It’s a love story that started with an online chat in April of 2016, which led to dinner on May 5 at Kelsey O’Shay’s Pub and Grille in Douglassville for James Valentine and Aaron Morgan of Birdsboro. The two sat and talked for more than five hours, until restaurant closing time. And you know what? It was so much fun, they did it again the next night, which was coincidentally, also Aaron’s birthday. It was evident that the men had a deep connection right from the start.
The Proposal
Fast-forward to May 5 two years later, in 2018. Aaron spent the morning shopping before getting home and picking up James to head to Philadelphia for their two-year date-aversary. James recalls, “We got into the city, walked to one of our usual stops to have a drink and then took a walk through the city.” It all seemed like a normal night. But as they sat at the bar with their drinks, Aaron looked over at James and found his glass was already empty. Aaron asked James if he was in a hurry, to which James replied, “Yes! I want to get to LOVE Park and take some pictures before our dinner reservation.” Aaron finished his drink, and off they went.
Upon arriving, there was a line of people waiting to have their photo taken at the LOVE sign. Aaron saw it and said, “I am not waiting in that line.” But James insisted they wait. They stood off to the side to get their photo when James bent on his knee and popped the question. From within the crowd came one of the couple’s friends, recording the proposal on her phone. James set the whole thing up. He recalls, “It was a perfect moment and a perfect day.”
The Big Day
You might also say Sept. 28, 2019, was a perfect day. The pair wed at The Gables at Stirling Guest Hotel. Both grooms wore kilts from USA Kilts in Phoenixville while exchanging vows they wrote themselves in front of family, including James’s mother Kathleen, who turned 90 a month prior; his sister Cynthia and her husband Greg; Aaron’s mother and father, Misty and Gus; his grandmother Alice; and his sisters Alisa and Aleah.
The outdoor Celtic ceremony featured a bagpiper who serenaded guests upon arrival. James’s younger niece Maggie started the ceremony by singing Love Changes Everything written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and later performed Danny Boy in tribute to James’s father who passed in December of 2017. The wedding party, dressed in pewter-colored gowns from David’s Bridal and Kenneth Cole suits in gunmetal from Boscov’s, walked in to A Thousand Years by The Piano Guys. Aaron and James were escorted by their mothers to the song, I Get To Love You by Ruelle. After their vows and exchanging rings, James and Aaron participated in an old-fashioned Celtic hand fasting and each drank Tullamore Dew from a Scottish quaich.
At the reception, guests enjoyed Danish port meatballs with cucumber sauce and tempura chicken skewers with a sweet and sour sauce for hors d’oeuvres. The entrée was a course choice of either roast prime rib of beef au jus, chicken saltimbocca with prosciutto and provolone cheese or vegan pasta with garden vegetables in a seasoned olive oil. All of the food was made without eggs, peanuts or tree nuts, and the men loved that their vendors were able to meet the request. Each table featured a tall and low centerpiece filled with greens and flowers in purple and green hues and fall accents of pumpkins painted grey with oak leaves and acorns. James and Aaron made all of the decorations and favors, including a Philadelphia LOVE sign placed on their mantle behind the sweetheart table.
The incredible five-tier cake featured layers of chocolate and vanilla cake with chocolate and raspberry filling in each. The top layer was bananas foster with caramel filling. It was all iced in a grey buttercream with a marbled look, with one dark purple and one dark green layer. The topper featured the couple with their three pets.
Looking back, they say it’s hard to pinpoint a particular favorite moment. James says, “The entire day was magical, but the true highlight is legally being able to marry the man/person we love.”
The Honeymoon & Future Plans
An official honeymoon is still in the works, but prior to the wedding, the couple spent a week in Maui, Hawaii. They plan to purchase a larger home in the coming years to enjoy with their furry four-legged kids: Dreyken and Spartacus, rescue pit bulls, and William the cat. They also look forward to growing Valentine’s floral business, JMV Designs, based in Birdsboro. Morgan is a Parts Director at Patriot Chevrolet Buick GMC in Gilbertsville and Limerick.
The Details
Cake: The Well Dressed Cake, West Reading
Hair: Patrick Hassler, Studio West Hair Salon, West Reading
DJ: Deejay Journey Jose, Reading
Flowers: JMV Designs, Birdsboro
