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Lesbian Couple Says 'I Do' on the Street While Social Distancing

Reilly Jennings and Amanda Wheeler

Their friend officiated the wedding from his window several stories above. 

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A lesbian couple married on the street in New York City on Friday while their friend officiated from a window several stories above in order to social distance during their nuptials. The women, Reilly Jennings and Amanda Wheeler, were set to wed in October but moved up the date fearing that the outbreak could worsen. Their friend Matt Wilson officiated the ceremony, quoting from Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera, as people who were gathered here and there on the street laughed.

"It was the most New York moment ever and was even more special to share with the entire neighborhood in such a scary and uncertain time," Jennings told CNN. "I love this city."

The women planned to marry at the courthouse last week, but they'd just obtained the license when it was announced that Mayor Bill DeBlasio closed the New York City Marriage Bureau until further notice.

That's when Wilson stepped in and let the women know that he's a licensed officiant.

"We texted, 'Wanna marry us outside your window in the next 24hrs?' and he said 'YES!' To that, I replied, 'How about in 90 minutes?' We both finished up work meetings, got dressed, picked up some flowers, and headed to his apartment around the corner," Jennings said.

"We got to share our love with more people than we ever could have imagined. And that's the best part," she added.

Watch the uplifting moment below.

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Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP of Editorial and Special Projects at equalpride. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP of Editorial and Special Projects at equalpride. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.