Can a dating app be serendipitous? The universe can throw us delightful surprises now and again—these little moments of fortune and good luck. So, it's not hard to believe that a single right swipe could open the door to finding the love of your life.
Both Brendan Kerr and Michael Longley attended the University at Buffalo, but it wasn't until they stumbled across each other’s online profiles in 2013 that the energy began to shift. "’Who is this handsome guy?’ I thought," remembers Michael.
Neither knew their first date would set the stage for a decade-long romance. But time flies when you're having fun—and madly in love.
"Call it a premonition or a prayer, but inside my head, I told myself that this was forever," says Brendan.
While marriage never felt "like an immediate push,” the pandemic years shifted their perspective and helped them realize they wanted to commit their lives more substantially. That, plus an eclipse was on the horizon.
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"In 2017, we saw the eclipse in Buffalo, so when another one was happening in 2024, it was a symbolic opportunity to build our wedding around," says Michael.
Day-of details
On April 8, 2024, a rare celestial event unfolded: a total solar eclipse, when the moon aligned perfectly between Earth and the sun. Buffalo happened to be in the path of its totality, so two days before, the couple returned to the Queen City from their home in Brooklyn and marked the occasion by celebrating their own version of extraordinary: their wedding day.
Hosted at Asbury Hall in Babeville, a former church turned venue in downtown Buffalo, the aesthetic followed this ethereal theme. While the guys and their best men donned velvet tuxes, their "friends of honor" wore marigold dresses that matched floral displays of yellow and orange.
“We didn’t want to default to a black and white palette,” says Brendan. “We wanted the scheme to be sunny and playful.”
The highlight of the nuptials was a hand-fasting ceremony, an ancient Celtic ritual where a couple's hands are tied together with cords to represent their commitment.
"The symbolism of tying the knot was very meaningful for us," says Brendan.
The couple’s first dance was to Casey Musgraves's "Golden Hour," and the bar featured signature cocktails meant to mimic the sun and moon: moody Churchills and fizzy French 75s.
Post-dinner, guests danced to disco and pop and indulged in fruit cakes, a nod to Michael’s South African roots—they’re one of the country’s wedding traditions. At 10 p.m., the couple surprised guests with a balloon drop to The Weather Girls’ “It’s Raining Men” before heading to the after-party at the basement bar, The 9th Ward, late into the morning.
Almost a year in, post-wedding bliss hasn’t faded; instead, the future looks even brighter, including eventually starting a family. “We’re building something together and shaping what our future lives will be like,” says Brendan. “We’re ready for it.”
The dream team
Venue / Babeville
Photography / Alana Adetola Arts
String quartet / Faculty from Buffalo String Works
DJ / Whirlin Disc
