New Jersey may not have marriage equality yet, but there was still a big fat gay wedding on last night’s episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey, as Caroline Manzo’s brother Jaime Laurita married longtime partner Rich Lane.
The affair was Garden State glamorous, complete with paper lanterns, top hats, carriages and fireworks.
“I’m amazed at how beautiful it was, considering it was planned and orchestrated within one month’s time,” Manzo wrote on her Bravo blog. “From the horse-drawn carriage to the ceremony and party afterwards, it was pure perfection. It was an incredible event filled with lots of good food, love, and laughter.”
Of course Laurita is a party planner and chef—and, well, gay—so we’d expect nothing less.
She hopes the same-sex ceremony underscores to RHONJ viewers how love transcends gender:
“Jaime and Rich are two men that have committed themselves to each other over the past 13 years and have built a loving home and life together in spite of the fact that their relationship isn’t recognized in the eyes of so many in today’s society. Good for them, I applaud their courage and I wish them a lifetime of love and happiness. They deserve it … My hope is that tonight’s episode showed the world that love comes in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. The heart feels what the heart feels, and no one should be denied the simple right to love who their heart tells them to.”
And, she says, don’t read too much into it just because you didn’t see Caroline and Jamie’s entire family at the last-minute ceremony: “Some were working, some were vacationing, some had babysitting issues, so on and so on,” she explained.
Okay, because, we’d hate to think another family squabble was brewing on Housewives.
I won't grow up
Only a Month??? Puuullleeeze, I’ve known queens who could throw a wedding for 300 people, catered by Wolfgang Puck, The London philharmonic for music, the entire cast of Evita for entertainment, in the ballroom of the Waldorf with 2 hours notice.
TJ
They didn’t have the ceremony in NJ, it was in Illinois. They all went to Chicago to the wedding. It really wasn’t Garden State glam.
Jeff M
Wasn’t a recognized wedding. Not legal in Illinois. Need to fix that.
shannon
The big question is……….”WHO IS THAT TALL QUEEN….THE ONE THAT ‘LIVES’ WITH THE BROTHERS………WHICH ONE OF THE BROTHERS IS HE DATING?”……………I HAVE HEARD IT WAS ALBIE….WHO HAS NOT COME OUT ON THE SHOW…….I MEAN HE DATING SOMEONE ON THE SHOW……REALLY
Joe
You mean the loosest butt hole according to juicy Joe. That would be Gregg, Chris and Albie’s roommate. Gregg has a crush on Melissa’s husband Joe Gorga. Gregg is looking for a sugar Guido.
jay
@ Jeff M
Illinois has recognized domestic partnership, which includes most of the legal *state* rights as hetero marriage: they can now happily file their state tax return jointly, make medical decisions if the other is incapacitated, pass one’s estate to the other at time of death without fear of being estate-taxed out of your house, need to hire a good divorce attorney if it ever comes to that – they’re no longer roommates, etc. It was fixed in IL (signed into law on January 2011), but what still needs to be fixed is marriage / domestic partnership / civil unions at the *federal* level.
Christy
Why does Andy kiss up to the Manzo’s so much? He knows Albie is gay and Caroline hides it. Where is Andy’s “gay pride”
If this was one of Teresa’s kids, everyone on the show would be shouting it from the rooftops. If it was Ashlee, Caroline would blackmail her.
But because it was a Manzo, nobody touches it. Teresa does not spill the private beans on anyone. Caroline will live to regret getting so close to Melissa and Kathy. They will eventually tell all.
No way was Al Sr so busy he could not attend the wedding. That was by choice.