Casey & Paul: Twenty Years of Love, Growth & Choosing Each Other Again

Written By Amanda Gonzalez Bonzo

Twenty years.

For Casey and Paul, their Pride wedding day at Montlaurel wasn't the beginning of their story. It was a celebration of everything they've built together over the last two decades.

Originally from Georgia, Casey and Paul drove to Maryland to legally marry before marriage equality was granted nationwide. Since then, they've moved to Richmond, Virginia, built a life together, grown as individuals and as partners, and continued choosing each other through every season of life.

Their Pride celebration at Montlaurel gave them the opportunity to do something incredibly meaningful: renew their vows in a space that fully embraced their love and their identities.

Twenty Years Together

Twenty years of a relationship means a lot more than a wedding anniversary.

It means growing up together. Changing together. Learning how to communicate. Supporting each other through difficult seasons and celebrating the good ones.

Casey and Paul described their relationship as a beautiful life and foundation built through communication, curiosity, and growth.

Those three words feel especially fitting for a couple who have spent two decades building a life side by side.

They've grown together, but they've also grown as individuals. They've supported each other through major life changes, including their gender transitions.

Paul shared that Casey supported them through their gender transition, and Paul now has the honor of supporting Casey through theirs. 

There is something incredibly powerful about that kind of partnership.

Not simply promising to love someone as they are today, but continuing to love, learn, and grow alongside them as they become more fully themselves.

A Love Story That Predates Marriage Equality

When Casey and Paul first got married, the legal landscape looked very different.

Originally from Georgia, they made the trip to Maryland to legally marry before marriage equality was granted nationwide.

Their journey to that moment was significant. And twenty years later, celebrating their relationship during Pride carried an entirely different kind of meaning.

Their love story has existed through change, progress, uncertainty, and growth.

They've watched the world change around them while continuing to build a life together.

And now, they were able to celebrate that life openly, surrounded by a community that recognizes and celebrates LGBTQ+ love.

Renewing Their Vows at Montlaurel

Casey and Paul chose their Pride wedding day because it gave them an opportunity to renew their vows in an environment that was inclusive of their love and identities.

That intention is at the heart of what made their celebration so special.

A vow renewal isn't about starting over.

It's about looking at the person standing beside you and saying, after everything we've been through, I still choose you.

For Casey and Paul, those vows carried twenty years of history.

They had already built a life together. They had already navigated change. They had already supported each other through some of life's biggest transitions.

This day was a chance to pause and honor all of it.

Celebrating Love During Pride

There is something particularly meaningful about celebrating a long-term LGBTQ+ relationship during Pride.

Pride is often associated with visibility, celebration, and the fight for equality. But it's also about the relationships and communities that make people feel seen, supported, and loved.

Casey and Paul's story embodies that beautifully.

Their relationship has continued to evolve over twenty years, but the foundation they've built together remains strong.

Their Pride wedding wasn't simply a celebration of being married.

It was a celebration of being themselves.

It was a celebration of the life they've built, the ways they've supported each other, and the future they're continuing to create together.

Love That Keeps Growing

One of the most beautiful things about a long-term relationship is realizing that love doesn't stay exactly the same.

It grows.

It changes.

It gets deeper.

It asks you to stay curious about the person beside you.

Casey and Paul have spent twenty years doing exactly that.

Their story is a reminder that a strong partnership isn't about remaining the same people you were when you first fell in love. It's about giving each other the freedom to grow while continuing to build a life together.

And sometimes, after twenty years, you get the chance to stand together once again and celebrate the promise you've continued to keep.

For Casey and Paul, that meant renewing their vows during Pride at Montlaurel, surrounded by an environment where their love and identities could be celebrated exactly as they are.

Twenty years down.

And still choosing each other.

At Montlaurel, we believe love deserves to be celebrated exactly as it is. Casey and Paul’s story is a beautiful reminder that love isn't about staying the same. It’s about growing, changing, supporting one another, and continuing to choose each other through every chapter.

After twenty years together, their Pride vow renewal was more than a celebration. It was a reflection of the life they've built and the love that continues to grow alongside them.

We were honored to give Casey and Paul a space to celebrate their story openly, authentically, and surrounded by love.

Because twenty years is something worth celebrating.

And choosing each other, again and again, always will be.

Amanda Gonzalez Bonzo
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