They were feeling the love at Lincoln Center, as nearly 1,000 people turned out for a celebration celebrating all things matrimonial.
Dubbed “Latest York’s Biggest Day,” the event is an element of Lincoln Center’s “Summer for the City” program, which offers a whole lot of free, festival-type affairs — including Saturday’s second annual mass “wedding” for about 500 couples.
Nobody legally tied the knot through the festivities hosted by comedian Murray Hill, but smitten guests were guided through a wide range of multi-cultural, love-themed blessings and messages from a Sikh, a Korean Shaman and others in David Geffen Hall, prompting some to treat the day as a technique to properly revisit their “I dos.”
“I promised him an enormous wedding 12 years ago and that has yet to occur,” Archley Prudent, 67, said of his spouse.
Prudent and his husband, Hugh Gallagher-Prudent, of Woodside, Queens, were swiftly wed in a City Hall ceremony soon after gay marriage was legalized 12 years ago.
So the Irish-kilt-clad couple made their technique to Lincoln Center for a “do-over,” and even bought a recent wedding ring for Gallagher-Prudent to mark the day.
Maureen and Richard Carruthers tied the knot 52 years ago, but were wanting to bask within the romance of the day.
“We now have our fights – everyone has their fights,” Maureen, 76, admitted.
Regardless, “It’s been wonderful,” said Richard, 77, adding, “and I’m looking forward to renewing my vows tonight…I’m a lucky man.”
“Latest York’s Biggest Day” was first held in July 2022 as a technique to honor the weddings disrupted by the pandemic, in line with Shanta Thake, Lincoln Center’s chief artistic officer.
“Coming out of COVID, we were interested by the entire rituals that we lost out on as a community…Weddings were at the highest of the list, after all, as people had canceled so many weddings, so we thought it might be fun to throw a dream wedding for as many individuals as possible,” Thake explained.
A minimum of one woman hoped her partner could be inspired by the Lincoln Center lovefest.
“I’m hoping he’s going to propose soon,” said Upper West Sider Riana Erickson, 27, who attended with boyfriend of eight years John Grenham, nudging him as she quipped, “We desired to practice getting married.”
“I just need time to formulate an idea [of how to propose]. But within the meantime, possibly this can keep the love alive – not that it’s going anywhere,” Grenham, 26, assured her.
