Weddings Redefined

Stories and advice from Bernadette Smith, visionary owner of 14 Stories, the nation's first firm specializing in creating legal LGBT weddings. Our weddings are unique, personal, beautiful and still, historical. We have offices in Boston and New York.

DC's First Gay Marriages

Bernadette Coveney Smith - Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Gay marriage has officially come to DC and the first gay weddings took place today.

Three couples married in HRC's national headquarters and the video of their ceremonies is below  Enjoy the gay marriages and fabulous gay weddings to come!



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Applying to Get Married in DC (for same-sex couples)

Bernadette Coveney Smith - Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Same-sex couples are - this very second! - lining up to apply for marriage licenses in DC!

History is being made as the 6th state in the country grants marriage equality.  

Here's the rundown of what you should know!

Hours of Operation - Mondays-Fridays: 8:30a.m.-5:00p.m.

Address
Moultrie Courthouse
500 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Room 4485
Washington, D.C. 20001
Phone: (202) 879-4840

Tips
  • The front door may be crowded but there are two other entrances
  • If you're one of the first 200 couples, you'll get a free cupcake from Hello Cupcake! 
  • Complete and print out your marriage application online before you go
  • Bring cash, at least $35
  • Bring a photo ID
  • There is a 3 day waiting period before you get your license so you can't get married until March 10th.
  • Be patient!  There will be long lines even though they've brought in extra staff to help.
  • Ignore any annoying protesters
Happy gay marriage in DC!  Did you apply today?  What was the scene like?


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Politicians at Gay Weddings

Bernadette Coveney Smith - Wednesday, December 16, 2009
I'm thrilled that the DC Council has approved same-sex marriage.  The next stop is the Mayor's desk, and he has promised to sign it.  Then, if all goes well with the Mayor, Congress has the right to intervene.  Rep. Pelosi has indicated that Congress will let gay marriage go into effect.

This is great news in our nation's capitol.  I'm particularly excited because I'd love to see some Congressmen and women invited to some gay weddings.  You know what happens when people go to gay weddings, right?  

Regardless of their feeling on gay marriage in the past, or their political views, they witness a legal marriage ceremony.  Not a commitment ceremony, not a civil union, but a legal marriage.  This is a big deal, still a historical big deal because there are so few places gay marriages are possible.  And those guests at gay weddings leave and say, "wow, that was the best wedding I've ever been to." Not just because it was a beautiful wedding but because it had this amazing sense of triumph and validation.  It was a real wedding and those guests will start talking about it.

If you are an engaged gay couple in the greater DC area, what should you do?  If you are planning a legal gay wedding in DC, I urge you to invite your Congressmen or woman to the wedding.  With any luck, they'll come and there will be this giant tide of change that will sweep through Congress and overturn that awful Defense of Marriage Act.  That may sound idealistic, I know, but that's how change happens.

With any luck - but it's got to start with you.  

Heck, even if you don't live in DC, you should consider inviting your Senators or Rep.  I'm now wishing we had.

Are you planning to get married in DC when it becomes legal?


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Featured Vendor: Katie Martin/Elegance & Simplicity

Bernadette Coveney Smith - Monday, November 16, 2009
Katie MartinI don't do vendor spotlights much but I really wanted to call out Katie Martin from Elegance and Simplicity.

She's been planning and offering floral design for weddings in the DC area for years and all of her weddings are eco-friendly.  She's a nationally recognized expert on green weddings.  Katie's Executive Consultant Tara is a newlywed lesbian and Katie has already planned a good handful of gay commitment ceremonies.  All outstanding stuff - I'm very impressed what Katie is offering for the wedding industry and for the community and I know that I can learn a lot from her about greening my clients' weddings.

But with gay marriage on the horizon in DC, I wanted to mention Katie as a planning resource for engaged gay and lesbian couples.  She's bringing me down to DC in a few weeks to speak to wedding vendors and engaged couples about gay weddings but Katie's already doing great things for the LGBT community.  I know that DC-area LGBT clients would be in good hands with her and Tara as their planners and floral designers.



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John Schneider commented on 03-Dec-2009 05:21 PM
As one of many vendors who attended your workshop in Washington, DC, I appreciated learning much more than I ever knew about becoming a more-prepared vendor for gay ceremonies, celebrations and weddings in our area. As a human being, I'm thrilled by the decision of the local DC authorities to take a significant step into the new world. And, as caring musician, I'm excited by the possibilities of creating musical memories for life formy new clients. Thank you so much! At the risk of throwing too many words into you blog, I'd like to share an already-familiar poem which everyone should re-read once more:

THE ROAD LESS TAKEN by Robert Frost

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Peace!
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