Jason & Shane Share #WhyIWork

Together with Wells Fargo, we polled our Facebook and Twitter fans asking their motivations and aspirations using #WhyIWork. The responses we received gave us so many great insights into the lives of everyday LGBT families working together for a common goal.

One of those families was Jason & Shane, a couple who recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary. Jason, an account manager for a medical tech company and Shane, a Broadway press agent, work hard to create memories together that will last a lifetime.

Learn all about Jason & Shane below and look for their Money Minute: Working Sessions episodes coming to Advocate.com this fall.

1. How long have you been together? Married?
This August we will have been together 7 years. We were married on May 11, 2013.

2. How did you first meet? Was it love at first sight?
We actually met online when it seemed to still be a novel idea. Our first date was at Shane's apartment where we watched the 2008 Olympics. I don't think it was love at first sight but it was definitely close.

3. When did you know you wanted to marry this person? Who proposed to whom and how?
(Jason) I knew about a year into dating that I could see a life with Shane for a long time.

(Shane) I knew when he took me to his family's house for Thanksgiving. We actually both proposed to each other on separate occasions about a week apart.

(Jason) I ordered-in Shane's favorite meal from a restaurant we had one of our first dates at. I then handed him an inconspicuous brown bag which had the ring in it, and asked him to marry me.

(Shane) Not to be out done. I got Jason into Manhattan and proposed to him using a billboard in Times Square. I then took him to a Beyonce concert where I gave him the matching ring he gave me.

4. Where was your wedding? What was your approach to planning it?
We got married on May 11th, 2013 at the Hudson Terrace in Manhattan. We really didn't have a specific approach. We just wanted to make sure it was beautiful and elegant and most importantly our guest had fun!

5. What motivates you every morning to wake up and go to work?
We are both very lucky that we enjoy our jobs. We both love to create memories with our families and friends. Working allows us to afford the adventures we have taken and the memories we want to make in the future.

6. What future goals do you have for you and your family?
Shane and I both would like to enjoy our professional lives just long enough to be able to retire while we are still active (60s). We also would like to be able to assist family with education.

7. What are some family activities or hobbies you two enjoy together when you're not working?
Hobbies include rugby, theater, traveling, playing with nieces, nephews and goddaughter. We both enjoy hanging out with friends. During the year we spend a lot of time with Jason's rugby team. Our weekends are usually dedicated to that. Jason also spends a lot of time competing at his CrossFit gym

8. In your #WhyIWork comment you stated, "I work because it allows Jason Maschi and I to afford the opportunity to create memories that will last us a lifetime." Tell us more! What are some recent memories or vacations you created together?

We saved for a year and half to be able to pay for our wedding. That investment allowed us to share our commitment to one another with our friends and family which did provide us with memories to last us a lifetime. Recently, we were able to save for our first international trip together. We got to explore the jungles of Costa Rica.

9. What was your reaction to the June 26 SCOTUS ruling that led to nationwide marriage equality?
We are so very forturnate to live in NYC, but being from Georgia, having our entire country recognize our union made us feel that we were actually part of one nation and not segregated to only a few states. It is nice to be accepted as just a married couple