After five happy years together, Jeremy Greenup and David Spake tied the knot on Oct. 7, 2011, in an evening wedding at the Old Courthouse on the Square in downtown Decatur, Ga. in front of 185 guests.

The Atlanta residents were together about three and a half years before getting engaged. Jeremy says he proposed to David after catching his friend’s bouquet at a wedding in Rome. He bought both their wedding bands, and popped the question to David at his favorite restaurant in Atlanta.

The grooms offered their guests white knots to wear at the wedding to show their support for marriage equality. Instead of favors, guests received the knots, which were attached to cards in their seats which listed the “Top Ten Reasons Marriage Matters,” educating wedding guests about the importance of legally recognizing same-sex marriage. “It was touching to see everyone there supporting us, but showing their support of the cause as well,” says Jeremy.

To get white knots for your wedding or anytime you want to show support for everyone having the right to tie the knot, visit WhiteKnot.org.

Jeremy and David had a traditional wedding. They walked each other up the aisle. The pair chose a judge to officiate, “since we liked the statement that made in the courthouse,” says David. “Jeremy worked with her on the wording and the staging of the ceremony itself. We also had our pastor, Bishop Jim Swilley, make a statement and offer a prayer.”

Jeremy and David wrote their own vows. Once they had read them aloud to one another, they exchanged their wedding rings, which they’d been wearing on each other’s necklaces until their wedding day.

“When we kissed, our guests erupted in applause and cheers. It was such an amazing feeling to know we were married and so supported,” says Jeremy.

Just after they were married, Jeremy and David we went outside to a gazebo and spent about 5 minutes alone together before their wedding party joined them for a few photos. “That was really special,” says David. “We both just took a breath and were like ‘wow.’ It was awesome to have a moment to really connect right afterwards rather than being swept away into the night. Then, while all our guests and the wedding party went to the cocktail hour, our caterers had prepared a special dinner just for us in a private room with flowers and candles, so we had time to eat and be alone.”

David describes the wedding night as “truly the best night of our lives.”

The husbands plan to take their two-week honeymoon in Paris, Monte Carlo and either Italy or Greece in June 2012.

Jeremy and David’s first dance was to Willie Nelson’s version of the Fleetwood Mac song “Songbird.” The grooms incorporated a variety of different types of music into their day. As guests entered the ceremony, they were entertained by a trio playing cello, violin and piano.

“We chose the music selection,” says Jeremy, “but the best part was they played ‘Breathe Me’ by Sia as our wedding party and we entered the ceremony and walked down the aisle. That song is so special to us, so for them to play it was really emotional. I even had the inside of David’s ring engraved to read ‘Breathe Me.’ The trio moved to the lobby and played throughout the cocktail hour as well, which was a nice touch. We had a live band play for about an hour as people finished up dinner. It is a local indie band, Sonen, and they played all their own music—which we love—and a few special requests. They provided very much more of a true rock vibe which was what we wanted."

To keep the reception as party-like as possible, the grooms hired a lively 35-person marching band and three drag queens to walk into the reception with them. The band wore brightly colored costumes and engaged the guests. The drag queens served as MCs and lovingly roasted the wedding party, using notes the couple had provided.

Jeremy and David’s wedding was held during Atlanta Gay Pride weekend. The morning after their weddin, they had what they called a “Survivors Brunch” for about 40 “survivors” from the wedding reception, who all walked through the Pride festival.

The grooms had custom suits made from a local men’s store. David wore a deep blue suit with a bow tie and cowboy boots, and Jeremy donned black tuxedo pants, a black pinstriped blazer, a tie with intricate patterns and Virgin Mary cuff links.

The two grooms hired a lighting company to cast lights in different effects at their reception. The tables were covered with black linens with candles and white orchids on the tables and in all the window sills. In the main archway behind where Jeremy and David exchanged vows and what later became the dance floor was an impressive arrangement of branches with flowering orchids.

“We have both lived in Japan for long periods of time, so we really wanted ikebana-inspired arrangements,” says Jeremy. “The main piece was a large arrangement of branches with orchids on them that anchored the room; it was amazing and totally attention-grabbing as you walked in the room. Everything else in the window sills, buffet, cocktail and dining tables were assorted arrangements of white orchids, bamboo, pebbles and candles. The white arrangements and candles really off-set the black linens and provided a stark contrast, which was exactly what we wanted.”

Jeremy proposed to David with the wedding band he intended to put on his husband’s finger on their wedding day. He bought an identical one for himself, as well.

To signify their engagement, the men wore each other’s silver wedding bands on necklaces until their wedding day.

Jeremy and David held their wedding at the Old Courthouse on the Square in downtown Decatur, Ga.

The grooms chose to wed in their state, where same-sex marriage isn’t yet legally recognized, because it’s where their family and friends are, and this is where they plan to spend their life together. “We decided to have our ceremony where we lived, and demand it be called a marriage and a wedding because for us, that is exactly what it was,” says Jeremy.

Jeremy and David walked each other up the aisle. The pair chose a judge to officiate and also had their pastor make a statement and offer a prayer.

The grooms wrote their own vows. Once they had read them aloud to one another, they exchanged their wedding rings, which they’d been wearing on each other’s necklaces until their wedding day.

“When we kissed our guests erupted in applause and cheers and it was such an amazing feeling to know we were married and were so supported,” says Jeremy.

Assorted arrangements of white orchids, bamboo, pebbles and candles inspired by the couple's travels to Japan decorated the reception.

David and Jeremy’s wedding showcased marriage and its definition. For their save the dates, they sent cards that showed the various dates the legal definition of marriage changed in the United States. “It was to highlight the institution of marriage,” says Jeremy, “and what it means culturally is not a static thing, but a fluid and moving practice.”

The cupcakes, invitations, the programs, napkins and lighting effects during the reception all used the phonetic spelling of the word “marriage.”