We Are Gathered Here Today

The Wedding People meets The Celebrants in this hilarious and profound novel about a recently engaged gay man second guessing marriage, and his cousin’s chaotic Texas wedding weekend with old friends and unexpected strangers that will help guide him to the truth, from the beloved author of The Old Place.

At 36, Finlay Hightower has attended countless incredible, cringe-worthy, and disastrous wedding celebrations with his best friends. Their secret to surviving wedding chaos? The Hour of Disrespect—a pact to reserve judgement to one hour after the couple’s Big Day, protecting the wedding glow and leaving only with the good memories.

But this next wedding will test their decade-old tradition in more ways than one. Now, one of their own is getting married—Fin’s beloved cousin, Elaine—at a Wild West-themed venue in the sweltering Texas summer heat that is as meticulously itineraried as it is kitchy. Reserving opinions won’t be easy, and on top of that Fin has a secret that threatens his officiant duties: he’s just gotten engaged to the man of his dreams, and a sense of unease has him questioning if he believes in the institution of marriage at all.

As Fin joins the rambunctious and increasingly unhinged “queer table”, old friendships are tested and new relationships are formed. Will each guest hold back their particular views on love, commitment, and the wedding before Elaine can say “I do”? And if not, could those confessions ultimately give Fin the courage to uncover his truth?

Like any good wedding, We Are Gathered Here Today is funny, heartfelt, and full of surprises. Like any terrible wedding, it’s something you’ll never forget.
One of Queerty’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books of 2026

We Are Gathered Here Today possesses the same quality I’ve loved in all of Bobby Finger’s novels—a sense of humor that is about wit and sharp observation, tenderness but never cruelty. The subject of marriage lets Finger play anthropologist of the destination wedding weekend and philosopher on the very big question of love—in this case, the bond between old friends, the promise of new romance, the ties of biological family, and the dynamics of queer chosen family.” —Rumaan Alam, New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind

“Weddings can make us laugh, cry, and examine our own relationships—and so does We Are Gathered Here Today, a funny, heartfelt, and visceral novel about reconnection and true love. From the Texas heat to the self-doubts that haunt everyone in attendance, Bobby Finger's prose captures all the delicious and devilish nuances at play. As the blessed wedding day approaches, the tension builds and then explodes with exquisite satisfaction. No one writes about friendship between queer people with more depth, insight, and biting humor than Bobby Finger. I devoured this book.” —Rasheed Newson, bestselling author of There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood

“With the exquisitely wonderful We Are Gathered Here Today, Bobby Finger layers a trademark wit atop a disastrous wedding weekend, populated with a cast of wayward young people pretending to be much more fine than they really are. The result is pure love: mess and joy and raucous humor all at once. This is a novel so bursting full of life that the only thing you’ll want to do after finishing it is to call your loved ones, get outside, breathe the fresh air, and live.” —Jinwoo Chong, author of I Leave It Up to You

“From the beloved author Bobby Finger, 2026 is gifting us with a brand new novel that follows a recently engaged gay man, and his cousin’s chaotic Texas wedding weekend, with a hilarious, wild cast of characters, and a heartwarming message.” —Queerty

© Elena Mudd
Bobby Finger is the author of The Old Place and Four Squares, and cohost of the popular celebrity and entertainment podcast, Who? Weekly. A Texas native, he lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his husband and cat. View titles by Bobby Finger

About

The Wedding People meets The Celebrants in this hilarious and profound novel about a recently engaged gay man second guessing marriage, and his cousin’s chaotic Texas wedding weekend with old friends and unexpected strangers that will help guide him to the truth, from the beloved author of The Old Place.

At 36, Finlay Hightower has attended countless incredible, cringe-worthy, and disastrous wedding celebrations with his best friends. Their secret to surviving wedding chaos? The Hour of Disrespect—a pact to reserve judgement to one hour after the couple’s Big Day, protecting the wedding glow and leaving only with the good memories.

But this next wedding will test their decade-old tradition in more ways than one. Now, one of their own is getting married—Fin’s beloved cousin, Elaine—at a Wild West-themed venue in the sweltering Texas summer heat that is as meticulously itineraried as it is kitchy. Reserving opinions won’t be easy, and on top of that Fin has a secret that threatens his officiant duties: he’s just gotten engaged to the man of his dreams, and a sense of unease has him questioning if he believes in the institution of marriage at all.

As Fin joins the rambunctious and increasingly unhinged “queer table”, old friendships are tested and new relationships are formed. Will each guest hold back their particular views on love, commitment, and the wedding before Elaine can say “I do”? And if not, could those confessions ultimately give Fin the courage to uncover his truth?

Like any good wedding, We Are Gathered Here Today is funny, heartfelt, and full of surprises. Like any terrible wedding, it’s something you’ll never forget.

Reviews

One of Queerty’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books of 2026

We Are Gathered Here Today possesses the same quality I’ve loved in all of Bobby Finger’s novels—a sense of humor that is about wit and sharp observation, tenderness but never cruelty. The subject of marriage lets Finger play anthropologist of the destination wedding weekend and philosopher on the very big question of love—in this case, the bond between old friends, the promise of new romance, the ties of biological family, and the dynamics of queer chosen family.” —Rumaan Alam, New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind

“Weddings can make us laugh, cry, and examine our own relationships—and so does We Are Gathered Here Today, a funny, heartfelt, and visceral novel about reconnection and true love. From the Texas heat to the self-doubts that haunt everyone in attendance, Bobby Finger's prose captures all the delicious and devilish nuances at play. As the blessed wedding day approaches, the tension builds and then explodes with exquisite satisfaction. No one writes about friendship between queer people with more depth, insight, and biting humor than Bobby Finger. I devoured this book.” —Rasheed Newson, bestselling author of There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood

“With the exquisitely wonderful We Are Gathered Here Today, Bobby Finger layers a trademark wit atop a disastrous wedding weekend, populated with a cast of wayward young people pretending to be much more fine than they really are. The result is pure love: mess and joy and raucous humor all at once. This is a novel so bursting full of life that the only thing you’ll want to do after finishing it is to call your loved ones, get outside, breathe the fresh air, and live.” —Jinwoo Chong, author of I Leave It Up to You

“From the beloved author Bobby Finger, 2026 is gifting us with a brand new novel that follows a recently engaged gay man, and his cousin’s chaotic Texas wedding weekend, with a hilarious, wild cast of characters, and a heartwarming message.” —Queerty

Author

© Elena Mudd
Bobby Finger is the author of The Old Place and Four Squares, and cohost of the popular celebrity and entertainment podcast, Who? Weekly. A Texas native, he lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his husband and cat. View titles by Bobby Finger
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