3 Things you always wanted to know about gay marriage*

On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. According to a 2017 Gallup poll, over 10 percent of LGBT adults are married to their same-sex partner. The result has been a marked increase in same sex marriages. Today, over 60 percent of same-sex couples who live together are married.

With the dramatic rise in same-sex weddings, many of us are attending and even participating in these ceremonies. And some of us have questions.

1. Which church?

In traditional male- female weddings,  the ceremony took place on the bride’s turf: Her home church, her parents’ home or the location of her choosing. But gay couples sometimes have obstacles when it comes to getting married in a church- especially if that church hold conservative views. Today, most same- sex weddings take place at a non-religious venue.

2. Who walks whom down the aisle?

Here again the old traditions are not applicable. For lesbian couples the couple may decide what makes sense in their situation. When there are two grooms, the majority of the couples walk down the aisle together.

3. While the overwhelming majority of couples- straight or gay- cite love and companionship as their top reasons for creating a legal union, same sex couples are two times more likely to cite legal benefits as reason for their bond. Same sex couples were also much less likely than hetero couples to say that they needed to get married in order to start a family.

* and now know!