Matthew Knapp and William Berry aren't going to let anything stop them from getting married.
After all, Prop 8 attempted to: When Knapp first proposed to Berry in a park in their home state of Arizona in 2008, he had no idea that their hopes of a California wedding would be shattered that November. But fate threw them a bone with the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York last year, and the duo focused on a New York wedding instead. "I was at work one day, and received an email from Matt with the subject Lets do it," says Berry. "Attached was the article 'Same-Sex Marriage Passes in NY'. I was ready."
While this means the couple will have to forgo a nearby ceremony that would allow more friends and family to be in attendance, their main goal is more straightforward: a marriage license. Unfortunately, because of the distance between New York and Arizona, Berry's parents (whom he calls "his best friends") will be absent. No doubt they would've been able to attend a California wedding, but Prop 8 and Berry's mother's health (she is a recovering cancer survivor) have made that impossible.
Yet the partners have come up with a creative solution to this complication. The two plan to stream the ceremony via Internet to Berry's family and any others who are unable to attend. Thankfully, Knapp's family have been able to book flights to attend the May 7th ceremony, which will be held in a city clerk's office in Manhattan.
After May, Berry, 27, will continue to pursue his Bachelor of Business Finance degree, and Matt, a 24-year-old artist, will continue to feature his work in galleries around Arizona. The two also plan on adopting a child -- and they won't let anything get in the way of that either.
William Berry (left) and Matthew Knapp (right)
