It was the day Derrick Franklin and Alfonce Reese never thought they'd see - standing before a justice of the peace at Toronto City Hall, as the official declared them legally married.
It's a dream many gay and lesbian couples will be living this week. Toronto has become one of the same sex marriage capitals of the world since the ceremonies were legalized in Canada in June 2003.
And many coming here for Pride Week are taking advantage of the occasion to get hitched while they can.
"We wanted something to say.you are married, and Canada was one of the closest places that we could get that done," Franklin explains as he hugs his new spouse.
The two men have been together for three years, but always knew it was illegal to get married in their home state of Maryland.
But it's not the only attraction for gay couples coming here for the big weekend. Visitors can attend all kinds of special shows aimed at a same sex audience - including a controversial photography exhibit at the Toronto Free Gallery on Queen St. E. saluting gay Muslims.
"You cannot think about having this kind of exhibit in a Muslim country, especially in the Middle East or even in India or Pakistan," asserts photographer Asad Rahman, who is also gay.
He points to a picture of one man that's displayed at the show and shakes his head in sorrow. "His Muslim parents don't know and he's already received hate mail over the exhibit. I know one person. I wanted to photograph him. He's from Jordan. His own brother shot him to kill him when he found out he was kissing other men."
But all that sadness is temporarily being pushed aside this weekend to concentrate on the joys of living and visiting a country where equality is more than just words on a page.
"I never thought to this day that I would have a husband," beams Alfonce.
And he's not alone. Since 2003, Toronto has issued 3,300 marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Half of them have crossed the border from America. And more keep coming.
At Derrick and Alfonce's ceremony Friday, a friend of the newly married couple gave a tribute to his friends. Here's the text of that statement.
As gay men, we are taught very early that love is conditional.
Whether that's true or not, we believe it and give our lives accordingly.
We become slaves to our fears and we think 'if I don't tell them who I love, they'll stop loving me.'
Lurking in the shadows like criminals, hiding our love like some deformed relative, if we ever become brave enough to release ourselves from that prison, many of us lock ourselves in another one.
We tell ourselves 'even though they know I'm gay, I don't have to flaunt it'. We now think 'if they don't see me loving him, they'll keep loving me.' We're still hiding - we're still ashamed.
We are gathered here today in love, in support and in celebration of Derrick and Alfonce.
We love them for who they are and what they mean to us.
We support them as they embark on an incredible journey of love that may not always be easy but will always be rewarding.
We celebrate them because today they stand together, courageously facing the world with their love held high, no longer afraid, no longer ashamed.
Derrick and Alfonce, may God bless this union today and forever that it may foster healthy, beautiful children and joy beyond your wildest dreams."
Seiji Gammage