November 9th, 2009
 

365 Gay: Living

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi Legally Wed

, AfterEllen.com

America’s current reigning celebrity lesbian couple were officially — and legally — married this weekend.

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi were married tonight in an intimate ceremony at their home in Los Angeles,” their spokesperson told People magazine late Saturday.

De Rossi, 35, wore a backless, light pink dress, and DeGeneres, 50, wore pants, a button-up shirt and vest — all in white, according to US magazine. Both outfits were designed by Zac Posen.

The private ceremony was attended by 19 guests, including DeGeneres’s mom Betty and de Rossi’s mother Margaret Rogers (who flew in from Australia for the occasion). The pair reportedly spent the afternoon leading up to the ceremony laughing and walking “all over the lawn together holding hands and posing,” before exchanging handwritten vows.

Ellen announced her engagement to Portia on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in May to a standing ovation from the live studio audience, the day after the California Supreme Court struck down a ban on gay marriage by ruling it unconstitutional.

Backstage after winning another Emmy for her talk show a few weeks later, Ellen answered reporters questions about the engagement, joking, “Planning a wedding is very stressful. It’s crazy. My gardener is now invited.”

She and Portia also showed off Portia’s new pink diamond engagement ring at the Emmys.

But DeGeneres also spoke seriously about the importance of legalizing gay marriage, telling reporters, “‘I think someday people will look back on this like women not having the right to vote and segregation and anything else that seems ridiculous that we don’t all have the same rights.”

Although the couple did not announce a date for the wedding, news of this weekend’s ceremony was leaked by a few press outlets this weekend, fueling the ongoing media frenzy around their wedding.

E! News has more details about the ceremony in their video coverage of the news:

E! News: “Ellen and Portia tie the knot”

Singer Melissa Etheridge and actress Tammy Lynn Michaels had a much-publicized commitment ceremony in 2003, and Rosie O’Donnell and her longtime-partner Kelli Carpenter were married in San Francisco in 2004.

Earlier this month, actress Heather Matarazzo (Exes & Ohs) announced her engagement to girlfriend Carolyn Murphy.

More high-profile same-sex weddings are expected in the coming months, as couples around the country rush to marry before the courts — or the voters — have the chance to roll back recent advancements in gay rights.


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  • Doug loves you Said: August 18th, 2008 at 6:52 am
    • Ladies may I be the first on line from Indy to wish you both the best and congratulations. Have a wonderful life. With love, Doug…..

  • Ginelle sends greetings from Canada Said: August 18th, 2008 at 8:39 am
    • Congratulations and all the Very Best Wishes to Ellen and Portia. It appears I am second in line, after Doug, in extending my hopes for a long and very happy life together for these two very wonderful ladies. By their making this legal commitment to each other as witnessed by family, loved ones and adoring fans throughout the world, they have stepped up to the plate and proven that love holds no barriers – we are all equal.

  • Joe and Mark Said: August 18th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
    • Many happy years together. Marriage strengthens society. Say no to hate!, vote NO on 8!
      Joe and Mark

  • GayMan Said: August 19th, 2008 at 12:34 am
    • Beautiful. Congrats Ellen and Portia.

      Vote NO on Prop 8 in California.
      Vote NO on Prop 102 in Arizona.

  • Shannon Said: August 19th, 2008 at 12:51 am
    • Congratulations, Ellen and Portia!!! I will be marrying my fiancee in May and I’m so excited for my own wedding as well as theirs :) NO ON 8 all the way!!

  • xandra Said: August 20th, 2008 at 10:39 am
    • Wish you the best and congrats!!

  • finally, from Canada Said: August 20th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
    • Finally some celebs actually break the damn ice.

 
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