Dr Emma Benn and Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn

[nanila]

[The couple jump the broom at their wedding ceremony.]

These two women are the first lesbian couple to be married in Jamaica. You can read their story at Ebony and view the lovely photo set here.

For this reason too, my wife and I jumped the broom as a part of our wedding ceremony. Jumping over the broom symbolizes various things depending on the culture. But in our ceremony, uniting us as two beautiful, Black women, jumping the broom symbolized the hurdle gay and lesbians had overcome for same sex marriage to be possible. When the bill was passed in New York State last year, followed by a historical public acknowledgement of same-sex marriage by President Obama, we knew our wedding became bigger than us. Therefore, jumping the broom on our wedding day symbolized not only the ancestors who were not allowed to get married as Blacks on plantations and who died to make our dreams possible; but that our union and our love for each other as Black Women will be recognized by everyone.

Comments

[ironed_orchid]

Beautiful

[lilacsigil]

This is lovely.

[nanila]

They look so happy together. ♥

[nanila]

It made me a little bit weepy, I must admit.

[alwayswondered]

So gorgeous. *_*

ETA: as sad as I found it that neither bride's mother went to the wedding, Nicole talking about her father made me cry in a good way.

[ajnabieh]

*sniff* So gorgeous.

[nanila]

I hope they have lots and lots of happiness ahead of them.

[nanila]

Yes!

The need to make repeated calls to places that wouldn't host their wedding must have been very emotionally wearing. So glad they found a beautiful location for it.