Our Story
Phil and Kellen owe their meeting to serendipity, and the fact that a gay version of every sport extant can be found in Los Angeles. ‘Twas fate itself that both men — boys really, back in those early ‘10s — responded positively to an email from the Varsity Gay League (VGL), promoting a game of capture the flag in the old zoo at Griffith Park. With a motivation no more complicated than “trying to meet people,” Phil and Kellen both showed up by themselves. Flags were captured, people were met, and the rest is history. History that will be recounted in great detail here.
Kellen, new to Los Angeles, immediately took to Phil’s outgoing nature. Phil found Kellen easy to work into his busy social calendar by virtue of his being “up for whatever” and consistently “available.” A friendship blossomed, this time buoyed by West Hollywood (WeHo) dodgeball. This is also a gay league (to wit: Phil and Kellen’s first team together was called “Sparkle Motion,” which is obviously in reference to the all female dance troupe that appears for about 15 seconds in the cult classic Donnie Darko). The friending and dodgeballing continued for a year until one night when Phil took fate into his own hands and made a move. And the rest is history.
Okay, one more paragraph. Let’s speed up the timeline. After a year of dating in LA, Kellen found himself needing a job and Phil was ready for a change, so they decided to move to DC (in an independently reached but coordinated decision). Careers advance. They buy a condo together (things are getting serious). Phil’s job enables some pretty sweet international travel (see the gallery). Somehow, inexplicably, nearly seven years pass, and yet they continue to feel rooted in California even if, mathematically, they’re basically a DC couple now. Kellen finally proposes in Los Olivos, a favorite weekend getaway spot of theirs from when they lived in LA (about ⅛ of their time together at this point, but who’s counting). It’s a success, a testament to their love, and a demonstration of what happens when Phil, having done most of the heavy lifting, leaves things up to Kellen’s agency. Lesson learned.
That about catches us up. Phil and Kellen are getting married, and they’re planning it together. They (we, switching to first person now) are excited you’re a part of it. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of the website.
UPDATE: Well, another lesson learned. If you wait too long to propose, it leaves open the possibility of a global pandemic. Who knew? Despite the setbacks, we officially tied the knot in 2020 making it officially the one good thing to come out of last year.
UPDATE 2: The world is opening up and we’re picking up where we left off in California! Get ready for an epic weekend back on the other side of vaccination!
UPDATE 3: Boosters! Are we going to get them on time 🤷🏽♂️🤷🏼♂️? Probably not, but all our festivities are completely outdoors and everyone will be vaccinated. See the FAQ page for more info on event safety.
