Already have an account?
Get back to the

Interview

GH's Parry Shen & Michael Blake Kruse open up about their real-life weddings

Parry Shen (Brad)

Married To:Kim

Since:August 2, 2002

Location: Camarillo, CA

Who took the lead on the wedding planning, you or Kim? “We both equally planned and equally cared about all aspects — this would be the biggest party of both of our lives that we’ve ever thrown! I suppose I took more care with the entertainment/creative elements, surprising her by taking over halfway for our wedding singer during the ceremony, and serenading ‘Wherever You Will Go’ to her, crafting the video of how we met for the attendees, showing video of the actual proposal [featuring] my Better Luck Tomorrow co-stars and Zooey Deschanel, making the front cover of the program like a movie poster titled ‘When Parry Met Kim’ with the wedding party listed where the actors would be, the parents where the producers would normally be listed, etc.”

Were you more or less emotional during the ceremony than you expected to be? “Once I saw tears streaming down my little brother’s/the best man’s face, I got choked up. I’d never seen him cry before — besides in pain.”

Did you write your own vows? “We wrote our own vows. Our pastor was awesome and had met with us separately and revealed highlights of what the other person said. It was a really cool aspect that everyone enjoyed. In fact, three different attendees wound up using him in their wedding after seeing him in ours, and that’s how we found him, after seeing him get a friend of ours married. Rapper MC Hammer was a producer on a film of mine and he’s also an ordained minister, and he actually agreed to marry us. However, once we met and saw that pastor in action, there was no question we had to go with him.”

What moment of the day do you most wish you could relive? “The actual ceremony — we made it fun and not boring. Many people had said for years after that it was the best wedding they’d ever been to. I’m a showman; I want to be entertained as much as the folks attending, so we made it as such while still getting done what we needed to get done.”

Michael Blake Kruse (Rory)

Married To: Cara

Since: August 3, 2019

Location: Cedar Rapids, IA

Who took the lead when it came to planning, you or your wife? “I let my wife take the lead but it was collaborative. We had been together 11 years prior to our marriage and ultimately wanted to honor our family and friends who have always supported us.”

Were you more or less nervous on the big day than you expected to be? “Everything played out perfectly and I was simply overwhelmed with emotion the entire day. I was only fighting nerves during my speech — where I really wanted my jokes about my siblings to land. They did.”

What do you remember about seeing your wife in her bridal gown for the first time? “I was already crying waiting for her to meet me. And then I cried even harder after I saw her for the first time. I felt so much love and appreciation.”

Did anything go wrong on your wedding day? “During the last dance of the night, I took the most epic video of all our friends and family dancing hard to ‘Get Low’ by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. However, I forgot to hit the record button. It still kills me.”

What is your standout memory from the day? “Overall, it was quite simply the best day of our lives. We have never felt so honored and humbled to have all of our loved ones at the same place celebrating our relationship. It was the most beautiful day and we often think about everyone that helped make it happen.”

Comments