So, You Want To Get Married? Vermont is the place!

We’ll make your special day truly memorable. Vermont has always been a great destination for adventurers, romantics, and anyone looking for fresh air and picturesque New England villages. But now, it has become a favorite wedding destination for Gays and Lesbians. 

We’ll make your ceremony perfect.

Since the passage of the civil union law, businesses all over the state have rolled out the welcome mat to Gay and Lesbian couples. Whether you want an intimate simple ceremony for you and your beloved, or an extravagant event with several hundred of your closest friends, we provide all the services and products you’ll need. Let the members of the Vermont Gay Tourism Association assist you with all the details of your civil unions. We can help with every aspect of your civil unions needs, from finding picturesque locations to working with caterers, florists, musicians and finding just the right officiant.

What do we need to do?

The process for civil unions is fairly simple. You’ll need to apply for a civil union license at a local Town Clerk’s office. If either of you have ever been married, be sure to bring a copy of your divorce decree. Take the license to a judge, justice of the peace or clergy to get it certified. You must be at least 18 years of age. There is no waiting period for civil unions in Vermont. Blood tests and witnesses are not required. Your innkeeper can help you with the process. 


Vermont’s Role in the Struggle for Gay Marriage.

The issue of gay marriage has become part of the national discourse and Vermont has earned its place in history. Vermont is the first - and currently the only - state to offer civil unions to gay couples. Since the groundbreaking Civil Union law went into effect in July 2000, Gays and Lesbians from all over the world have discovered the real beauty of this small rural state. 

Marriage vs. Civil Unions.

Vermont’s civil union law is a set of laws parallel to the state’s marriage laws. It provides same sex couples all the state-level protections, benefits and responsibilities of the state’s marriage laws. It differs from the state’s marriage laws (for opposite sex couples) because it does not provide the more than 1100 protections under the federal marriage laws. See the Vermont Secretary of State’s website for more information: http://www.sec.state.vt.us/otherprg/civilunions/civilunions.html .

Vermont’s arms are wide open.

Vermont welcomes couples to reap the rewards of their commitment. Currently, Massachusetts is the only state that provides same-sex couples legal recognition under that state’s marriage laws. However, Massachusetts is enforcing an archaic 1913 law that prohibits couples from getting married there, if their marriage is illegal in the couple’s home state. Because gay marriage is not legal in all other states, only Massachusetts residents may marry there. In effect, they have closed the nuptial doors to out-of-state residents.

Vermont has no such law and welcomes couples from every state and indeed every country to come and celebrate their civil union here. Your civil union license once certified by an officiant, will be on record at the town clerk’s office and with the State of Vermont.

If you dream it, we’ll make it a reality!

Photos By David Garten