THE BIGGEST, QUEEREST WEDDING OF THE YEAR By Denny Patterson
Photos Courtesy of Danielle Lawson, Natural Nerd Designs
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haya Milchtein and JodyAnne Morgan (who goes by her surname) rented out an empty Airbnb in Indianapolis a couple months ago for their wedding. Although no friends or family were physically present due to COVID-19 safety concerns, thousands of people worldwide watched the beautiful ceremony live on Facebook. Besides the queer couple, the only people in attendance were their officiant L.S. Quinn, a queer, plus size artist who traveled from Ohio to marry them, and queer, black, and plus size vendors including photographer Danielle Lawson from Natural Nerd Designs, Indigo & Birch Floral Company, Aesthetic Artist Agency, and Originails Salon and Spa. Milchtein, an automotive educator, writer, and speaker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, met Morgan, a security worker in New York, four years ago. OutClique had the opportunity to chat more with Milchtein about the wedding and why it was such a beautiful and unique experience. Denny Patterson: Hi, Chaya! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me. Let me begin by asking, how did you and Morgan meet?
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Chaya Milchtein: [Laughs] It’s a funny story. We met at the circus. I was getting my nails done at a salon in Brooklyn, and a customer came in to talk to my nail tech, Richard. They said to him, “Hey, I have this ticket to Barclays Center. Are you interested in going? It’s for tonight, somebody dropped out, and it’s a really good suite.” Richard was like, “No, I’m working.” I asked what the ticket was for, and they said the circus. I was like, “I have never been to the circus; I would be interested in going.” I was raised in a Hasidic Jewish home, and that was not something you would go to. So, I went and thought nothing of it. It was an interesting experience, and I went home. A few days later, I got a Facebook message from Morgan who asked me if I had been at the circus a few days before that. She had seen me and liked my dress. Apparently, my queer self stuck out like a sore thumb. I was wearing a short red and black sweater dress and thigh high boots. Anyhow, it was an experience. She has seen me in a queer Facebook group and recognized me at the circus, so she reached out.
