Lesbian Celebrity Weddings
With the Australian Marriage Equality Postal Vote result just around the corner, we thought we would look back at some beautiful weddings of celebrities and sportstars... LOVE always WINS!
Samari Wiley and Lauren Morellis
The couple married at Colony 29 in Palm Springs on 25th March, 2017.
Wiley and Morelli met on the set of the Award Winning Drama 'Orange is the New Black' in 2012. Morelli, a
writer and Producer on the show was married at the time, but the instant attraction she felt for Wiley, made her question her sexuality.
Samira became her confident at this time and, as Morelli explained in 'Out' Magazine in 2016, "through that process I fell in love with her. But I thought, This will be the one that got away. Being with her felt too good to be true."
"I heart you"
On saying I love you for the first time, Wiley recalled,
“I was scared to be the first to say ‘I love you,’ so I did a
little pussy version. I said, ‘I heart you,’ which actually
ended up in one of Lauren’s Orange scripts. I believe
Alex says it to Piper. It felt safer than using the L word.
It’s hard to step out on that limb. I thought I’d just be
one of those people totally in love with her friend,”
"The Proposal"
Morellli proposed to Wiley on a weekend trip to Palm
Springs. She was going to wait til their 3rd anniversary,
but, "Then I thought, What am I waiting for if I
know I want this woman to be my wife and I want to
spend my life with her?.. I was so nervous and terrified
she knew it was coming, but she was so shocked that I
couldn’t get her to stop crying. She was hyperventilating.
I thought, Oh, this is not good. This has gone too far. She
was very clear she’d wait for me to be ready, so to give
her something I knew she wanted so much was incredible.
It was the most magical day of my life."
Both brides looked stunningly beautiful in wedding outfits designed by Christian Siriano.
The ceremony, in Palm Springs, was officiated by Wiley's parents, Christine and Dennis Wiley, who are both Baptist Pastors in Washington.
The newly weds walked up the aisle to Montell Jordan's 'This is How We Do It'
The Wedding
The Reception
Family and friends attended the colourful wedding and the happy couple entered their Reception to Justin Bieber's 'Baby'.
The guests ate under colourful garlands and lights, and the couple's first dance ended with an explosion of confetti.
Erin McLeod and Ella Masar
6th July, 2015
'They wanted to get married. That was enough.'
McLeod was playing for Canada in the Women's World Cup when she proposed to Masar.
Over sushi, she asked her girlfriend by saying, "Most of my family will be here in two weeks. Why don't we just do it?"
"Follow your heart"
American soccer league 'Houston Dash' stars, Goal Keeper McLeod and striker Masar married in Vancouver, in 2015.
The gorgeous couple met when they became team mates in 2013. "We just clicked," Masar said. "I don't think gay or straight - I just fall in love with a person. My parents used to tell me 'Follow your heart'".
"Love will always win"
Masar, who is a committed Christian says these days, her other religion is love.
“The religion I choose to live by is love, that does not mean you or anyone else has to follow. That’s where I understand that everyone is different,”
Although their wedding was greeted with thousands of goodwill messages, they also received some criticism from religious communities.
Writing in 'Pitch', Masar declared,
“Where your words brought tears to my partner’s eyes, for you to prove and share your point, my own reassured her of everything that she is to me,”
“That has always been my deal with Erin — that was my word to her. That love will always win.”
Part two coming soon
Chely Wright and Lauren Blitzer
20th August, 2011
'most amazing woman'
Country singer Chely Wright and Gay Rights Activist Lauren Blitzer married at a family estate in Connecticut on August 20, 2011.
The couple met through their youth advocacy work in early 2010, just 2 weeks after Wright came out publicly.
At the time, Wright told People Magazine, "The freedom of being out and open about who I am allowed me to find and fall in love with Lauren - the most amazing woman I've ever known."
Blitzer, the Author of 'Same Sex in the City' said of Wright, "I feel like a more complete person having her in my life, and I feel so darn lucky to have met the person I am suppose to spend the rest of my life with, the person who doesn’t mind that I am clumsy and break glasses, or drip water all the bathroom floor!"
They proposed to each other and designed the rings together.
Blitzer is Jewish and Wright a Christian so the outside wedding, infront of 200 guests, was officiated by both a Rabbi and a Reverend.
