[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/real-weddings-shae-and-beth\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/real-weddings-shae-and-beth\/","headline":"Real Weddings: Shae and Beth","name":"Real Weddings: Shae and Beth","description":"Off the Waterfront Even pouring rain couldn’t stop the sun from radiating at Shae and Beth’s Provincetown, Mass., wedding By Sarah Gleim        ...","datePublished":"2011-10-11","dateModified":"2021-06-21","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/#Person","name":"Equally Wed","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/","identifier":787,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/real-gay-weddings_shae-and-beth.jpg","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/real-gay-weddings_shae-and-beth.jpg","height":382,"width":659},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/real-weddings-shae-and-beth\/","about":["Real LGBTQ+ Weddings"],"wordCount":973,"articleBody":" Off the Waterfront Even pouring rain couldn’t stop the sun from radiating at Shae and Beth’s Provincetown, Mass., wedding By Sarah Gleim          Sometimes keeping things small and simple make them even more remarkable\u2014especially when it comes to a wedding celebration. Of course, that\u2019s not to say inviting 250 of your closest friends and family to your nuptials isn\u2019t just as special; that\u2019s the dream of brides and grooms all over the country. But for Elizabeth and Shae Amerson of Clarkston, Ga., what mattered most for their wedding wasn\u2019t how many people were there, but instead who was there and where it was located.After dating for six-and-a-half years, the two women tied the knot on June 22, 2011, in front of just 12 of the most important people in their lives. They met in 2005 while out with friends and agree that the attraction was instant and undeniable. \u201cWe connected eyes from across the room and both knew that there was something different and very special about this person just from the initial glance,\u201d Shae says. \u201cWe have been inseparable ever since and wouldn\u2019t want it any other way.\u201dThen just two years after that meeting, Shae proposed to Elizabeth, despite knowing the two couldn\u2019t legally be married in their home state of Georgia. She wanted the rings and proposal to be symbols of their love and dedication to each other. So while celebrating Cinco de Mayo with friends, Shae got down on one knee in front of everyone and confessed that she\u2019d be honored for Elizabeth to her wife.\u201cIt wasn’t anything huge, but was a complete surprise to Elizabeth,\u201d Shae says. \u201cAnd she said yes … after she stopped crying!\u201d So that same year, Elizabeth legally changed her last name to Amerson to reflect the couple\u2019s commitment.{loadposition easysspshaeandbeth}However, as time went by and the women grew together, they knew how important it was to make their marriage legal. So after careful thought and extensive research, they chose to exchange their vows in Provincetown, Mass. \u201cMassachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage,\u201d Elizabeth says. \u201cAnd it became a quest of ours to share this wonderful place and how the world should truly be with our family and friends.\u201d Vendors: Wedding venue: House, Cape Cod Provincetown, Mass. Reception venue: Victor\u2019s, Provincetown, Mass. Caterer: Victor\u2019s, Provincetown, Mass. Photographer: Helen and Frank Coombs, You Ought to be in Pictures, Cape Cod, Mass. Florist: Wild Flower, Provincetown, Mass. Wedding cake: Relish, Provincetown, Mass. Shae\u2019s suit: Brooks Brothers Elizabeth\u2019s dress: Casablanca Bridal 1959, Wedding Angels, Roswell, Ga.The ceremony was scheduled to be on the waterfront at The Red Inn in Provincetown Harbor, but bad weather threw a wrench in their plans and they held the wedding inside the house they\u2019d rented on Cape Cod instead. But nobody let a little rain put a damper on the day, especially Shae and Elizabeth. \u201cThe day was very rainy and nasty, but for some reason, we felt peace and comfort because no matter what, we were finally getting married,\u201d Shae says. \u201cEven having the wedding at the house turned out wonderful.\u201dEveryone kicked into high gear and began reorganizing. Elizabeth moved around furniture and decorated for the ceremony, while Shae called the vendors to let them know about the location change. \u201cIt seriously worked out awesome,\u201d Shae says.The ceremony itself was very special. The women flew in the pastor of their church to officiate, which brought a touch of home to Massachusetts. Their godparents also were included to light all of the ceremonial candles.Unfortunately, neither of Elizabeth\u2019s parents could attend. Her father passed away in July 2010, and her mother is ill with cancer. In a moment commensurate with the joining of the two families, Shae’s father walked Elizabeth down the aisle to her to \u201cYou Are So Beautiful\u201d by Mark Barrios. During the ceremony, Shae\u2019s father stood by her side, and her stepmother, Vicki, stood next to Elizabeth. But Shae didn\u2019t want Elizabeth\u2019s parents to be left out, so she created a small pendant with pictures of Elizabeth\u2019s parents that she tied to her bouquet of hot pink mini calla lilies and cymbidium orchids so they were at the ceremony with her in spirit.Instead of incorporating a unity candle into their service, Pastor Ray had glasses of red and white wines that eventually Elizabeth and Shae combined into one and drank to symbolize their union. \u201cElizabeth also dipped her pinky finger into the honey and touched it to my tongue and vice versa,\u201d Shae says. \u201cThis represents the sweetness of life, because the Bible talks about how sweet honey is.\u201dAfter the women were legally married, the party moved to Victor\u2019s in P-town, where they held the formal reception, complete with a full open bar and sit-down dinner. They also had their first dance to Keith Urban\u2019s \u201cYou\u2019re Everything\u201d and cut their wedding cake\u2014a two-tier red velvet cake with white frosting.But ask them what they loved most about the day and they\u2019d probably give you several answers. \u201cHow sexy Shae looked when I saw her for the first time and that I was finally getting to marry the love of my life!\u201d Elizabeth says. Shae agrees: \u201cMy favorite part was seeing Elizabeth for the first time and us being presented as wives for life!\u201dHaving a legally recognized marriage\u2014even if it\u2019s not in their home state\u2014was also gratifying. \u201cThere are no benefits for us, but we just wanted to have it legal,\u201d Shae says. \u201cBut most importantly, we wanted to be in front of our closest friends and family in a beautiful setting and that is exactly what we got.\u201d                 "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Real Weddings: Shae and Beth","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/real-weddings-shae-and-beth\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]