Karen Evans Pictures Blog

As the world knows, yesterday was a pretty big day here in the United States as the Supreme Court ruled (finally!) that same-sex marriage is now the law of the land. Facebook was a literal explosion of rainbow flags and love. It was so so joyous. A wedding planner announced that since she was also ordained she’d be happy to perform any ceremonies for couples wishing to marry immediately, and, of course, I chimed in about providing pictures.

So, as extreme fortune would have it, Betsy and Clara took me up on my offer and I met them at the Franklin County Courthouse yesterday afternoon to witness and photograph not only the purchase of their marriage license, but their ceremony across the street with Tim Fulton, the officiant who married them at their wedding just last month.

And, as it turns out, a photographer from The Columbus Dispatch joined us, as well as representatives of The Ohio History Connection (who brought cupcakes to all the couples marrying that day) and another couple whose wedding I ended up photographing as well (and who used Betsy and Clara’s officiant!).

Such a wonderfully powerful day, it’s hard to explain how meaningful this experience was to me and how grateful I was to be able to photograph not one but two weddings on this historic day.

I cannot say it any better than Justice Anthony Kennedy in the closing portion of the majority opinion allowing same-sex marriage in all 50 states, so I will simply paste it here:

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.” — From Justice Anthony Kennedy’s opinion in Obergefell v Hodges, making same-sex marriage the law of the land.

I am so over-the-top thrilled for not only all of the same-sex couples whose weddings I’ve photographed and will photograph, but to all same-sex couples across the country. This is truly a historic day and we should be proud.