TOP-LEVEL EDIT: Several wonderful people have started a drive to help us fund our honeymoon. I appreciate this, and I'm not going to refuse whatever help is sent to us. I want to make it clear, however, that I did not ask for this to be done - it was other Kossacks doing it out of the goodness of their own hearts and on their own intiative. If you do not feel comfortable participating, please don't - if you feel your money would be better spent or sent elsewhere, I totally understand and support that. I don't want anyone to feel like they have to contribute. If you want to donate to Equality California, my husband and I are registered there as "Adam and Danny." Whether you want to donate to the fund people have started, or to Equality California, or both, or some other worthy cause - or even if all you can do is click and give mojo to people who need and deserve it - I will count it all as a wedding gift from the good people of this site. (end Top-Level Edit)
As I start writing this diary, it's 9:50 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17th. I've been legally married for seven hours.
It hasn't quite sunk in yet.
I'm a man who has a husband. Legally. Under the law. Recognized by the state.
Equal.
It is impossible to describe what finding out you're equal is like.
Was it the moment when we filled out the license application and got a license, instead of a "sorry, you can't get married because it's against the law for two men to marry each other"?
Was it when we stood before our pastor on the courthouse steps and said "take this ring as a seal on the covenant I make with you today," instead of sitting and watching our straight friends as they said those words and received a new status in return?
Was it when we turned in the completed license and they didn't shred it?
Perhaps it'll hit me when our copy of the marriage certificate arrives. One thing I know for sure, it will hold pride of place on the wall, in a frame, forever.
There were no protesters. We got two or three people walking by giving us dirty looks. Nobody showed up with signs or tambourines or gospel choirs to sing us into shame. It was a party from start to finish.
There weren't many people there throughout the day, but my Unitarian church group gave flowers and wedding cake to each couple married in the morning. There were two before I had to leave to go make my own preparations, and then me and my husband in the afternoon. Apparently it was a quite slow day for marriages outside the courthouse. It looks like many people in my area simply came in to get their licenses.
I almost cried when we said our vows.
I can't think or speak too much yet, because it's all quite overwhelming. When I can figure out how to post photos, I'll do that.
Thank you, everyone who responded to my post yesterday. I'm very touched and quite overwhelmed.
Edited to add: wow, all the great responses AND the Rec list. I'm honored - this is the wedding gift that all you Kossacks have given me. My husband grinned when I told him that our wedding story was on Kos' front page. Thank you all so much!
PHOTOS! Thank you all for the directions. I'm sorry in advance about the sizing, but I can't get that width tag to work - the site keeps saying "width tag is not allowed." Anyway, here's a few photos (and you can look at my Photobucket for more of them with descriptions and stuff):
Outside the courthouse before going in to get our license. I'm the short guy, and my husband is the tall guy with The Hair:
The pastor talking about how historic this is. I was feeling shaky, so the hand-holding wasn't just ceremonial!
Me, while my husband was saying his vows. I think I look like my dog just died; my husband disagrees.
My husband while I'm saying my vows. I think he's beautiful.
The little tent-thing that our Unitarian Church set up for its members. Jokes were made about my husband needing to get far enough into the tent so that he wasn't "wearing it like a hat."
"Take this ring as a seal on the covenant I make with you today..." My husband is giving me my ring...
... and I'm giving him his.
Finally, what you've all been waiting for - the kiss!
I wanted the kiss to go on forever. Unfortunately, he's 6'5" and I can only stand on tiptoe so long before my ankles give out. It was the best kiss I've ever had, though.