MADISON — Wisconsin history was made as 61 couples were issued marriage licenses by the Dane County Clerk’s office after federal Judge Barbara Crabb overturned the ban on same-sex marriage.
“Allowing all loving couples to marry in Wisconsin is long overdue. To be County Clerk when the federal ruling came down that allowed me to open my office doors to issue marriage licenses to all loving couples, including same-sex couples, is a great honor,” Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell said. “My thanks to the judges, court commissioners, volunteers and county employees who gave their time to make sure that couples who wanted to get a license were able to do so. History was made in Dane County today.”
Advanced planning and preparation facilitated an efficient process as the couples lined up outside the Clerk’s office went through six stations and were issued their licenses. Most couples chose to be married immediately and judges and commissioners who had volunteered to be on call performed ceremonies, many of them on the City County Building steps.
A celebratory crowd gathered, with people handing out flowers, musicians performing after vows were taken and several Madison Police officers providing wedding cakes for a colleague and all the other happy couples who had just been married and the people celebrating with them.
