From Love Exile to legal wedded bliss: get your hankies out for this wedding

Tamara and Leriche had a fated meeting in a nightclub in Washington, D.C where they both professed how beautiful the other was on first sight — they each argue that they said it first! They both left with a number on a napkin, the rest was history. (Herstory?)

However, without being able to get married in a country without legal spousal rights, it wasn’t an easy road for these two. For five years, Tamara proposed to Leriche via email every single day. Eventually, Tamara became a Love Exile in South Africa, which allowed Leriche to join her as a legal immigrant. It was in the kitchen of their flat where they got legally married, just between the two of them and their two witnesses.

Their dream of having a ceremony at home finally came true when Virginia passed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. Their U.S. getting-wedded ceremony was just about four years after they had their legal ceremony.

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Photography: Turner Photography Studio

About the Author: Catherine Clark

@enidjcoleslaw @bijouxandbits @bijouxandbits

Catherine Clark loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur babies, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com.