RALEIGH, N.C. — Wednesday, June 26 marks nine years since same-sex marriage was legalized in the United States. On this day in 2015, a landmark decision by the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples had a constitutional right to marry.
To commemorate the historic day, a new event venue in Raleigh is holding a wedding marathon that’s open to all couples tying the knot.
Karen Clark and Elana Walker are the co-owners of City Hall Boutique Events. They helped spread the word about Wednesday’s wedding marathon during the city of Raleigh’s recent Pride Month events.
On Wednesday, they’re hosting 30-minute long all-inclusive wedding events for at least four couples.
“We recognized that the date was coming, the day that all love was made legal in our country. We thought what a great opportunity with this new venue to give people an opportunity and a space to celebrate their love. All kinds of love,” Clark said.
The venue recently opened on Glenwood Avenue in downtown Raleigh, but Clark and Walker say they have decades of experience in the wedding industry.
They say they wanted to create a space that was affordable and complete with all the things couples might want for their big day.
“You know we are thinking about, OK, how can we accommodate a caterer? How can we accommodate a florist? How can we accommodate photography? How can we make sure the lighting is good? How can we make sure that from every angle the pictures are amazing? That is what I think is different about this space,” Walker explained.
City Hall Boutique Events is in Glenwood South. While they aren’t accepting any more marathon bookings for weddings on Wednesday, they say they’re excited to help couples celebrate in the future.