03/13/2019
Wedding Ceremonies by Jeff Celebrates its 100th Same-Sex Wedding !
On March 8th, 2019, I was honored to celebrate my 100th same-s*x wedding. It is a fitting milestone since March also celebrates the 9th anniversary of the first same s*x weddings in Washington, DC.
Braden and Randy exchanged personal vows in a private ceremony in their Alexandria, Virginia home. It was such an emotional and joyous occasion - also their personal 19th anniversary.
Their wedding and the 9th anniversary allowed me to reflect on the past nine years since same-s*x marriages were legalized in Washington DC.
My first thought: how amazing to witness the arc of history bend so quickly toward accepting marriage equality nationwide.
I still remember the first same-s*x marriage inquiries. Each call began with the same question “Do you perform same-s*x weddings?” There was both excitement and hesitation in the voice.
Unfortunately, many had contacted other officiants prior to calling me and were met with rejection, homophobia, and in some cases, plain vulgarities.
Today, each inquiry starts with the question – “are you free on this date” – just like any other couple excited about getting married. That is marriage equality.
Some of my favorite memories over the past nine years include:
• Three hours + waiting in line at the DC marriage bureau for a marriage license - in the early days
• The number of gay and le***an couples I married that first summer who had been together for 40 + years
• Watching the fathers of two le***ans walk their daughters down the aisle on a gala New Year’s Eve wedding 2010 – not a dry eye in the house
• The small crowds that would gather around the Moon Gate garden behind the Smithsonian Castle (where I performed many early weddings) and break out in applause when I pronounced the couple legally married
• December 2010, after Congress overturned “don’t ask, don’t tell”. I married so many career military officers that first year
• June 26, 2015 - waiting in the Alexandria, Virginia courthouse clerks’ office for Virginia’s Attorney General to authorize the issuing of marriage licenses to same-s*x couples. The arc of legal history now completed in the United States.
A final footnote. I’m an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC) – a progressive mainline Christian denomination which, in 2010, was the only mainline church recognizing same-s*x unions and allowing its clergy to perform same-s*x marriages.
While gay and le***an couples could have a civil ceremony in DC, gay, le***an, and transgender Christians had few-to-no choices for a Christian marriage ceremony in a church, blessed by the church and blessed by God.
UCC congregations in DC opened their doors to same-s*x weddings. First Congregation UCC provided me privileges to administer the sacraments and conduct same-s*x weddings for couples from around the country. Thank You!
It is appropriate to finish my reflections on this anniversary celebration quoting the motto of the UCC: Unity in Diversity– That They All May Be One.
