Arts & Entertainment
Brides set their wedding dresses on fire after exchanging vows
The idea was years in the making
Bethany Byrnes and April Choi (Screenshot via YouTube)
One couple displayed their passion for each other by setting their wedding dresses on fire during their ceremony in Iowa on Oct. 13.
Bethany Byrnes, 28, and April Choi, 31, are both daredevil entertainers who are familiar with fire. They both are experts at fire-eating and breathing, according to SWNS.com.
At nightfall, fuel was poured on to each of their dresses and two guests lit their dresses on fire.
“You may now light the brides,” the announcer says as the couple holds hands and their dresses are engulfed in flames. They take off the bottom of their dresses revealing they were wearing pants underneath. Brynes and Choi then roll up the dresses to put out the flames.
According to their profile on The Knot, the couple first met in Feburary 2012 before they started dating in July 2013. Choi asked Brynes to marry her four times over the years but Brynes kept saying no. Finally, “Beth agrees to be put in a wedding dress and lit on fire” in Feburary 2014. Choi officially proposed in December 2016 and Brynes said yes.
Watch below.
The Capital Pride Alliance presented the 2026 Capital Pride Honors at “The Audacity Brunch: In Full Fuchsia” at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 7.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
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District of Columbia5 days agoHundreds of thousands expected to attend D.C. Pride events
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National5 days ago
Queen Jean is Tony’s first transgender winner
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Congress4 days ago
EXCLUSIVE: Pelosi reflects on four decades of LGBTQ advocacy
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District of Columbia4 days ago
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