See Photos From Gay, Lesbian Weddings

Here are some photos from Gay and Lesbian weddings you never thought is possible.

By Brides Editors,

We may still have a long way to go to achieve full marriage equality, but there’s no denying we’ve made serious strides. A victory for love, same-sex weddings are currently legally recognized in 29 countries and territories. The Netherlands was the first to turn the tide, passing a law for same-sex marriage in 2001, and the United States was the 21st country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2015 after its historic Supreme Court ruling.

Getting married is an emotional and celebratory affair, but to be able to tie the knot with the love of your life after being denied the right to do so? Now that brings a whole new meaning to the milestone. In every photo below, there’s no missing the joy etched across each newlywed’s face.

From jubilant depictions of love and laughter to more tender moments and sweet feelings of pride, these 62 LGBTQ+ wedding photos are filled with such palpable emotion that you’ll be reaching for tissues.

1. A Wildly Unique NOLA Celebration

“One of the key reasons we chose New Orleans was so we could have a second line parade,” says this couple, who wed in a wildly unique celebration in NOLA. “And it did not disappoint! Parading through the streets surrounded by family and friends was so surreal.” The couple’s grand marshal even rode a pink pegasus unicorn bike with a bubble machine.

2. A Sweet First Look

Even though this couple spent the afternoon exploring Charleston, South Carolina, and getting ready together with family and friends, they still decided to do an official first look. To pull it off, they separated just before to put on their wedding day looks and surprise one another. So sweet!

3. A Meaningful Wedding Location

“Brooklyn is our home,” explains Lilla Goettler of she and Katie Hathaway’s wedding location. “When we started dating, Katie lived in Gowanus, and we’ve never lived far from there since,” Lilla says. After Katie proposed at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood in December 2017, the couple, naturally, decided to host their nuptials nearby.

4. A Walk Down the Aisle Together

Garrett Pinder and Peter Testori married on the steps of a historic home in New Orleans, after falling in love with the city on a trip together. “We walked down the aisle together, which was a really special moment,” says Peter. The couple wrote their own vows, setting a word count to keep them the same length. Garrett used quotes from some of his favorite authors while Peter infused stories of their relationship along with hidden meaning that only Garrett would understand.

5. A Personalized Outdoor Ceremony

Meaghan Garland and Kiyomi McCloskey wrote their own vows for their New Jersey wedding, with Meaghan’s including a piece about how their relationship symbolized the yin-yang relationship. She said, “Similar to the yin-yang, though opposite in nature, its components are complementary: Neither is superior, and one cannot exist without the other. The key to this existence and to our marriage is balanced energy.”

6. A Sunrise Ceremony

“The ceremony was held in the morning with the rising sun glinting off the mountains, which created a magical setting,” says Jeremy Woolf says of exchanging vows with Christopher Slye at 9 a.m. “We chose a morning ceremony to celebrate our favorite time of day. It is a special and spiritual time for us, when we like to enjoy nature and quiet conversation.”

7. A Gorgeous Hawaiian Wedding

“We both decided to write our own vows, which was one of the best decisions we made throughout our wedding experience,” groom Ross said of his gorgeous Hawaiian wedding to Noa. “The writing process was a fantastic moment to reflect on our relationship and realize why we want to spend the rest of our lives together.”

8. A First Kiss in the Desert Sun

This Mesa, Arizona, wedding is just breathtaking, and how sweet is this first kiss? We love their rustic altar that blends perfectly with the natural elements of the desert.

9. A Gender-Neutral Episcopalian Ceremony

For their Charleston, South Carolina, wedding, Emily Lambert and Emerson Hemperley took elements of an Episcopalian ceremony, made it gender-neutral, and added personal readings. “We worked closely with our officiant to create a ceremony that felt like us,” Emily says. “The best part was the reading of Lin Manuel Miranda’s poem ‘Love Is Love Is Love.'”

10. A Celebration 17 Years in the Making

Jarrad and Michael Duggan-Tierney have a chance encounter in Tasmania in 2001 to thank for the start of their romance. Since then, Jarrad and Michael have celebrated plenty of life milestones together, even welcoming a son, Reid, in 2010. But it wasn’t until 2018 that the famous dads—known as “the real dads of Melbourne”—got engaged. For their wedding, the couple landed on a May 11, 2019, date, giving them plenty of time to plan a celebration that was more than 17 years in the making.