A wedding or commitment ceremony is a special occasion for a loving couple. Making a donation in honor of their declaration of love is a great way to celebrate their special day, but also a great way to support HRC's work.

To make a contribution in honor of a specific couple's upcoming wedding or commitment ceremony, please view HRC's Wedding Registry below. To make a contribution in honor of marriage equality for all couples, please click here .

Each donation made in honor of a couple's wedding or commitment ceremony will be recognized with a personalized acknowledgment to the couple, as a symbol of their family and friends' love and celebration of their union, as well as, a recognition of your commitment to equality.

If you know the wedding date of the couple, please use the following shortcuts to navigate the wedding registry:
November 2009, December 2009, January 2010, February 2010, March 2010, Spring 2010 Summer 2010, Fall 2010.

Take some time to visit the archives and read the stories of the many, now happily married, couples previously featured on HRC's Wedding Registry homepage.

For questions or to add your ceremony to HRC's wedding registry, please send your name and ceremony date to Weddings@hrc.org .

Kathy and Ellen
November 14, 2009

Kathy and Ellen's anniversary is on October 29, 1988, but the party celebrating their 20th anniversary will be on November 14th, 2009. They met by chance through a mutual friend and shared a dinner at Turzak's Restaurant in Chicago. While the restaurant did not last, Kathy and Ellen have been fortunate enough to share the last twenty years together! While they began as K & E, they've become K, E, J, & C (and Salty, too!). "We've celebrated privately in the past, but finally feel it's time for a party!"

"We are so impressed with the work of HRC in achieving equal rights for families like ours that we would be touched if those we love would help marriage become a reality in Illinois by making a contribution in honor of our anniversary. We hope that by our 25th, we will be able to legally marry in our own state!"

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Eric and Jason
November 14, 2009

Eric and Jason met online on November 14, 2002. They dated for months before making the 'big move.' Eric and Jason helped one another through school, moving multiple times to multiple states, and ultimately landed in Washington, D.C.

Eric and Jason got engaged during a recent trip to Venice. This is their description of that important moment: "On our last night, shortly after dinner and an amazing theater performance, Eric and I took one of our last strolls through the city. There was a light rain falling so we were sharing an umbrella and after discovering a remote, dry corner where no rain could reach us, we sat briefly in silence. It was then that Eric proclaimed his immense joy, love, adoration and admiration for our relationship. He presented an eye-catching band and asked if I would make him this happy forever."

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

John and Rob
November 14, 2009

John and Rob first met in the Caribbean. The ironic part is they only lived about ten miles apart but they had to travel about one thousand to find each other. Life on vacation is very different than life at home under the daily grind and pressures, so they were cautious at first, but they quickly learned that they shared many similar interests and values. Travel was one of them, which was no surprise considering John and Rob found themselves biking in France only a few months later. Other similar interests included good food and wine, their homes, and spending time with friends and family. The common thread running through all these interests was that they showed John and Rob how much they valued the time and experiences they shared, and that each one of them made the experience more valuable for the other. John asked Rob to marry him last September by the sea, since that is where they first met. It was not the Caribbean, but for that moment it was just as nice in their eyes.

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Ricardo and Arturo
November 21, 2009

One uneventful summer evening in 2005, from their respective homes, Ricardo and Arturo decided to kill some time and simultaneously went online to chat with friends and strangers like they had done many times before. Ricardo came across Arturo's profile and struck up a conversation with him.

"During our engagement, we were pleasantly surprised and extremely delighted when gay marriage became legal in California, only to be left disappointed and saddened when the right was taken away. Despite this heartbreaking defeat, we felt that the best thing to do was to continue with our lives and plans as usual, and to make the most of our wedding day regardless of the state's stance. Even though the state of California will no longer recognize our marriage, we thought that it would be a poignant gesture if we made our special day even more significant by honoring equal civil rights. "

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Aurora and Brent
November 28, 2009

Aurora, a city girl from Brooklyn, and Brent, from rural Rhode Island, met by chance at the Brick Store Pub on March 16th (the day after Aurora’s 31st birthday) in Decatur, Georgia. At the time, Aurora was in PA school and Brent was just days before starting his new career in Engineering Sales. Their first date was a hike at beautiful Stone Mountain, a park that still flies the Dixie flag (it’s Georgia after all). Brent persisted and finally, Aurora agreed with some trepidation, wondering if their first date was to be a hike, what would the future hold? They knew early on that their connection was serious. Even though many of Aurora and Brent’s interests were different, they shared the same values. Their differences have become their strengths and they have each grown to love (or in some cases tolerate) each other’s interests. Now nearly four years later, they live far from Dixie in Los Angeles, California where Aurora actually owns a fanny pack, a head lamp, and just bought her first pair of hiking boots. Brent attended his first Opera (Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess), sitting through the entire performance without falling asleep, and he even enjoyed it.

