Left to right, newlyweds LuAnn Cormier and Nicole Cormier share champagne and a smile.

2004 – It’s been almost 9 weeks since gay marriage became legal and so far so good. Thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender couples have been married and with little protest. For the most part, the community in and around Worcester has been supportive. It’s a well known fact that caterers, florists, photographers, and other wedding vendors have seen an increase in business — to their delight. Having recently become a newlywed couple, my partner and I have encountered nothing but well-wishers; people who seem sincere in their congratulations. Granted, we have only been married for two weeks, and one week was spent in Hawaii on our honeymoon. However, we, like so many couples recently married, were already a family — not only in the way we lived but also in the eyes of our friends and family.

We were married on a Friday evening. It was a very intimate event, only 35 guests, family and close friends. It wasn’t formal, but it was very elegant (we had opted to forgo our grand plan of the whole big wedding event, complete with fairy tale Princess Diana gowns). We had a great time, and I have to say that it had everything to do with our favorite people being there. We both thought that we would be nervous, and we were to an extent. Not for the reason that we had thought, imagining people would feel uncomfortable at what we assumed would be their first gay wedding. Rather, we were nervous for the same reasons as any other couple: Do I look good? Is everyone here? Will I remember my vows? If I cry, will my eye make-up run? Many other thoughts raced through our minds, but the one thought that we did not have was: will anyone object?

We come from two very different families and, although they are complete opposites, our families do share one common bond: they are supportive to their gay children and want nothing but for them to be happy. My parents both attended my wedding and, although it was not what they had expected some 31 years ago when I was born, they were nonetheless full of pride and joy. How could they not be? Their little girl was marrying the woman of her dreams!

This was a different type of wedding — with two brides — but our guests did not seem to notice. Instead, they witnessed two people who are committed to each other, madly in love, take vows that would bind their hearts and lives. So, the simple fact that this was a non-traditional wedding did not have any effect on the values and traditions that were placed behind the reasons for such an event. The support that we had from family and friends has given us a strong start as a married couple.

Now that we have returned from our honeymoon, we both have a sense of validity. In some ways it seems as if we did things backwards, what with buying a house, then having two children together, and now finally getting married. This is, of course, not our fault. If we had the option earlier on, we would have been legally married before the house and the kids. Although there has never been any doubt in my mind that I would live to see gay marriage become a reality, my partner and I were not about to put our lives on hold to wait for it. Now that it’s here, we are amongst many GLBT couples who are breathing a sigh of relief. Some of our best friends are getting married, and many of them have children and live in the same welcoming community that we do.

Although the issue of gay marriage remains hotly contested, many people have gracefully set aside their beliefs in support of their friends and loved ones who are celebrating this new life. This has forced some to reexamine their attitudes and they are left wondering what is the big deal anyway? While our friends and family watched as two women were joined as “legally married partners in life,” they were overcome by the same emotions that they surely would have felt if the words “husband and wife” had been uttered instead. Understanding that love has overpowered indifference and prejudice has given us the strength to overcome the challenges that lie ahead.