'New editions'
Before the wedding, both Wright and Blitzer revealed their desire to start a family together.
After successful artificial insemination, the happy couple welcomed identical twin boys into the world in May, 2013.
Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi
August 16th, 2008, Beverley Hills, California.
The couple met at an award ceremony in 2004. Speaking to Advocate, De Rossi later said, "Ellen took my breath away. That had never happened to me in my life, where I saw somebody and experienced all of those things you hear about in songs and read about in poetry. My knees were weak."
'Fishy Proposal'
DeGeneres proposed marriage after de Rossi brought a goldfish home from a photoshoot.
Whilst both watching the fish, Ellen asked, "This is a pretty romantic moment, right?" and then presented her with a 3 carat diamond engagement ring.
After the wedding, Ellen said “I think the word ‘love’ is thrown around, like, ‘I love you’ is great to hear, but you want to feel it.
You want to feel that you’re understood, and they know exactly who you are, and they know how to take care of you.”
I can’t imagine not being married. I have my best friend, the person I want to spend time with more than anybody else in the world.”
The wedding ceremony, held at their Calfornian home, was an intimate affair, with just a small group of family and friends and their two dogs.
The house was all lit up with candles and the couple sat on pillows to say their hand written vows. After Portia said her vows, Ellen turned to the guests and said "Wait a minute, that's what I was going to say!". As Ellen carried on with her vows, she began to cry, and they promised to be with each forever.
Their wedding song was Joshua Radin's 'Today'.
Nilla Fischer and Maria Michaela
December 2013
One of Sweden's most successful football stars, Nilla Fischer married psychotherapist Maria Michaela (Mika) in December 2013.
The couple have been trying to start a family through IVF and, after sadly suffering two miscarriages, Mika is expecting their first child any day now.
Melissa Etheridge and Linda Wallem
May 31st. 2014 Montecito, California.
Etheridge and Nurse Jackie creator Wallem were friends for 10 years before they became romantically involved. They began officially dating in 2010
The couple married on 31st May , 2014 on San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California, 2 days after they both turned 53.
They shared their vows infront of friends and family at an outdoor ceremony under an arbor in a lily garden, surrounded by purple and red flowers.
On the day, Etheridge serenaded Wallem with the beautifully written 'Who are You Waiting For' which she'd written especially for her true love.
Wallem jokingly said, "That song destroyed me. It was our vows. I almost broke up with her. It was so overwhelming."
Dewanner Bonner and Candice Dupree
November, 2016
WNBA players DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree met when they became Mercury team mates in 2010.
They hit it off immediately and during the season their relationship began to flourish.
Bonner and Dupree married in Phoenix in November 2016. The wedding was a small modern affair with about 100 guests.
On July 30th. 2017, Bonner gave birth to the couple's twin daughters.
Penny Taylor and Diana Taurasi
May 13th, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona.
WBNA Mercury star Tauras and the Teams' Director of player development, Taylor, married in Phoenix, Arizona on 13th May, 2017.
Taylor said it was “a really great celebration” of the their love.
“We had all of our special people there and felt very special to be able to share the day. It was just perfect ... everything we had hoped for.”
It was during the wedding planning that Taylor's passion for marriage equality really hit home.
Taylor, who was born in Australia said, "I can't get married in Australia. I can't have that celebration and have that seen as equal under the law. I am disappointed, and it's something I've really thought about over the last year."
Martina Navratilova and Julia Lemigova
December 15th, 2014 in New York.
'Proposal'
Navratilova proposed to Lemigova on Live Television during the US Open.
Tennis legend Navratilova married socialite and ex Miss USSR Lemigova in New York on 15th December, 2014.
'gay bar in Paris'
The couple first met in a gay bar in Paris 17 years earlier. In an interview with People Magazine, Navratilova recalled,"We sit down and then there's this gorgeous woman standing at the bar and she's like...looking at me"
Lemigova recalls "I gave this kind of a Russian look to her. Really, it was more like, 'Okay, you are coming to talk to me now.'"
Their wedding was held at the Peninsula Hotel in New York and Brooke Shields and former tennis player Chris Evert were Navratilova'z Maids of honour.
“She’s just a special human being inside and out,” Navratilova gushed about Lemigova. “I love her dimples when she smiles. She’s got a honey voice and a honey personality."
