watching live versions of classic musicals on family dinner nights, to now having weekly late night trips to Krispy Kreme, it’s amazing how close we’ve grown in just three years! Even though they’ve got their Hot wedding bodies, my heart is full to know that deep down I have two thick queens living upstairs. I am over the moon to be a part of this wedding and I couldn’t be happier for these cuties.

Nadia Anabtawi

This country singing super star sang (and drank) her way into our lives. No, but on a more serious note, Kimberly grew up with Tommy since he was just 5 years old. They worked their way through St. Catherine Labourè (Kimberly a grade older) and then on to Good Counsel High school. But it wasn’t until Kimberly transferred to Frostburg State University that she and Tommy met up at an off-campus event, that their friendship really took off. They became karaoke adventure buddies; Tommy pushing her up to the mic to show everyone what she could do and stealing the crowds hearts and attention with their unforgettable duets! They crossed the stage together to become Frostburg State University alum and have been inseparable since.When Kimberly had her daughter, Lily (to whom Tommy and Louis are known as UNCLE Tommy and Louis), they became some of her biggest supporters in all aspects of life. Tommy even stood by Kim’s side as her man of honor in her wedding in 2017!Kimberly likes to relate her life to the show Will and Grace all the time. She will tell you that in her crazy messy Grace-like life that Tommy is her fun-loving, adult juice box bearing Karen; Louis is her mindfully strong and hilariously witty Will; and the fabulously honest “JJing” Steven is her Jack! 99% of the time if you find yourself in her presence, her best friends will be right by her side!!! “Cause we’re the four best friends that anyone can have!”

Kimberly Miller

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

Please make your room <a href="https://embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/groups/personalized/B/BWIBDES-LNT-20190322/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG" target="_blank">reservation</a> by February 23rd to lock in the special wedding rate of 146.00 per night including all taxes and fees.

The Hilton - Embassy Suite

Parking is available adjacent to the wedding venue.&nbsp; The cost is&nbsp;&nbsp;$5.00 per day&nbsp;on the weekend.

Louis & Tommy

Louis & Tommy

L&T

Wedding Day

5:00 PM

Wedding

Reception

Farewell Breakfast