This pride month is especially meaningful, as we mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising which brought visibility to LGBTQ+ issues and the community’s struggle for equal rights. We still face a great deal of discrimination in this world, but no one can dampen the light of love shone from these couples. To honor the sacrifice of every one who has helped the community reach this point, we are highlighting 50 moments of pure queer love and joy from past Catalyst couples. Thank you for sharing your love and light with us and the world!

Atlanta, Georgia is known for its “City in the Forest” vibe, amazing music, and, don’t forget, peaches! It also landed at number THREE on the best places to get married in the U.S. It’s not surprising — there’s a place for any kind of wedding. It’s also easily accessible via train, air, or major highways, which is a big factor for those with out of town guests!

Many couples want to close out their wedding day with a fiery bang. Unfortunately, sparkler exits are often more hazardous than fun, and for the safety of your friends, family, and paid wedding vendors, it might be time to say farewell to this tradition.

7 ways to mitigate the frivolity of planning a big-ass party when neo-Nazis are marching, the planet is melting, and POTUS is leading the Confederate States of America with “alternative facts.”

We met in January of 2014 while attending Tuskegee University. I was apart of the Golden Voices Choir, and Darius was apart of the ROTC program. I was asked to sing the national anthem at their battalion by one of the members in the choir who also happened to be in the ROTC program. When I arrived to the program, out of everyone in uniform Darius stood out the most. He was standing up tall and had a huge grin on his face. I then asked my friend who he was, and she was clueless, especially on his relationship status. So then the investigation began. As she returned with answers she said, “He is single and will be talking to you after the program.” My body flooded with nerves, excitement, and acute nausea.

Our ceremony was, and is, the most meaningful aspect of our wedding for the both of us. Lauren wrote the whole thing. (Amanda: I would love to take even partial credit for it, but I can't. I contributed maybe ten words total. The rest of the time she just read me what she wrote while I cried. Good tears, obviously.) We loved that our vows were written to reflect our lives together—our joys, our struggles, our shared experiences—but it was also important that we each repeated those same vows to one another

Amanda and Lauren met about seven years ago when they were both teaching in Mississippi. They became fast friends and were friends for several months before they realized and admitted that they were crazy about each other.