It all started with a Facebook message in 2016 for SOMEBODY Creative Director Dwayne Kennedy and Overbond CEO Vuk “Wolf” Magdelinic. On their first date, they soon realized their mutual love for the arts and fashion. Wolf appreciated Dwayne’s creative mind and entrepreneurial drive; Dwayne admired Wolf’s discipline and work ethic. It was the first time Dwayne ever felt seen. After three years together, Wolf proposed to him on a chartered boat ride at dusk.
“It was important to us that our wedding was not conventional, but rather a unique celebration that reflected our individual personalities and also who we are as a couple,” Dwayne notes. The couple took an editorial-focused and documentary-style approach to their wedding. Naturally, photography would be a key component. “As someone who works in the fashion industry, we were fortunate enough to have our two dearest friends and fashion photographers Renata Kaveh and Sarah Blais document the day and events leading up to the ceremony.”
Their wedding planner, Jess of Happy Endings Barcelona, also suggested a local Spanish photographer, Kristina Alexandrova. As evident in all of the photos, they all captured every moment beautifully. Additionally, the couple’s close friend, Adam Beck, and his partner, Nola Palmer, documented the entire process on film. Dwayne adds, “I wanted to create something not only for us but to also inspire other gay men in my situation or anyone to always remember this day is about them and not what we have been taught a wedding should be.”
Ever since he was a boy, Dwayne has been fascinated by the grandeur and mystery of castles. He and Wolf soon found the stately Hotel Castell d’Empordà in Girona, Spain. The castle allowed all of their friends and family to stay with them for a three-day celebration.
Considering their shared adoration of fashion, the grooms’ wedding attire was incredibly important. At first, Dwayne thought they might wear matching tuxedos. But then he asked himself, “Why am I trying to conform to a straight male identity even though who I am is so far from that?”
Dwayne reconsidered the idea of gay marriage and envisioned his walk do the aisle—as himself, not as a preconceived concept. It became so clear to him—he wanted an outfit that would express all of his dimensions, including his masculinity and femininity, love for design, and newfound confidence. He reached out to his closest friends, designers Beaufille and Sid Neigum, and started the process of creating his looks for the celebration of a lifetime. He liked the idea of a veil and conceptualized a custom look with Beaufille’s Chloe Gordon. After many fittings, they created one that represented his growth and journey as a person.
The couple’s custom rings were crafted by Parris Gordon of Beaufille. “I wanted to have something personalized to us and have a part of each other always near,” Dwayne explains. Instead of traditional engraving, their rings have their birthstones placed in the inner band. The entire experience of listening to what he and Wolf wanted as a couple was enlightening. Dwayne smiles, “When you decide to be yourself, you are your own happiness.”
On May 11, 2022, the grooms arrived at their ceremony in a 1961 Rolls-Royce. It was overwhelming to see their closest loved ones gathered for them. “As I adjusted my veil and prepared to walk down the aisle, I quickly felt rather that I was floating as though in a Dali painting,” Dwayne describes. “No judgment, no fear, just love.” The ceremony was simple—and thus, perfect. There was no ring bearer or wedding party, just the grooms and their two best friends there to perform in the intimate venue with florals by Molist Floristes. Their officiant wore a custom Beaufille look.
The newlyweds joined the reception and immediately felt the “organic” and “once-in-a-lifetime” energy of the reception. The dinner of traditional Spanish tapas, truffle mushroom risotto, local seasonal vegetables, and a superior filet mignon was divine. Instead of cutting a typical wedding cake, the grooms grabbed coupes from a Champagne tower and toasted to their guests. Afterward, many of their nearest and dearest delivered heartfelt speeches that elicited a range of sweet emotions. Wolf’s sister, Maja, closed her speech with the perfect summation of the day, “Love always wins.”
A standard first dance would never fit Dwayne and Wolf’s style. But when Kamal Productions played Spice Girls’s “2 Becomes 1,” the entire room burst into song. “I feel, in a way, it’s our first song,” Dwayne muses. It was also beautiful serendipity. In fifth grade, he was obsessed with the Spice Girls and brought a copy of their documentary to class, but he was terrified that a scene from the “2 Becomes 1” music video would out him to his peers. For this to be the song that brought all of his and Wolf’s friends together was a full circle moment and only demonstrated the unconditional love present that night.
The after-party rivaled the Met Gala—it was iconic and truly Dwayne and Wolf. Inside the chapel typically reserved for ceremonies, the grooms created an experience that showcased their guests’ personalities. “It was a very long night,” Dwayne beams.
