Skip to main content

Home News News World

Watch the first same-sex couples marry in Florida

By Will Stroude

The first same-sex couples married in Miami-Dade County, Florida, yesterday (January 5), ahead of today’s state-wide legalisation of equal marriage.

Couples in the county were allowed to marry ahead of the deadline for legalisation after a short-notice ruling by Circuit Judge Sarah Zabel means same-sex couples in the county could marry immediately, the Miami Herald reports.

Watch the historic moment unfold below:

Karla Arguello and Cathy Pareto were the first couple to marry in the state after County Clerk Harvey Ruvin began issuing licenses at 2pm.

“It’s been a very emotional year for all of us, and we can’t wait to get married — in about an hour, I hope!” said Pereto before the ceremony.

Jeff and Todd Delmay become Florida’s second same-sex married couple, having initially exchanged wedding rings 12 years ago. The couple switched their rings to their right hands after their marriage became legal.

“We never for a second considered going anywhere else,” Delmay said.

Florida is now the 36th US state to legalise equal marriage.

More stories:
Freddie Fox teases ‘Cucumber’ character: ‘He’s been hard-wired to f**k’
Four erectile dysfunction myths debunked