Nine years into their relationship, Marty Lauter and Kyle Samuel have a new word for each other: husband.
Lauter, known to RuPaul’s Drag Race fans as Marcia Marcia Marcia, married Samuel on October 4 at Marty’s childhood home on Long Island. And their dog Poppy had a special place in the celebration as ring bearer.
In a new People exclusive, the couple share their wedding and the partnership behind it. They first met while performing in Newsies in 2017. Samuel, whose own background includes theater, now works as a registered nurse.
For their wedding, the couple embraced beautifully tailored suits and vintage-inspired guest outfits. The setting gave the occasion another personal connection: a place from Marty’s childhood became the place where they celebrated their marriage.
There is something particularly moving about that. A wedding brings a couple’s future into focus, but it can also gather up the years that brought them there. Here, nine years of shared life were part of the celebration before the rings were exchanged.
For readers who have built a life with another man, that may be the most recognizable part of the story. The wedding photographs mark one day. The relationship is made of all the days around it: ordinary evenings, changing plans, shared decisions and learning how to be there for each other.
Marriage can give that familiar life a new occasion for joy. A chance for the people who love you to celebrate what you already know about the person beside you.
And a chance, apparently, to give your dog a promotion.
Poppy’s role is a delightful detail, but the couple remain the heart of this wedding. After nine years together, Marty and Kyle have celebrated their commitment in a place that already meant home.
Congratulations to the newlyweds—and to the four-legged member of the wedding party.
📷 Cailin Curtis / People
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