A guest who arrived by plane to be at Justin and Karalyn Henry’s wedding was about to change the couple’s lives forever.

Image: Instagram/karalyncat / Facebook/Karalyn Henry

It’s a sunny fall day in October 2018, and Ohio couple Karalyn and Justin Henry are about to tie the knot. And as you would expect, the bride and groom – who have been together since high school – are excited to finally say “I do” in front of friends and family. But as the guests witness the pair exchange their vows, the happy couple are elated for yet another reason.

You see, one of those watching is Lana Douglas, who has come all the way from Northern Ireland to be a bridesmaid. And although she and the bride have shared a lot online, this is the first time they have met face to face. It turns out to be quite some coming together, too.

That’s because Lana has been special to Karalyn for some time. Yes, the two young women have developed a deep relationship through both adversity and success – and that bond has flourished into love. But during Lana and Karalyn’s time together in Ohio, something interesting happens between them and Karalyn’s new husband.

The married couple had first encountered each other in a high-school band – perhaps not the most romantic of surroundings. There, Karalyn worked at mastering the clarinet, while Justin tooted his horn as a trumpet player. But it seems that he didn’t at first hit the high notes as far as Karalyn was concerned.

Indeed, while Justin developed something of a liking for Karalyn during their school days, she didn’t reciprocate at first. And so Karalyn rebuffed Justin’s advances for a couple of years until finally she decided that she would date him. In May 2013, then, the two young musicians became a proper couple for the first time.

But a year after she and Justin became an item, Karalyn realized that she was also attracted to girls. And, sadly, being bisexual wasn’t something that she initially came to accept. You see, as often happens, the 17-year-old was worried about what the people she loved would make of her sexuality. Nevertheless, something had to give.

And in March 2019 Karalyn told the Daily Mail that things had ultimately come to a head. She said, “I was scared to see how family and friends would see me knowing that I was LGBT, but I couldn’t hide it any longer. I wanted to feel what it was like to be with a girl, but I didn’t want to leave my boyfriend since we’d been together a while.”

But when Karalyn revealed all to Justin, she received a bit of a shock. How? Well, he told her to give it a go and date a girl. In fact, they would try out polyamory – the practice of having several intimate relationships – by introducing another woman into their lives. And the outcome stunned Karalyn; the move worked really well, so they were able to stick with it.

Furthermore, Justin’s reaction came as a great relief to Karalyn because she had suffered for having a crush on others. Yes, during the relationship, she had found other people attractive and had felt guilty for it. Now, though, she could finally throw off the prejudices of her religious family and accept that she had been born that way.

And it wasn’t too long after Justin had given the green light that Karalyn came across a new friend on Tumblr. This was Lana, a 19-year-old woman from Northern Ireland. Before too long, a meaningful relationship started to grow between the pair as well, as they found that they had plenty to talk about. Something truly terrible ended up drawing them closer together, however.

You see, Lana had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy; at that time, she was in fact battling a very serious stage four IV lymphoma. But Lana’s perilous condition didn’t dissuade Karalyn from developing strong feelings for the Northern Irish woman as they got together to bond over the internet each day.

Karalyn would even contact her new love via FaceTime while Lana received her chemo. And their connection blossomed despite Karalyn’s fear for her girlfriend’s life, as she told the Daily Mail. The Ohio woman said, “It was scary falling for someone who might get worse and die at any time.”

But it seemed that nothing would stop the pair from starting a relationship – even though they were divided by an ocean. They officially got together, then, on the brink of 2017. And, happily, by the time February rolled around, Lana had gotten the all-clear from her medical team; she had survived the cancer.

Meanwhile, Justin and Karalyn’s romance was also progressing. Having been together for five years, they decided that they should take their relationship to the next level and get hitched. And the couple fixed a date for their wedding, too, which was scheduled to take place in October 2018. But when planning for the big day, Justin and Karalyn realized that they had a problem.

That problem came, of course, in the form of Karalyn’s girlfriend, Lana, who lived far away in the United Kingdom. You see, the couple really wanted her to be at the wedding. And even though the two had never previously met Lana in the flesh, they were still enthusiastic about the idea that she fly over and be one of Karalyn’s bridesmaids.

And as it turned out, Lana didn’t need to be asked twice. After all, not only would she get to hang out with Karalyn and Justin, but she’d also get to visit the U.S. At this time, the three had what’s known as a polyamorous “V triad.” Karalyn explained the concept to the Daily Mail, saying, “I was dating both of them, but they were not dating each other.”

So, as the day of her wedding dawned, Karalyn was in a somewhat unusual situation. She was walking down the aisle with Justin while Lana looked on from the sidelines. The marriage itself happened in the woods in gorgeous weather. And while the bride did surprise some guests by also kissing Lana, she was quite happy to explain why.

Karalyn, Lara and Justin are not alone in their joint relationship, either. In fact, up to one in 20 Americans enjoy partnerships in which they agree not to be monogamous – whether that’s through swinging or swapping partners or establishing solid love matches between more than two people. And the bonds that form can be very long-lasting. For example, one researcher told Live Science in 2013 that a 40-year marriage he knew of featured a second 20-year relationship.

Undeniably, though, a 40-year marriage must begin with a single day – and Lana was set to make this one special for Karalyn and Justin. Beginning with what she wore on the wedding day, the Northern Irish woman did not disappoint. Karalyn told the Daily Mail, “Seeing Lana in the dress with her makeup done, my heart skipped a beat.” And the day went into overdrive at a fun-filled reception.

In March 2019 Karalyn revealed more to the Daily Star, explaining “I remember all of us, a little drunk, arms locked, and just going in circles laughing and singing.” All in all, then, she’d reflect that it had been “the best day of [her] entire life.” But as it turned out, she was not the only person to have been bowled over by Lana.

