AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis County Clerk’s Office is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride month and marking the ninth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision ruling same-sex couples have a right to marriage by offering free wedding ceremonies in late June.
The office did the same thing last year for one day, but has expanded the offering to several days because of the success of last year’s event, the office said in a release.
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges affirmed the national right to same-sex marriage. The same day, the Travis County Clerk’s Office, led by then-County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir, issued 312 formal and 113 informal marriage licenses to both different-sex and same-sex couples.
Earlier that same year, the Travis County Clerk’s Office issued Texas’ first marriage license to a same-sex couple, according to the release.
To honor the anniversary, the office is holding a Marriage Equality Week Celebration and offering free wedding ceremonies on June 22, 24, 26, and 28 at various locations and times.
Couples wishing to marry on one of those dates must schedule an appointment via a form on the county clerk’s website. They must also obtain a marriage license from the Travis County Clerk’s Office in advance to comply with the 72-hour waiting period requirement.
In February 2015, the Travis County Clerk’s office issued Texas’s first marriage license to a same-sex couple. Amid ongoing extreme attacks on the LGBTQ community from the Texas State Legislature, our office remains committed to supporting and celebrating the rights of all Texans, including the right to marry who they love, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression.
Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado
Participating Judges include Hon. Selena Alvarenga, Hon. Andy Brown, Hon. Nicholas Chu, Hon. Laurie Eiserloh, Hon. Bianca Garcia and Hon. Denise Hernández.
More information on the cost of weddings at Travis County courthouses not during Marriage Equality Week can be found online.
The cost may vary depending on which precinct you’re in. For example, in Precinct 3, “All weddings performed on-site or via Zoom require a $200 non-refundable fee to be paid in advance,” according to the Travis County website. Plus, judges can set their own fees, according to the clerk’s office.
However, a marriage license itself costs $81 in Austin, which must be acquired separately.
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