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Bishop O.C. Allen and Rashad Burgess married 20 years ago before same-sex marriage was legal. Recently, the two renewed their vows in a lavish wedding ceremony.
LGBTQ+ trailblazers Bishop Oliver Clyde Allen III and Rashad Burgess are feeling the love all over again. For the first time since their “private sunrise ceremony” 20 years ago, the couple walked down the aisle to renew their vows, in the company of their children, Joshua, 11, and Caylee, 10, along with 600 guests.
“It meant the world for us to finally bring all our family and friends together after 20 years of marriage to celebrate love,” Allen told People magazine. “In a world with so much division, we seek to be the bridge that brings people together through the power of love.”
The couple, who met in 1999, have grown to become pillars within their church, Vision Cathedral of Atlanta, and the local LGBTQ+ community. Allen, who is the senior pastor and founder of Vision Cathedral and CEO of iElevate+TV, and Burgess, who is vice president for advancing health and Black equity at Gilead Sciences Inc., worked together to create a unique safe space where worship and inclusion coexist.
“When people of color, Black people, couldn’t find solace in white LGBTQ spaces, we created our own,” said Allen, per Today.com. “We created our own of everything, whether it was our own fraternities and sororities, our own institutions, our own churches.”
In that tradition, Vision Cathedral of Atlanta is a church that embraces the biblical reference “come as you are” by welcoming all races, genders, sexual orientations and backgrounds.
Gathered at the Whitley Hotel in Atlanta, the grooms were similarly surrounded by love and elegance. As they prepared to exchange new David Yurman rings, their good friend, Allen Media Group star Judge Glenda Hatchett, officiated the ceremony.
Inspired by royalty, the wedding followed a gold and white theme featuring accents of green and pink. Special guests like Miss Lawrence and “Mathis Family Matters” stars Elliott Cooper and Greg Mathis Jr. (son of Allen Media Group star Judge Greg Mathis) pulled out their best “all-white haute couture” to celebrate the couple. At the altar, the grooms epitomized the wedding’s glamorous theme, wearing custom tuxedos by Octavius Terry.
“We were both excited and emotional, especially when they opened the doors to the ceremony, and we saw all of our family and friends there to celebrate our 20 years of marriage,” said Allen, per People.
Reflecting on the love the couple has shared over the years, Allen credited humor and communication among the many elements that have fueled their marriage.
“We laugh a lot and always make sure we’re having fun on our journey together,” Allen told People. “We never got in the way of each other’s success because we always believe that we can be better versions of ourselves because we are in each other’s lives.”
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