A Showcase of Love
Ed Kutch & Carlos Ramirez
San Diego, California
August 31, 2008
Photography by Christofer Jae Photography
CARLOS WORKED NIGHTS and liked to leave his partner surprises. Oftentimes, Ed would rise in the morning to find roses strewn across the hood of his car. In his previous relationships Ed was always the romantic one—a gesture sometimes unreciprocated. But this time was different. With his thick, beautiful Latin accent, Carlos’ charm appealed to Ed’s sensibilities, even though he had sworn to never again date a man who tended bar.
“I had dated a bartender in Philly—he was a mess; Carlos isn’t,” says Ed, catering sales manager at the US Grant Hotel. “I saw in him that he just cared so much about me. Usually I had been in relationships where I had cared for people and had been the giver.”
They met at Urban Mo’s Bar & Grill—formerly Hamburger Mary’s—in Hillcrest, where Carlos works. Several more encounters at Mo’s evolved into dating and, eventually, Carlos proposed at Tiffany & Co. in New York.
“We go up to the second floor, which is the men’s department,” Ed recalls. “He points out this simple platinum band with chips around it. He said, ‘Call your mom! Call your mom!’”
Ed, originally from New Jersey, and Carlos, who hails from Mexico, were married August 31, 2008, at the University Club atop Symphony Towers—a 38th-floor venue overlooking Balboa Park and the San Diego skyline. The members-only locale accommodated the couple and their 100 guests.
“The US Grant would probably be my first choice if I didn’t already work there,” Ed admits. “I just wanted to get out of the hotels.”
Click here to see more of Ed and Carlos' favorites!
Most weddings take place on a single date, sometimes lasting into the early morning of the next day, but Ed and Carlos’ union was a five-day party they coined “Our Big Fat Gay Wedding.” Thirty of their closest friends and family members flew in from the East Coast, and Ed, the eternal planner, surprised each of them with a small welcome folder for their stay in America’s Finest City.
Inside were a five-day itinerary and several pages of interesting tidbits about San Diego. Ed conceptualized the design, which included images of 1930s and 1940s posters and postcards from the California coast. Each day provided a different, thoughtful celebration—from cocktails and a casual supper in the couple’s condo to a sunset harbor cruise, where guests exchanged cleverly designed boarding passes for admission onto the M/V Renown—a yacht that joined the fleet in the mid-1980s. They even held a cocktail reception at Martini’s Above Fourth, followed by their rehearsal dinner at Saigon on Fifth.
The wedding took place on a Sunday. Ed’s oldest brother performed the late-afternoon ceremony, which was brief but filled with humorous and meaningful anecdotes about Ed’s childhood and his relationship with Carlos. With the unknowns surrounding Proposition 8, the couple were wed a week prior to Election Day by a judge. This showing was the formal celebration of their union.
“The room [where we ate dinner] was stunning,” Ed says. “The food was great; the service was great.”
During their initial tasting at the University Club, the couple was so impressed by the sommelier’s extensive food and wine pairing knowledge they asked that he share his expertise at the reception. Speaking personally with 100 guests about why each wine was selected for each course was no small feat, but he and his staff accommodated, and guests were blown away.
To demonstrate his love for Carlos, Ed wanted to honor his Mexican heritage, but Carlos was tentative, having heard mariachis at so many celebrations before. After the final toast, Ed surprised Carlos with a mariachi band and the light affair became a dance party.
“The deejay kicked up the music a notch after the mariachis,” Ed says.
The following day, the newlyweds hosted breakfast at the US Grant presidential suite and dinner at Rama Restaurant before bidding farewell to their loved ones. Fittingly, they coined the final event “The Last Supper.”
Cake: CAKE. Caterer: The University Club. Ceremony and reception location: The University Club at Symphony Towers. Coordinator: Rita Moore. Décor/Furniture: Table Linens were made by the groom (RACA Designs). Flowers: Flowers Annette Gomez. Tuxes: Gentlemen’s Tux Club. Ceremony Music: Wayne Foster Entertainment and Mariachis. Pianist: Kenny Ard. DJ: Music as You Like It. Invitations: Willow Creek Invitations. Officiant: Barry Kutch. Photographer: Christofer Jae Photography.
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