90 Day Fiance stars Kenneth Neidermeier and Armando Rubio were easy to root for. Their respect and feelings for each other were so apparent. And, despite many aspects that usually hinder cast members from staying together such as a significant age difference, cultural differences, and disapproving family, these two made it work. Even in the face of institutional bias.
Not only did they successfully navigate their time on 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way Season 2, but their inspiring story line got them a lot of fan support for representing the LGBTQ+ community in a country that did not honor the fundamental rights of a gay couple to wed. The courts in Armando’s native country of Mexico denied their petition to marry until they got the backing of a human rights organization. It worked out in the end, but caused a tremendous amount of stress and negative feelings for Kenneth and Armando. The prior denials shouldn’t have happened, and hopefully the process changes for future couples. But happily for Kenneth and Armando, they got their petition approved, and were finally wed on Saturday.
The first 90 Day Fiance male same-sex couple were wed at the Mansarda winery in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico in an intimate ceremony that included both Kenny and Armando’s children.
Kenneth gave this exclusive statement to People about his big day, “it’s been a long time coming and we’re very happy. We’re excited to finally be here.” Armando revealed that in addition to the denials from court, the coronavirus pandemic also delayed the event.
“It was a battle in many ways, and so it’s surreal to finally be able to get married,” he said.
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While quarantine resulted in the demise of many couples, Kenny and Armando said it made them stronger. Kenneth joked, “we actually had a lot more time to think about it, and we planned an epic wedding and a lot of things worked out even to our advantage because we had to wait. We haven’t killed each other. And after quarantine, that’s pretty good.”
“We noticed that being locked down together, it made us closer and we were able to get to know each other even more,” Armando added. Unfortunately, covid did put a damper on the event by limiting the guest list to 100. So it was difficult to include all of Armando’s extended family, but his daughter Hannah attended, as well as Kenny’s adult children.
“It means everything. I have really supportive children that have always had my back and never let me down,” Kenneth said of their attendance, “having them here to witness their dad getting married after all these years is amazingly special for me.” Indeed, the support Kenneth got from his family was touching to watch during the 90 Day Fiance season. Kenny’s children showed the same love towards their father and Armando by lighting a unity candle with Hannah to symbolize the melding of the two families.
“They love our relationship and that means the world to me,” Kenneth said. He added, “we are very family-oriented and our kids are a very important part of our lives, so we included them throughout the whole wedding in many aspects.”
The ceremony included aspects of Armando’s culture, such as dancers and a mariachi band. And the venue is very special to both Kenny and Armando. It’s in a wine region of Mexico where they would meet before Kenneth made the big move to Mexico.
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It’s all come full circle. Kenneth said, “we knew that was the place, and we chose the very first venue we went to. It’s just surrounded by mountains and vineyards, and it is gorgeous. I actually never dreamed that I’d be getting married in a place like this and in a different country than I was born in. It’s really surreal for me.”
Congratulations to Armando and Kenneth!
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[Photo Credit: TLC]