Love and leather

“What a great name for today!” Hempstead Town Supervisor said to Harley Nemzer, of Wantagh, on Feb. 13. He and his wife, Ellen, had just walked down a motorcycle-lined aisle at Harley-Davidson of Nassau County to renew their marital vows.

Harley’s ties to motorcycles do run deep; his grandfather biked religiously with his two brothers during the World War I era, and Harley has been riding for 50 years himself. He was already a biker when he met Ellen in 1977, and riding became a part of their relationship.

“We like to share everything,” he explained. “It’s just another thing that we do together.”

The Nemzers were one of nine married couples to celebrate their love for biking and one another at a town-sponsored event at the Bellmore motorcycle shop. Murray officiated the “Biker Love” wedding vow renewal ceremonies just one day before Valentine’s Day.

Murray explained that, every year, town officials discuss how they could honor Valentine’s Day by celebrating locals’ commitments to one another, which she described as a cornerstone of society. They knew many former police officers and veterans were interested in motorcycles, so they reached out to different biking groups and found several pairs of people who wanted to renew their vows in no time.

“It wasn’t very hard to find couples,” she said. “It’s all about fun – the love of motorcycling, the open road and each other. But when you come down to it, it is also a renewal of marriage and is really poignant.”

The celebration began at 11 a.m. at Newbridge Road Park, where some of the couples and their friends met to form a motorcycle procession to Harley. Bundled up in leather jackets, the bikers cruised up Newbridge to Sunrise Highway on a frigid morning, as the cold did not deter them from kicking off the “Biker Love” festivities in style.