This is the diary that I have wanted to write since the day I signed up to this site.
I am legally married.
I've been preoccupied so I haven't had the chance to announce it, but I now I get to shout it from the rooftops:
I AM MARRIED.
Please note: no hetero marriages were harmed in the making of this diary.
We've been together for almost four years and we didn't expect to get married this soon. When Idaho became yet another domino falling in the long, slow but steady march towards marriage equality, we didn't question whether we'd do it or not.
In fact, I don't think we've ever had an in-depth discussion about marriage, which may seem like a major oversight to some. It was simply the practical thing to do. We have known since almost day one that we'd spend the rest of our lives together, and getting married was the most reasonable thing to do. We wanted basic rights and responsibilities. We wanted legal protection.
We love each other fiercely, but we didn't consider marriage to be a pronouncement of that love. We simply considered it to be the next logical step.
And then...
I drove to Blaine County and we met at the courthouse. We all had impeccable timing, and my "we" I mean her family. Her mom put a corsage on my shirt. It matched the bouquet that my soon-to-be-wife was carrying.
Her family waited outside while we went into the recorder's office to get the license. They were more than happy to oblige with the license; they seemed quite proud.
My wife, who I'll call "B" (because don't ask) started complaining to me while the clerk fiddled with our paperwork. "They have me dressed up like a goddamn Virginia Ham!" she said. "I thought it was just going to be me and you and they're all here acting like it's a big deal."
The clerk laughed. "I'm sorry," she said. "A Virginia Ham?"
I looked at the clerk and sighed. "The rest of my life. She is mine for the rest of my life."
The clerk laughed. "Good luck with that!" She handed us our papers and we left.
Marriage license in hand, we had to have the whole thing officiated. So we went next door to the courthouse. As I approached the window to the clerk there, she smiled. "I hope you are here to get married."
I beamed. "Yup. Can we get it officiated today?"
She wrote something on a sticky pad and winked at me. "I'll take this to the bailiff. He'll give it to the judge. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to do this."
We all sat in the hallway of the courtroom, waiting.
Finally, after about half an hour, the bailiff, a Paul Bunyan type with a flannel shirt, Wranglers, and an old school star on his chest, walked out of the courtroom. "I hear there's a wedding, here" he said.
We nodded.
"Well," he drawled, "who's gettin' married?"
"She and I are!" I beamed. "We're getting married!"
He smiled. "Congrats," he said. "Th' judge'll be out soon for ya. He's jus' wrappin' up some stuff."
Sure enough, about five minutes later the judge appeared.
He apologized for only having only "old school" vows available and said he was just going to go make copies of those so he could write over them. "Then the three of us will work together to make vows that work for the two of you. How is that?"
So we stood with the judge and re-wrote the traditional vows. Again, no heteros were harmed in the making of this marriage.
B is a pain in the ass, so after the vows were complete she tried to shake my hand. I ignored that sign of false modesty and embraced her.
Then we went back to her folk's house, cut some cake, and celebrated.
I really have nothing left to say, so just enjoy some pics and remember:
I AM MARRIED!!!!!!!
Me on the left, my FIL in the middle, my lovely wife on the right.