We are getting MARRIED!

AHHHH. I still can't believe it somedays. I wake up and get ready for work and I still get this jump in my stomach slipping that beautiful ring on my finger. ITS HAPPENING!! Holland and I have been in the works with planning and meetings and meetings and more planning and decisions decisions decisions! It truly has been so much fun and also interesting because Holland is SO involved. He makes me second guess everything like "Hey babe, are you sure those are the colors you want?" "You picked them pretty quickly". He assures me that he is just double checking to make sure I am confident about my decision.... I think he is just being a tad bit difficult though! haha

Our Wedding Day is almost 5 months away and I am BEYOND excited to marry Holland and to celebrate with all of our family and friends. All the large details are in place and now we have to do our little touches to continue to make it our own and symbolize us.

Within a few weeks of being engaged Holland and I had a conversation about our wedding ceremony. We talked about how we wanted it to be- what kind of saying we want possibly and then the big question of  WHO WOULD BE OUR OFFICIANT? Holland and I have a strong belief that anyone who is in love should be able to marry. We believe in Equality. We will have a ceremony that symbolizes love for anyone and everyone and not just between a man and a woman. Our number one choice for our officiant was clear. He was and still is one of the most influential people in my life and because of him I feel I have become a more understanding and better person. I am so happy to say that Lowell Kane will be the man who marries us!

I met Lowell during my first semester of graduate school in a class. We would talk every so often and I learned he was the Program Coordinator for the Texas A&M GLBT Resource Center.  I had been involved in an Aggie Allies program at school but had never visited the center! I think Lowell saw my interest in GLBT since I tried to do every single one of my presentations on the topic and at the end of the semester he asked if I would apply for a Graduate Assistantship position in the center. That was honestly the BEST job ever. During my year of working at the center I learned so much about the GLBTQQIAP culture. Yes people, that stands for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and Pansexual) It is still engrained in my brain, Lowell!

My first weeks working there I would write down questions and meet with Lowell and he would gladly answer them.  I did tons of fun activities like  Guess Who's Gay Panels and The Coming Out Monologues.  We would set up tables and hand out ribbons and information to students on campus.  My favorite thing was just talking to students in the center. It was eye opening to see people feel extremely comfortable within the walls of the center. It is a safe space, it is an open space where everyone is accepting, loving and supporting one another.

Lowell trained me to teach others how to be more accepting and give them information on a topic some of them had never really considered looking into.  My last year at A&M was amazing and I know it is because I was surrounded by some of the kindest and most giving people in the world.

We are both so thrilled to have Lowell not only present on our special day but to be the one who declares us as a married couple.  Thank you, Lowell! :) 

Love, Amanda and Holland