With same-sex weddings set to begin in Minnesota, we asked some couples, including people in MPR’s Public Insight Network, to share their plans. Here’s a sampling of what we heard.
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"I proposed to my fiancé (Mark Ceilley) on June 12 while we were on vacation in Orange Beach, Ala.," writes Public Insight Network source Mark Bergaas of St. Paul. "I hired a plane to tow a banner above the beach in front of our resort. Marko is a pet name for him and CB is me. We are both named Mark, so using first names would have been a bit confusing. I was nervous about doing something so public in Alabama, but the people who noticed were very supportive."View full gallery"Because we are an older couple (I'm 59 and Carol is 62), we decided to have a ceremony and reception as cheaply as we could without eloping," writes Public Insight Network source Dianne Star of Minneapolis. This picture of Carol Bulchuck, left, and Dianne was taken Christmas 2012 at Bulchuck's brother's home in Oshkosh, Wis. "We announced our engagement to both families at Christmas last year." (Photo courtesy of Dianne Star)Amy Britain and Sara Hocker at their "spiritual wedding" last year. The couple plans to legally marry in Stewartville, Minn., on Aug. 1, the first day same-sex marriage becomes legal in Minnesota. "The benefits, of course, are nice and I think are fair, but it's probably more in intangible ways that it will change," Hocker said. "I think we'll have the perception, at least on some intangible level, that people take our relationship more seriously." (Photo courtesy of Amy Britain, Sara Hocker)Margaret Miles, left, Cathy ten Broeke and their son, Louis Miles ten Broeke, 5, give a thumbs up during a wedding cake-testing at General Mills in Golden Valley. July 29. Miles and ten Broeke, who will be the first same-sex couple to be married Aug. 1 in Minneapolis joined two other couples to sample cakes for their upcoming weddings. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson)"We will be getting married on August 1. Our anniversary is in December, but we aren't willing to wait that long, especially after waiting over 28 years," writes Public Insight Network source Lisa Vecoli of Minneapolis. Vecoli will marry her partner, Marjean Hoeft. This photo was taken "during our first year together. It was taken in 1985 when marriage equality seemed impossible," she adds."Our 12-year old daughter will be walking us down the aisle," writes Public Insight Network source Katie Wagoner of Coon Rapids, Minn. She will marry her partner Tami Damrow later this year.
I love Tami and Katie. They deserve to be happy and have all of the equality in their marriage that I have in mine. Love ya both and cannot wait to see the pictures. Congrats on your upcoming marriage!
Michael Olson
"I proposed to my fiancé (Mark Ceilley) on June 12 while we were on vacation in Orange Beach, Ala.," writes Public Insight Network source Mark Bergaas of St. Paul. "I hired a plane to tow a banner above the beach in front of our resort. Marko is a pet name for him and CB is me. We are both named Mark, so using first names would have been a bit confusing. I was nervous about doing something so public in Alabama, but the people who noticed were very supportive." View full gallery 
