R o b i n   a n d   M i c h e l l e

Robin's Perspective

In the summer of 1990 I had been hired as director of interns for the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival in Madison. After the theatre season was over, I made a decision to stay on in New Jersey in the hope that being so close to New York City would benefit my career as an actress and director. Because I was coming from a seven-year relationship that had gone bad, I knew I needed the space to find myself again, and so I turned down many proposals for "dates" in favor of long walks and doing my own thing in peace.

Then one Friday evening in October of 1991 a group of women friends drove over to my place and practically ORDERED me to get into the car and go with them to a women's dance happening that night. Well, I wasn't the slightest bit interested in going and once I was persuaded, I sulked all the way there, determined that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time! When we got to the dance, I took one look and knew that I'd been right and was going to end up being stuck there with a lot of people I had no interest in socializing with. UNTIL.....the lights went down, and a tall, striking woman wearing a classy-looking dress stepped up to the podium to announce that she was hosting an event called "Entre Nous" for women and gave us the date and time.

The moment I saw her I thought I'd never seen anyone so bright and beautiful, and my friends immediately pushed me toward her to ask her out....the next thing I remember is suddenly standing in front of Michelle asking her if she would like to go to another bar! To my surprise, she said, "YES," and we spent the next three hours talking until my friends finally interrupted us to get me to go home. I gave Michelle my phone number, but never received a call after that wonderful night!! Six weeks later, I decided to go to "Entre Nous" in spite of not hearing from her, and the moment I walked in she rushed up to ask me out for dinner later on that week. Well, as it turns out, she had lost my phone number, and had ended up going back to the bar every weekend looking for me, as well as going through the names on every check for "Entre Nous" to see if she recognized mine.

Michelle's Perspective

I was also coming from a long relationship that wasn't working out and, because I'd been finding it hard to meet people, had organized "Entre Nous" as a social alternative for women. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of women at my dances, but the moment I laid eyes on Robin, I saw the most beautiful woman I had ever seen shining brightly in the middle of a dark room.

The rest is herstory, and in February of 1993 we had our blessing ceremony at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Morristown, NJ surrounded by 200 family members and friends to help us celebrate the big day. We both agree that doing so in public in the sight of God was incredibly meaningful and has made our commitment to each other stronger and more centered during tough, as well as good times.

Click here to read Robin and Michelle's  liturgy. (.pdf)

updated 17 March 2003, webmaster