Crate and Barrel boys create GayUltimateWedding.com

The Crate and Barrel boys - Gregory and Jonathan - are still campaigning hard to win Crate and Barrel's Ultimate Wedding contest and have created GayUltimateWedding.com to keep their supporters posted with all the latest and the newest about their quest to win a $100,000 dream wedding.

Note: As of this writing Gregory and Jonathan are holding on strong to the number two spot so be sure to cast your vote today. There's a little over two weeks left in the preliminary voting round.

Crate and Barrel boys - and 150 other gay couples - apply to marry in Washington on Wednesday

Some 151 couples submitted applications to marry in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, when a marriage-equality law took effect.

Among the 151 were Crate and Barrel boys Gregory and Jonathan.

Under the landmark law, the first same-sex marriages can take place on Tuesday of next week.

An interview with gay Crate & Barrel Ultimate Wedding Contest contestant Jonathan Howard

In just a few months, Crate and Barrel’s Ultimate Wedding Contest will be giving away a $100,000 dream wedding to one lucky couple.


And that lucky couple might just be gay!

Jonathan Howard and Gregory Jones (right) are one of a handful of gay couples in the running to win the wedding of their dreams. A wave of media attention landed them at the top of recent rankings in the contest, but the couple has also been forced to contend with some vicious online bashing from straight and gay people alike.

I had the opportunity to chat with Jonathan yesterday and find out what he thinks makes for a dream wedding, how the couple is dealing with the negativity, and just why he and Gregory should win the Crate and Barrel Ultimate Wedding Contest.

Hey Jonathan, how did you first hear about the contest and how did you and Gregory decide to take part?
We actually got an email directly from Crate and Barrel about the contest. Gregory and I talked about it briefly and decided, hey, why not? Honestly, we thought it was a long shot, but it’s an opportunity for a great wedding, and we thought we might have a chance since it was open to same-sex couples.

Did the email state specifically that it was open to same-sex couples?
It didn’t say specifically that it was open to same-sex couples, but it did mention commitment ceremonies and the ability to be legally married which, here in D.C., we are able to do.

Whoo-hoo! Before the contest did you consider yourselves gay marriage activists?
Well, I’m not the most active activist but I have spoken out about hate crimes and stuff like that. I’ve been involved to an extent.

How long have you and Gregory been together?
We’ve been friends for three years and together as a couple for two.

What is your idea of a dream wedding?
You know, just something simple with family and friends. We want we want them to stand up for us and say they’re proud of us. A lot of the details are left up to Crate and Barrel and that’s fine, as long as our families are there.

You guys were in the top spot for a while there. Do you know where you stand as of now?
We are currently in second place. Another couple came out of nowhere. They have a really great story and have gotten a lot of support. Unfortunately some of their supporters have spewed some hateful words in our direction. … I was checking out some of the blogs of people who were supporting them and I came across a policeman’s blog who was supporting them and it was some really nasty stuff. GLAAD just wrote an article about it.

That’s terrible. And I think I read something about even commenters in gay blogs having snarky things to say about things like your hair and other nonsense like that.
Yes. I’ve realized that people are always going to make comments, and you just can’t let little stuff like that get to you. I try not to let it, but sometimes it does. I was the victim of a serious hate crime not too long ago where my head was beaten into the pavement over and over again, and I think because of that, some of the comments do get to me.

I’m so sorry to hear that. Fortunately, a lot of the media attention has been positive. Why do you think your story has been so popular?
It’s hard to say. I think maybe it’s because we’re a strong example and have gone through a lot of things that other same sex couples have gone through. We found each other and we fell in love and we want to get married and we live in D.C. where it will be legal on Wednesday – which is such a huge thing not only for us but also for the entire gay community.

So why should we vote for you in Crate and barrel’s Ultimate Wedding Contest?
I think they should vote for us because we are a couple who has been through a lot and we exemplify a lot of the struggles that gay men and women go through. I think we can be an example to the gay community and really make a statement by winning.

There are a lot of great couple in the contest and a lot of great stories and everybody is welcome to check out the contestants and pick this one or that one to vote for, but we would love to reclaim the top spot, and we would love to be able to share our story and hopefully make a difference.

About Crate and Barrel’s Ultimate Wedding Contest: Between now and March 31 the public will vote on the contestants and the top 50 vote-getters will move on to the next round where a panel of Crate and Barrel reps, along with wedding planner Jo Gartin, will choose the final winner.

Gay couple in the runnning for Crate & Barrel's Ultimate Wedding Contest

Cuties Gregory and Jonathan are friends of a friend of mine and one of two gay couples in the running to win Crate & Barrel's Ultimate Wedding Contest.

They describe their love story as "Boy meets boy, boy falls for boy, and boys get engaged. ... We knew that we were right for each other from the start, we knew that we would always be by one another’s sides and that as best friends we could truly experience our love openly."

Aw, how cute is that?

Voting goes until March 31 and the top 50 vote-getters will move to the next round. Vote today and give Gregory and Johnathan a shot at that $100,000 dream wedding.