The former Wagga resident and the American met while in Las Vegas and Mr Hodge said he knew right away their futures would be intertwined. 

Little did he know just how linked their backgrounds already were.

Mr Hodge and Mr Bashein met in Las Vegas when the former was there for work and the latter was on a family vacation. 

The couple instantly connected and spent hours talking about their families, their backgrounds and their careers.

Before departing, Mr Hodge told Mr Bashein "this is not the last time we are going to meet, I just know it."

The name Wagga Wagga rang a bell for Mr Bashein, and after some consideration, he realised it was plastered on a big sign not far from the home he grew up in, located in Leavenworth, Kansas.

After weeks of text messages and phone calls back and forth, Mr Bashein texted Mr Hodge and said 'Do you know what a sister city is?'

Mr Hodge grew up in Wagga and attended Mount Austin High School on Leavenworth Drive.

Mr Bashein grew up in Wagga's sister city of Leavenworth and lived off Wagga Wagga Drive.

"Any time anyone knows what Wagga is, I always freak out," Mr Hodge said.

"Out of everyone in the world, we're from these small towns."

Their relationship progressed and Mr Bashein moved from where he was living in Utah to Los Angeles to be closer to Mr Hodge and continue his marketing degree.

The couple became engaged earlier this year.

Mr Bashein led Mr Hodge on a romantic scavenger hunt before Mr Bashein proposed in the couple's home with their dog, Willis.

Mr Hodge said the couple are "super traditional", especially given Mr Bashein's Mormon background, but said there was no traditional format or precedent for same-sex marriages between men of different religions and cultures.

He always had an idea of what his wedding would look like but admitted he had not given it a lot of thought until he realised he would be marrying Mr Bashein soon. 

"I thought 'I know I'm going to marry this guy, I should probably start thinking about this'," he said.

The couple is set to marry in September and have decided to share their nuptials for all to see.

But this does not mean simply livestreaming the ceremony.

They are one of 10 couples from all different cultural backgrounds and sexualities that will marry on The Wedding Party.

As a former contestant on the American series of The Bachelor, Ben Higgins knows about finding love in unconventional places.

He proposed on television (that relationship has since ended) and met his current partner through Instagram.

So if love can be found in the most unusual of places, why can't people choose to marry in non-traditional settings? It is the premise behind The Wedding Party.

In a world where we share rides and accommodation, why not share a wedding?

Ben partnered with DiningOut Events to develop the concept of The Wedding Party and will host the show to make couples' unconventional wedding dreams come true.

Ten couples will marry in front of 2000 guests in Denver, Colorado on September 1.

Each couple will walk down the aisle, and Mr Hodge said they would have their own photo opportunity with family and friends, before joining all the couples on stage for a group ceremony where they will say "I do."

Thirty of Denver's top restaurants will then cater the event, which will have more of a festival vibe than that of a wedding reception.

The 2000 guests will be comprised of friends and family of each of the couples, including Mr Hodge's friends and family from Wagga.

It will be the first time his parents will have travelled overseas and he said he was thrilled to have them join him in the States.

Same-sex marriage was legalised in California in 2008, and more recently in Australia in 2017, but Mr Hodge said there was no tradition when it came to gay marriages.

It was why he and his fiance were so open to the idea of an unconventional wedding.

"Why does a wedding have to be a certain way?" he said.

"I'm totally in love with the fact we get to share it with other people.

"We want to embrace everyone else ... and experience everyone's interpretation of love."

Mr Bashein said growing up in a religious family, marrying a man was already considered to be different enough.

He said he had never considered what form his wedding would take until he met Mr Hodge.

"This was never in my wildest dreams how I thought I'd get married," he said.

"But there really couldn't be a more beautiful way to do it.

"The show really wants to focus on the couples' experiences and that it stays about love and each individual experience."

Mr Hodge said he never felt like an outsider growing up in Wagga because of his sexuality but admits he was wary when he heard the city was hosting its first Mardi Gras.

But the community's reaction, the outreach of support from his friends and family back home as the event was happening, reinvigorated his love and admiration for his home town.

"It was done in a way the community could embrace it and be comfortable with," he said.

"I am who I am because of that area.

"I felt like they were representing me as well.

"I always felt so accepted .... now I feel like everybody has embraced me."

Mr Hodge said the success of Wagga's Mardi Gras and the plans already in place for 2020 sends the same message that The Wedding Party intends to - that people should feel confident enough to make choices specific to them.

Mr Hodge and Mr Bashein will set sail on a cruise with family to Mexico after the wedding and he is hoping to bring his new husband home to Wagga for Christmas and New Year.

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