Back in the days when marriage equality was still being debated, one of the main talking points we had to deal with was the question about how LGBTQ couples would affect “the sanctity of marriage.”
Now, over four years after Obergefell v. Hodges, the verdict is clear: LGBTQ couples haven’t just sanctified marriage, we’ve made it fabulous.
The latest example comes from the wedding of weightlifter brides Lisa Yang and Zeena (Wek) Hernandez. After tying the knot in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, Hernandez and Yang proceeded to walk up to a rainbow-colored barbell and climaxed their wedding ceremony by deadlifting 253 pounds together.
In full bridal gowns.
It was the “American Ninja Warrior”/”Say Yes to the Dress” crossover episode we’ve all been waiting for.
Yang and Hernandez met as fitness buffs and gradually adopted weightlifting as a date night activity when their relationship deepened. As Hernandez related to Women’s Health Magazine, “Weightlifting to us is very special. We lift with our local team in Brooklyn. They’re family to us, and the whole weightlifting team was at our wedding.”
And that’s a big part of what a wedding is all about, isn’t it? A couple demonstrating what bonds them together in a very public way and sharing it with the people they care about the most. And the photo of their feat has been liked more than 700 times on the photographer’s Instagram account, and more than 200 times on Hernandez’s post.
”We thought about the usual candle lighting, tree planting, sand pouring, and none of those things represented Wek and I,” Yang told Women’s Health.
Hernandez summed up the gesture: “It was meant to not only be a symbol of unity but also a statement: ‘Individually, we are strong capable women. But together, we are stronger.”
As first acts for a married couple go, deadlifting 253 pounds beat the hell out of dancing to Bryan Adams. And it was still less of an endurance test.
Photos courtesy Eileen Meny Photography @eileenmenyphoto on Instagram and at https://eileenmenyphotography.com/
Planner: Tall and Small Events @tallandsmallevents on Instagram and at http://www.tallandsmallevents.com/
Find out about Zeena Wek Hernandez on Facebook and on Instagram: @zeenaDPT and at https://www.goodrepspt.com/
