Tommy Berner & Anthony Reto

May 9, 2019
A “Words With Friends” match that ended in a (rare) win by Anthony led to Tommy owing the victor a drink. After that initial meeting, weekly dates turned into daily ones, and the two have been inseparable since. On a trip to Greece, Tommy surprised Anthony with a yacht ride, and as the sun set asked his beloved to be his, forever. Because the Philadelphia residents are fans of historical architecture, they tried Charleston for a wedding site. As they tell it, they still hadn’t found “the” spot for their nuptials when, hours before the flight home, their planner pulled into Lowndes Grove. Love at first sight struck. “But as an interracial gay couple,” says Tommy, “we had a few things to consider given the nature of the venue. We ultimately decided that this is what brings change—people like us and our guests enjoying something at a location that originally would have no seat at the table for us.” The pair, who kept the wedding address a secret until hours before the ceremony, unveiled a waterfront celebration like few of their 100 guests had ever seen. “We wanted to give them a full Southern Charm Charleston experience,” says Tommy. Mission accomplished.
 
See their full wedding and read more on our blog, The Wedding Row. 
 
Image by Twisted Oaks Studio

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