Seventeen years ago, Gary Smith responded to a personal ad Joseph Givins posted in this very publication. The headline was "Two Peas Out of the Pod." On May 5, 2013, the anniversary of the day they met, they were married on the deck of the Skansonia, a historic ferryboat moored on Lake Union near Gas Works Park. The boat was crowded with friends and family sipping gin and tonics and getting their first sunburns of the season.

Two little girls marched solemnly down the aisle with the grooms' rings (Gary's was set with the diamond from Joseph's mother's engagement ring), followed by a crowd of kids who ran all over the deck of the boat waving streamers to Brian Eno's "Needle in the Camel's Eye." Joseph told me the parade of children was inspired by the opening scene of Velvet Goldmine.

The grooms appeared, accompanied by two mysterious figures in black spandex bodysuits and multicolored cummerbunds, who were twirling paper parasols. Under an arbor of white paper flowers, Joseph and Gary unwrapped one of the spandex-wearers to reveal Ed Haymaker, who was ordained just to officiate their wedding. In his striped scarf, gold aviators, and black suit, he looked like he belonged to a religion I'd happily join. Joseph's mom made a lovely speech, and then everybody migrated to the ship's dining hall for portobello ravioli and salmon.

Everyone I talked to had a great story about meeting Joseph and Gary. One involved Joseph winning a dance competition while dressed in a denim skirt in 1983. It became apparent that this wedding was one of a long series of wildly successful parties hosted by the couple. Gary's brother Gordon announced that he hoped their marriage was "modern enough for the times, and old-fashioned enough to last forever." The couple cut a towering white bananas-Foster cake, the DJ put on Sonny and Cher, and then they took each other's hands and led everyone onto the dance floor. recommended

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