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<\/p>\nLove on Ice: Gay Couple Married at Hockey Game<\/b><\/p>\n
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For Eric Pinder and Dwayne Smoot, saying \u201cI do\u201d while wearing hockey jerseys in an ice rink as a man<\/a> dressed as a referee officiated over their wedding was the right way to go. The wedding cake was, of course, in the shape of a Zamboni, and a goal horn went off as the grooms kissed at the end.<\/p>\n The couple<\/a> tied the knot this past November at the Orlando Amway Center<\/a>,\u00a0home of the ECHL\u2019s Solar Bears. The team supported the ceremony, helping to set it up prior to one of their games, and recently provided their video<\/a> of the nuptials to the pair, Outsports reports<\/a>:<\/p>\n When saying their vows to each other, Pinder and Smoot were asked by the priest, Gordon Barcalow, if they \u201cpromise to love and cherish [each other] through power plays and penalty kills, until the final horn of life sounds.\u201d<\/p>\n Pinder and Smoot have been together for 16 years. Lifelong hockey fans, they each cheer for\u00a0the Tampa Bay Lightning as their main team. Pinder noted he was\u00a0originally a Red Wings fan, and related how the distinctive wedding came about<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cWe met at a party and I was wearing a Red Wings Jersey. Dwayne knew the team and player so I was impressed. Plus, he is very cute. So hockey was really our first conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we were looking to get married, we thought that doing it before a game would be a great choice \u2014 we could get people to go see our local team, the Orlando Solar Bears. I called our ticket rep and asked if we could get married before a game. He said, \u2018Hold on,\u2019 then three minutes later got back on the phone and said, \u2018Sure, we can do that for you.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cWe had 30 people in a suite after and around 50 who bought tickets and sat in the section next to us. The Amway Arena was great. They let people rotate in and out of the suite so everyone could see our Zamboni cake. The priest is a friend of ours (also gay<\/a>) who was thrilled to officiate.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also had hockey themed gift bags \u2014 a puck with our wedding logo, unopened packs of trading cards from the 1990s and M&Ms with our team colors. We are both wearing Solar Bears jerseys, but Dwayne had a game-worn one from \u201cStar Wars\u201d night.\u201d<\/p>\n The wedding offered a sorely needed heartwarming note to a city marred by anti-gay<\/a> violence earlier in the year, and that a hockey league was behind the gesture is\u00a0an extra nice touch. (Last year the NHL Commissioner made clear his view that an openly gay player <\/a>would be embraced by the sport.) Best wishes to Eric and Dwayne!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The post Love on Ice: Gay Couple Married at Hockey Game<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n