For North Wales residents Corey Wallace and Derik Burns, New Hope Pride held many reasons to celebrate.
Wallace, 25, and Burns, 27, were engaged May 17 during the annual Pride parade and festival.
Wallace, who hails from Doylestown, proposed to Burns, his partner of five months, along the waterfront. Wallace works in pharmaceuticals and Burns is a banker.
Wallace’s proposal came just days before a federal judge ruled that Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Wallace said the news came at a perfect time.
“[Hearing about the ruling] just felt amazing,” he said. “People have been sending me text messages congratulating me on the engagement and the ability to get married in Pennsylvania. I never thought the day would come.”
Wallace and Burns met online and had their first date at the Mercer Museum in Doylestown — a date that ended up lasting nine hours.
“There is a point in your date when you think enough is enough but we spent the entire day together and I didn’t want to go home, I just wanted to spend the whole day and whole night,” Wallace said.
Wallace said the pair knew from the beginning of their relationship that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.
“He is just right for me and treats me right,” he said. “We work well together and he is the ying to my yang.”
Wallace was the one to pop the question but said he hadn’t initially been planning to propose at New Hope Pride.
“It was so beautiful out and everyone was in their happiest moment. I had the ring in my car and I didn’t have any plan of action and I brought it with me just in case,” he said. “I asked the question and he said, ‘Yeah, of course’ and thought I was joking and then I pulled out the ring and he said yes.”
Wallace said the reception from friends and family has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Everyone has expressed how happy they are for us,” he said.
The couple hasn’t set a wedding date yet, but intend to have a large celebration.
“We know we want to have it with all of our family and friends,” Wallace said. “It will be a nice big fun event.”