Bishop O.C. Allen Hosts Lavish Atlanta Vow Renewal With Husband

Bishop Oliver Clyde Allen and husband Rashad Burgess may have gotten married 20 years ago, but the vow renewal of their wildest dreams occurred on July 16, 2023.

In a ceremony for the ages, the lavish affair was held with over 600 guests in at Southern luxury hotel, The Whitley, in a northern suburb of Atlanta. The pair was dressed in custom tuxedos of gold and white by “fashion designer to the stars” Octavious Terry, as they renewed their vows to one another and their family with their two children beside them.

Allen told People that it “meant the world” to bask in this event of love and commitment in front of their loved ones.

““In a world with so much division, we seek to be the bridge that brings people together through the power of love,” the husband and father shared.

The power couple, a pioneer in Black LGBTQ+ religious spaces, built their church in 2005 to provide a home where everyone could partake in praise and worship without feeling unwelcomed or shame. Allen is the senior pastor and founder of Vision Cathedral of Atlanta.

Of the church’s mission, Allen told Today that Black people sought to forge their own space of refuge and religious guidance when white LGBTQ+ spaces did not provide the “solace” needed.

Judge Glenda Hatchett officiated the union. The reception continued on the theme of royal extravagance. Multiple ballrooms were used for the event featuring gold tables with an assortment of flowers, candles, and rose petals to match the color palette. Guests were dressed in “all-white haute couture.”

“We were both excited and emotional, especially when they opened the doors to the ceremony, and we saw all of our family and friends there to celebrate our 20 years of marriage,” Allen shared.