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Joel and Chris
December 5, 2009

Joel and Chris met this summer purely by chance, although they both believe there must have been some divine intervention. It didn't take long for each to recognize that something special was happening between them. Although they come from different backgrounds, both Joel and Chris had some very similar life experiences before meeting one another, which left them viewing the world in the same way. As a good friend told them early on, "You're both looking for the same thing." Luckily, Joel and Chris have found that in each other.

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Thanh-Tam & Hans
January 2, 2010

Thanh-Tam and Hans were New York coworkers and cubicle-mates that fell in love and stayed that way through six years of work, school, and travel. Staying together forever was always the plan, and they are excited about now becoming a family. They hope to eventually add on to their happy cohort of Hans, Thanh-Tam, and cat with more cats and babies!

Thanh-Tam and Hans believe that if marriage is to have meaning, it needs to uphold what it stands for: love. Thanh-Tam and Hans hope you will help improve marriage in our country by making it about real love: freely loving others and enabling others to love freely.

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Melanie and Allison
February 28, 2010

Melanie and Allison met in August of 2005 as medical students from opposite sides of the country, both doing a visiting rotation at the County Hospital in Oakland where - as luck and fate and a little hard work would have it - they are both currently working. They are now together day and night, as resident physicians in the Emergency Department working side by side for long hours, going out to breakfasts and mimosas after night shifts back then, much like now. They had an instant, powerful connection.

"Our wedding is primarily a celebration and testament to our commitment to one another. Yet because California currently does not allow us to legally marry and enjoy all of the protections and rights afforded by marriage, our wedding celebration is also a way to raise awareness and hopefully open the hearts and minds of our community."

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Mark and Laurie
March 13, 2010

Mark and Laurie stumbled (literally) into love while Laurie was visiting Washington, DC on spring break from school in Georgia. Late-night debate about the Constitution was the spark that ignited. Two years and many frequent flier miles later, Mark and Laurie decided that forever sounded like a great idea and were engaged. They both look forward to their March 2010 wedding and to the day when marriage protection is equalized for all, as both agree the Constitution intends.

Mark and Laurie hope that this joyous occasion can serve a greater good.

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Tom and Emily
April 17, 2010

Tom and Emily, who have been work acquaintances for years, had their first unofficial date at a David Sedaris reading in 2005. Emily remembers getting butterflies in her stomach, which seemed - at the time - like a strange reaction to an "undate". Tom remembers loving the sound of Emily's laugh. Emily wasn't at all sure that she wanted to be in a relationship at the moment, but Tom's kindness, sense of humor, intelligence, and pop-culture literacy won her over.

Tom and Emily look forward to celebrating their love and commitment with all their friends and family in the spring of 2010. They are thrilled to register with the Human Rights Campaign, because they believe that marriage is a choice that should be available to all. While they're excited to get married, they are also saddened that many of their friends can't. They hope that their wedding will aide in the visibility of LGBT rights.

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Christopher and Bob
April 23, 2010

Christopher and Bob live in Houston, Texas and met online in 2008. There was an immediate connection that quietly, but surely, grew into a lasting love. After a wonderful year of getting to know one another, Bob proposed on their anniversary. Unfortunately, a state constitutional amendment bans same sex marriages in Texas, so they will marry before a judge in Iowa in April 2010 and then exchange vows in a ceremony back home with family and friends. As they celebrate their love and commitment to each other, Christopher and Bob want to raise awareness about the injustice of marriage inequality in the hopes that some day we may all live and love freely.

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Daniel and Marin
April 25, 2010

Marin became close friends with Daniel's mother, Ana, when they worked together at the American Red Cross. Marin continually declined Ana's profuse invitations to meet her son, worried that any resulting relationship, successful or otherwise, might upset her friendship with Ana. Happily for all, a mutual friend introduced them instead. Today, Daniel and Marin share a home in their beloved Washington, DC, where they will be married.

