Dear ones Gieza and Tomi celebrated their wedding at beautiful and historic Zionskirche in Berlin this May.
I was so grateful to the grooms for making disability accommodations for me, so I could live-draw their day. It was one of the most special moments in my documentary drawing career.
Here you can see the grooms and their minister, Dr. Reettakaisa Sofia Salo.
The grooms wore headpieces made by me, with twenty-foot veils attached! Gieza and Tomi’s wedding clothes were completely hand made by Alexis Mersmann. Alexis hand-marbled sheets of fabric to make the suits and every detail from scratch. You can contact Alexis via insta dm to commission custom work!
Dr. Reettakaisa Sofia Salo is from Finland, like Tomi, and has had trouble for performing gay weddings there.
She posed for me in her “casual minister” clothes before the ceremony.
It was wonderful to get a chance to meet her and draw her!
These lovely little girls are Gieza’s nieces.
They came and drew with me during the champagne reception at the church!
Gieza’s sister is so nice!
Everyone wore fancy headpieces in keeping with the theme.
It was a delight to meet family members of the grooms.
At The Treehouse, where the reception was held, I was able to draw a few of the family and guests.
Gieza and her longtime creative collaborator Pansy, of Pansy’s House of Presents.
I wish I could have stayed for the fabulous drag shows and dance party later on, but I just didn’t have the stamina. Nonetheless it was an incredible day, and I’m so glad I was there.
The grooms in their headpieces (made by me!)
Gieza’s website is here, insta here, and Tomi’s website is here and insta is here.
The Big Gay Wedding in May was the only non-medical indoor event I’ve been to in almost three years; it was extremely well ventilated at both venues and I was always N95/FFP3 masked. I was profoundly supported and cared for as a disabled person by the grooms and the community, and I am so grateful. It cost a LOT to get my disabled self there, in taxis & paying a kind carer for their time. It was worth it and my Patrons made it happen!
I am so grateful to my Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me to continue documenting Berlin performers as a disabled person.