Brian Klosterboer and Chris Grochowski Celebrate Love and Community

When Brian Klosterboer showed up for what he thought was a date in 2017, he didn’t expect to meet his future husband. He and Chris Grochowski both laugh when telling the story.

“Our friend, Robby Guthart, is the person who introduced us,” Brian recalls. “We both moved to Houston in the summer of 2016. Chris started his PhD program in human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine, and I moved here to clerk for a federal judge after law school. I thought I was going on a date with Robby, but right before, he texted to say he was bringing a friend. That friend turned out to be Chris.”

The two hit it off quickly, though not in the way either of them expected. The night they met, Chris mentioned that he had to leave early because he was running a 10K the next morning. “Then Brian said, ‘Well, I’m also running a race tomorrow morning,’” Chris laughs. “So we left and I said, ‘I guess I’ll see you at 7:00 a.m.’ That 10K ended up being our first date.”

Houston soon became their shared playground. “We were both new to the city and didn’t really know anyone,” Chris says. “So a lot of our early relationship was exploring Houston together and forming new friend groups.”

Brian fondly remembers their “Cultural Thursdays” dates where they’d take advantage of free museum nights. “We would go to the MFAH, the Menil, do pub trivia at Griff’s, go to Axelrad, different art galleries. It naturally happened where we hung out more, just the two of us. By our fifth date, we were cooking together at home.”

By May of that year, their relationship had become official. “Chris has a very severe dairy allergy,” Brian says. “Our very first time hanging out, I brought Domino’s pizzas, not realizing he couldn’t eat any of them. So for his birthday, I went all out and made everything dairy-free. A couple weeks later, Chris asked me to officially be his boyfriend.”

The couple’s bond deepened in an unexpected way later that year when Hurricane Harvey hit. “That was the first full week we spent together,” Brian recalls. “We sheltered in place for the entire week. Thankfully, we were fine, but it was a good test of our relationship. We could get along very well for a whole week and still support each other through that stressful time.”

“It’s easy to be in a relationship when everything is going fine, but it’s things like Hurricane Harvey, the winter freeze, and the pandemic that show how you support each other,” Chris agrees. “Going through those events strengthened our relationship and made me sure that this was someone who understood the world in the same way I did.”

Brian works as an attorney for the ACLU of Texas, and Chris is now a professor at Baylor College of Medicine, where he researches human genetics. Both are deeply engaged in the community, from volunteering for Beto O’Rourke’s campaigns to staying active in the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus.

“I really love Chris’s love for other people and our broader community,” Brian says. “Early on, he founded a book club and named it Book Club Houston, partly as a pun on Club Houston, the old bathhouse. It’s a predominantly gay—but not exclusively gay—book club that’s been going now for eight years.”

When it came time to propose, Brian wanted something unforgettable. “We were taking a trip with friends to Mexico City,” Chris says. “We planned to do a sunrise hot air balloon over the Teotihuacán pyramids. Most of the people on the trip knew he was popping the question. I didn’t. At first, I thought he was kneeling down to tie his shoe, and I was like, ‘We’re in a hot air balloon, you don’t need to tie your shoe!’ But then he proposed, and I was shocked and thrilled.”

Fast forward to October 4, 2025, when the two exchanged vows at Houston’s Julia Ideson Library, a downtown architectural gem that married their love of books, history, and community.

“The library was just so meaningful,” Brian says. “All the different tables were named after books we’d read about Houston, including Lot by Bryan Washington and 1981 by JD Doyle. We even featured some of the authors’ works at the wedding.”

Their officiant, Omar Rouchon, a Presbyterian minister and member of their book club, made the ceremony especially personal. “It felt really meaningful for Omar to officiate because he’s known us almost the entire time we’ve been together,” Chris says. “He could speak to our relationship in a way that someone we’d ask randomly just couldn’t.”

The celebration spanned three days. “Friday night, we rented out Angel Share, the same bar where we first met,” Brian says. “Our friend Robby gave a speech about how I thought I was on a date with him. The owner, Mary Ellen Angel, even designed a special cocktail menu for us.”

Their wedding planner and florist, Robert Shipman (who recently won OutSmart’s Gayest & Greatest award for Best Wedding Planner) made sure every detail was flawless. “We had a minute-by-minute schedule, and everything went exactly to plan,” Chris says. “Robert perfectly executed our vision, including trees as table centerpieces. He’s phenomenal.”

The theme reflected both of their professions. “We had a law-and-genetics motif,” Brian says. “Even the cake, by Jodycakes, followed that idea. It was entirely dairy-free because of Chris’s allergy.”

Live music came courtesy of Harmony Strings, a group they discovered through OutSmart’s Gayest & Greatest listings. “I played viola growing up,” Brian shares, “so I wanted live string music. They even customized and arranged Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus’ ‘II Most Wanted’ for us to walk in to.”

The night also included a special performance by drag artist Brigitte Bandit, one of Brian’s clients from his work with the ACLU of Texas. “It was really meaningful for her to perform,” Brian says. “Texas passed a law essentially banning drag, and we sued. So having her there performing Dolly Parton numbers was a highlight.”

Catering was handled by Churrascos, which ensured every dish was 100% dairy-free and clearly allergy-labeled. “That was really important to me,” Chris says. “They did an incredible job.”

Photography was by Pedro Escobar, with video captured by Brian’s uncle and sister. “Pedro was great, and we love that so many of our vendors were part of the LGBTQ+ community,” Brian says.

Looking back, both agree that the best part of the weekend was seeing their worlds come together. “It’s so cool to see people from all walks of your life in one place. Friends from high school, college, grad school, and co-workers,” Brian says. “Those moments are so precious.”

“It was surreal,” Chris nods. “All of our worlds collided in the most joyful way.”

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