Having already built a home together, Daniel and Marin can think of nothing they want more than fair and equal laws, which respect all committed couples by providing the same opportunities and protections that they enjoy themselves.

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Jen and Jesse
June 20, 2010

Jen and Jesse met through their mutual friend, Jeremy, while Jesse was still living in Ithaca after finishing his undergraduate degree, and Jen was in Hamilton at Colgate University. Jen traveled to Ithaca for Jeremy's recital dress rehearsal in which Jesse was also performing. Jen and Jesse met that weekend but started dating later that spring. For the next two years, they had a long distance relationship while Jen finished her undergraduate degree at Colgate, and Jesse was working on his masters at UMass.

In 2007, they both graduated from their programs and moved together to Northern Virginia so Jen could begin medical school. Jen and Jesse were engaged on Inauguration Day 2009 after Jesse had spent the entire day freezing on the National Mall volunteering with the inauguration, while Jen was warm and cozy at home studying for a cardiology exam.

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Elizabeth and Jason
August 7, 2010

Elizabeth and Jason are getting married on March 13, 2010 but they are having a large celebration on August 7th. Elizabeth and Jason met through a mutual friend while they both attended law school. After a year or so of seeing each other at parties and concerts, they decided to make a go of their Brooklyn romance. It was the first "serious" relationship for either of them, and Elizabeth and Jason are amazed they got it right on the first try. A short five years later, they have decided to make it official.

"We have always felt very strongly about gay rights; it is an issue close to our hearts and it pains us that not all of our friends and family members currently enjoy the right to get married and be free from discrimination. While we feel that the tide is turning, the march of progress is slow and difficult and we feel it is important to support organizations like HRC which are working to secure equality for all."

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Sharita and Jamie
August 14, 2010

Sharita was visiting her hometown to bury her favorite uncle. The night of the funeral, she could not sleep, so she decided to go online. Sharita remembered a few popular sights that friends of hers had mentioned, so she went to one of them. While in a chat room, she ran across the profile of this gorgeous woman from New Jersey. Since Sharita was not really looking for anything serious, she figured someone all the way across the map was perfect! Sharita and Jamie exchanged numbers and began a simple conversation with each other.

"We were referred to this sight by a friend who also used the registry. Our belief is that marriage is based on love and commitment,regardless of sexual orientation. It is something that should not be decided by a court, but by two people ready to share their lives together. Our hope is that in the near future marriage will be defined as an official commitment between 2 PEOPLE, not to exclude anyone who is ready for that step in their life."

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Jahaira and Bethany
August 21, 2010

Jahaira and Bethany met in 2000 while attending SUNY Oneonta in upstate New York. They became friends while participating in their campus' Gay/Straight Alliance, and have been together ever since. Jahaira proposed in 2003, and they were married on February 15, 2004 in San Francisco.

Due to the rushed nature of their 2004 wedding, Jahaira and Bethany plan to hold another ceremony in 2010, in which their friends and family can attend.

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Joseph and Casey
October 2, 2010

Joseph and Casey met by chance and became good friends as undergraduates at Ohio University in 2001. While Joseph claims that he loved her all along, Casey will tell you that they did not become an official couple until almost two years later.

A couple of polymaths and self-proclaimed music snobs, they are never at a loss for hobbies and interests. Casey is currently a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and is working on her doctorate and on controlling her obsession with mid-century modern furniture. Joseph is a graphic designer, writer, and progressive activist and is hard at work on his air drumming and an advanced degree in meaningless trivia. A perfect pair, Casey specializes in gourmet vegetarian cuisine and Joseph is a master dish-washer.

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.

Stacy and Alyia
October 16, 2010

Stacy and Alyia began as friends in 1999. A first kiss shared in Pittsburgh's beautiful Frick Park on a summer evening was the starting point for a journey of nine years together and on Election Day 2008, Stacy proposed in the same park. Every American will remember that historic evening but to Stacy and Alyia, it was the beginning of more than one new era. On October 16, 2010, they'll marry amidst the autumn splendor of (where else?) the park.

"Although we are thrilled to have our commitment to each other witnessed and validated by those we love, and we know that in our hearts we'll soon be married, neither our home state nor the federal government will recognize our union yet. We look forward to the day when couples like us across the nation can enjoy every blessing that marriage offers."

To read more or make a donation on their behalf, please click here.