Captivating Couples 2015
Phoenix, AZ
Gwen, 43, dental hygienist
Ronda, 47, corporate travel agent
"Seriously, our biggest challenge has been our timing," say Gwen and Ronda. "We have always known that we were meant for each other, but circumstances seemed to always keep us from having a relationship." They first met 17 years ago in Alaska, but were both with other people. Then they had a period when they were free, but didn´t want to mess up their friendship. "As the years went by, one of us was ready to commit and the other wasn´t, and it went back and forth like that for years… Thankfully, fate stepped in–we were reunited three years ago, and haven´t spent a moment (besides work) apart ever since," says Gwen. The thing that once kept them apart, their friendship, is now the thing that binds them together. And fate seems to be in their corner this time. Not only was same-sex marriage recently made legal in Arizona, but they also just won a contest to get a free dream wedding, courtesy of the Hotel Palomar in Phoenix! "I used to have a lot of regret about [the years spent apart]," says Gwen, "wishing we would have just been together from day one, but now, as I look back, it was so important for us to have our own life experiences first, so we could be ready to totally commit to the one."
All you need is love!
DARA & BEVIN
Brooklyn, NY
Dara, 39, education policy consultant and global peace-builder
Bevin, 36, body liberation activist and blogger for Queer Fat Femme (queerfatfemme.com)
Sometimes it´s hard to tell when someone is flirting with you. Dara tried to get Bevin´s attention back in 2012 by asking her how to attract other women. Eventually, Bevin realized that Dara was actually into her. The couple faced tough times in 2014 with Dara´s cancer diagnosis, her dad´s death, their dog having emergency back surgery and Bevin´s cats passing on, but were also "able to be there for each other in this really amazing way," they say. "We worked together to focus on things that brought us joy, rather than getting rolled over by the fear and sadness. …Even though it was a really hard year, it was simultaneously beautiful and incredibly fun because we had each other." Fun is definitely a priority for these two, as is adventure. In fact, one of the things Bevin likes best about Dara is how she´s so open to new experiences. As for Dara, she appreciates Bevin´s honesty. "She makes herself incredibly vulnerable in a way that most humans fear doing and just puts it out to the world through her writing. It´s beautiful and very brave." Dara and Bevin want to get married, but are waiting until they have enough resources and ideas to pull off the amazing bash they dream of. Right now, they´re just enjoying their luck at having found each other. "There´s palpable electricity between us," they say. "It feels like we were meant to be together."
