1. Real Weddings

A Glamorous Wedding at Red Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

Fletcher Whitwell and Greg Flamer met, as many in their twenties do, at a bar in Chicago in 1998. They moved in together the next year and started the

Fletcher Whitwell and Greg Flamer met, as many in their twenties do, at a bar in Chicago in 1998. They moved in together the next year and started their lives together. In 2011 they welcomed their first child, followed by another one three years later. But after nearly two decades together, they fought to have their love recognized by the state of Nevada when they served as plaintiffs in a marriage-equality case that led to the Supreme Court's affirmation. 

The two joined their friends and family at Crimson, a nightclub at the Red Rock Hotel and Casino for their long-awaited nuptials. They were married on a platform over the pool, surrounded by family and friends and with a friend officiating. The grooms walked down the aisle alongside their mothers. They held their children as they said their vows and shared their first kiss as a married couple. Both men wore midnight blue tuxedos from Bonobos with Calvin Klein shoes. Their children wore white outfits from Bailey Boys Classic Collection in contrast. The desert location and the nightclub’s decor served as inspiration for the wedding decor. Red roses and black calla lilies lined the Crimson entrance, while peach and ivory roses and succulents were added to wooden planters on each table. Bistro lights were strung across the pool, which was surrounded by palm trees. Guests watched the ceremony from gold chiavari chairs as a string duet played. For the reception, guests spread out between the outdoor pool deck and inside the club. Cabanas featured photo booths and a “guest book” of signed wine corks. Ivory and gray pashminas were given as gifts to guests to keep them warm when the sun went down. The couple danced their first song to Bryan Adams’s “Heaven,” performed by one of their friends. Greg and Fletcher kept the party going late into the evening, with the DJ finally calling it a night at midnight. —Caroline Eubanks

The invitation and wedding suite included a pull-out with photos of the couple and their children as well as a schedule of events and reply card.
Bucking the tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony, Fletcher and Greg got ready for the wedding together, with their children running around the room.
Greg and Fletcher's boutonnieres were slightly different, but included ivory and peach flowers with added succulents, which coordinated with the flowers at the outdoor ceremony.
Gold chiavari chairs were placed next to the pool, where a clear platform was set up over it. The same chairs were later used as seating for the dinner with the tables placed around the pool.
The interior space at Crimson featured red roses and black calla lilies. The exterior space, next to the pool, had peach and ivory roses and succulents were added to wooden planters on each table.
The fathers of the grooms escorted the children down the aisle. Both wore white attire from Bailey Boys Classic Collection in contrast to their fathers' dark suits.
"We had the opportunity to get married after having our kids. We wanted the wedding to be a celebration of not just us as a couple but of our family. So we included them throughout the ceremony and our vows spoke about them," the grooms say of their children.
Greg and Fletcher gave out pashminas to the guests for when the sun went down in the desert. The ivory and gray scarves were a memorable gift.
Greg and Fletcher share their first kiss as a married couple while holding their two children. It was important for them to be included on the day, so they were present while the pair got ready and for most of the night.
"As a couple and parents, the best advice we can give is to not hold a grudge and support each other at every turn. No relationship is perfect and ours has worked through a combination of unconditional love, lack of jealousy and mutual respect for each other on all levels. We're also best friends," the couple say.
In addition to the delicious dinner catered by the hotel, there were activities for guests. Each escort card was affixed to a wine cork that guests later used to sign with a message to the grooms. There were also cabanas where a photo booth was set up.
After the ceremony, the guests went inside for the cocktail hour and the outdoor area was transformed into the dinner reception area. All the tables were situated around the pool. The centerpieces consisted of peach and ivory roses accented with desert succulents in a wooden planter boxes.
Natural-colored roses, including peach and ivory, were placed in wooden planter boxes on all the tables. Along with succulents, they matched the desert surroundings.
The ceremony was outside the Crimson nightclub venue surrounding its outdoor private pool. The club is inside the Red Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the couple spent many date nights.
Greg and Fletcher met on a Sunday night in Chicago, Illinois, in 1998. Fletcher lived in Memphis, Tennessee, at the time and was planning to move to Chicago for work. They shared similar tastes in music, travel, work ethic, love of family and life goals. The couple moved to Las Vegas for work and better weather in 2006.
Their first dance was to Bryan Adams's "Heaven," which was sung by a friend. Dinner was kicked off with a toast from a friend who sang "When You Love Someone."
After the kids went bed upstairs, the rest of the guests danced the night away to the DJ's tunes until the grooms shut down the party after midnight.
"We were plaintiffs in the case for marriage equality in the state of Nevada," the couple say. "We always said we wanted to get married but would only do it once it was legal. So as soon as it was, the wedding planning began."