Yes, Justin had become fond of the Northern Irish woman, too. And with one thing leading to another, it wasn’t long before the happy couple became a happy trio. But while that may have seemed difficult for Karalyn to accept, she was in fact more than happy about it.

Karalyn told the Daily Mail, “When Justin and Lana started dating, I was overjoyed. It was something I had wanted from the start, but [I] knew that I couldn’t push as it was up to them to make it happen – and it did. I couldn’t be happier.” Love wasn’t all that the three of them would share, either.

Indeed, the new relationship that they had formed meant they would all sleep together. And Karalyn explained to the Daily Mail how it all worked out, saying, “Once Lana and Justin were face to face, they both ended up falling for each other, and we then became a poly triad – meaning we were all dating each other with no exclusions.”

So, once the trio had decided that mutual love was the best course, they enjoyed smooth sailing. Karalyn told the Daily Star, “We all took turns being in the middle of the bed – the best spot in a polyamory relationship.” And there was seemingly no hint of the green-eyed monster with Karalyn, either. Instead, she revealed of her husband and girlfriend, “I’m just so happy to see them so happy!”

But, unfortunately, the bliss couldn’t last forever, as Lana had to return to the U.K after the trip. Yet even though the throuple would once again be separated by an ocean, they were already planning dates for further visits – where, of course, they could go out as a trio or as two different couples.

And at least Karalyn has been left with some very joyous memories. After all, she has a relationship that – although it’s partly a long-distance union – provides her with a great deal of happiness. The Ohioan told the Daily Mail, “I have two amazing partners that I love and cherish with all of my heart.”

Plus, while the word “threesome” does conjure up some lurid notions, they don’t seem to apply in this case. You see, Karalyn has explained that she and Lana weren’t having a sexual relationship, revealing, “Lana and I are asexual. We are repulsed by sex or anything of the sort.”

Justin, by contrast, is not asexual like the two ladies in his life – but he’s happy not to make an issue out of it. Indeed, of Justin’s relationship to sex, Karalyn told the Daily Mail, “He basically has the mind set of ‘If it happens, it happens; if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.’”

And when the three did bed down for the night together, it turns out that they had quite the crowd with them. With Karalyn snatching the prime position in the center, the others had to fight for space with the family pets. Karalyn explained, “The bed’s a little snug… three adults, my Siberian husky and both of my fat cats make us packed like sardines.”

The throuple’s relationship didn’t just bring them together at night, though. During Lana’s visit, for example, Justin and Karalyn took her to the Newport Aquarium to see her most beloved animals: penguins. A trip away to a cabin in the woods allowed the trio to enjoy long walks in the great outdoors, too.

And though you may be left wondering whether Lana felt like a third wheel at her lovers’ wedding, that doesn’t seem to have been the situation. In any case, the Daily Mail quotes Lara as saying of the event, “The centerpiece of any polyamorous relationship is communication, and I was reassured through that that I was welcome.”

Furthermore, despite Karalyn, Justin and Lara’s evident delight in their relationship, it’s not every day that most people meet a poly triad – meaning some misunderstandings rather inevitably arise. And Karalyn has found it particularly difficult to deal with one theory that people often have: the idea that she may be cheating.

The Ohioan noted in her conversation with the Daily Star, “Even when I explain to people that it’s consensual between all partners, they still consider it cheating.” That’s not the only hurtful thing that some apparently say to her, either. Karalyn added, “The other [remark] is people saying that I love my husband less because I date other people.”

Among those who haven’t initially accepted Karalyn’s relationship are the people she works with – some of whom only found out about the poly triad from her posts on social media. And while, sadly, a number of Karalyn’s colleagues have been left, in her own words, “sketched out” about the situation, others have had much more positive reactions.

Karalyn’s family and friends, meanwhile, are 100 percent in the triad’s corner. Indeed, while Karalyn had feared sharing the news of her polyamorous relationship with her parents, it turned out they were more than relaxed about it. Touchingly, the person who surprised her the most was her mom, who had at first been skeptical of her daughter’s choices.

Karalyn’s mother had initially had some strong words to say about bisexuality, considering it “greedy” to love both men and women. But seeing the happiness that the relationship had brought Karalyn helped her parent form a different view. And meeting Lana put a bow on it, as both sets of in-laws adored the Northern Irishwoman when she visited Ohio.

In a video posted to YouTube in March 2019, Karalyn also shares the reaction she had from her parents after the story of her throuple had gone viral. At that time, she had wanted to know whether her mom and dad still felt proud of her – and it seems that the answer was in the affirmative. In the clip, she recounts, “They said, ‘Yes. And… they were even more proud of me… because I stuck with what I believe in and what I love. Yeah, they love me!”

Nevertheless, others haven’t always been so positive about Karalyn, Lara and Justin’s relationship. A number of commenters on the website LADbible, for example, have made barbed and even spiteful remarks concerning the trio. But Karalyn and Justin seemingly haven’t let the hate get to them. In the YouTube video, for example, the husband and wife laugh at the suggestion that they “look like they smell like worn-out socks.”

It’s not all laughter in the relationship, though, and Karalyn sees some downsides to the triad. A three-person marriage is off the cards, for instance, as you are only permitted to be wedded to one individual at a time in Ohio. And while there are also people who have a moral objection to the throuple or feel that they should share their disgust, Karalyn remains undaunted.

In fact, Karalyn has set herself something of a mission: to “normalize polyamory.” And her time in the limelight certainly seems likely to boost her fight – as well as, perhaps, changing a few minds. In any case, she fully intends to be loud and proud about walking to the altar to become part of a couple and walking away from it as part of a triad.