PHILADELPHIA – In honor of the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day, the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs in collaboration with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, the Fairmount Park Conservancy and the Office of the City Representative is seeking LGBTQ+ couples to participate in a free, unique wedding event for first-time weddings and marriage vow renewals in Love Park. OUT in Love will take place on Thursday, October 11, 2018—National Coming Out Day—giving LGBTQ+ couples the opportunity to have their wedding ceremony or vow renewal take place in front of the iconic LOVE sculpture in Love Park.
Mayor Jim Kenney will deliver remarks and esteemed LGBTQ+ judges will officiate this historic wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, friends, family, and members of the public are invited to celebrate the couples in Love Park with a reception, complete with food trucks and DJ Deluxx and Carl Michaels spinning with Silent Philly.
“We want to do something special to honor Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ community,” said Amber Hikes, Director for the Office of LGBT Affairs. “Being queer and in love is a profound, radical act. It is an act that tears down all social boundaries, an act of choosing to be with the person you love in a world where your commitment is challenged every day, and it is the act of choosing to honor, respect, and stand beside the person you love as you both walk in your truth. On this National Coming Out Day, we are celebrating the love we have for ourselves and our community with this wedding and vow renewal ceremony for LGBTQ+ Philadelphians.”
OUT in Love will take place from 11:30AM to 2PM at John F. Kennedy Plaza (Love Park). Couples interested in getting married at the event must obtain a marriage license in advance. Couples interested in signing up to be married should e-mail a copy of their valid marriage license to lgbt.intern@phila.gov by Monday, October 8. Couples interested in renewing their vows only need to contact lgbt.intern@phila.gov to reserve their spot. Space is limited, so couples are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible before the October 8th deadline.