LGBTQ bookstore to hold ‘wedding marathon’ amid SCOTUS hearing on same-sex marriage

A Massachusetts bookstore is stepping in to help LGBTQ couples tie the knot as the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to hear a case that could impact same-sex marriage rights.

All She Wrote Books in Somerville, Massachusetts, announced it will host an LGBTQ “wedding marathon” on August 30 from 1 to 5 p.m., under the banner “Love Can’t Wait Another Day.” The event will offer multiple couples the chance to marry “without the cost or delay of a traditional wedding,” according to the shop’s Instagram post.

“We can’t believe it’s come to this, but the clock could be ticking on LGBTQIA+ marriage rights,” the bookshop wrote online. “We’re not interested in waiting to see what happens, and neither is our community. That’s why we’re creating space for folks to say ‘I do’ ASAP.”

Owner Christina Pascucci-Ciampa is rolling out in-store packages for the wedding marathon. The $500 package includes a private one-hour ceremony with a Justice of the Peace, professional photos, cupcakes, an optional toast with bubbly, a wedding gift from the store, and guidance on replicating legal documents should the right to equal marriage be overturned.

Couples can bring up to 12 guests to witness their vows, or opt for a more intimate ceremony for just the two of them.

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“What matters is making it official while we still can,” Pascucci-Ciampa wrote.

Couples interested in participating are encouraged to reserve their spot in advance and must obtain a marriage license before the event. Information on marriage licenses in Somerville is available through the city’s official resources.

On July 24, former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis filed a petition with the SCOTUS, requesting it to overturn the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

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Davis argues that her First Amendment rights to religious freedom should shield her from personal liability in the 2015 case where she refused to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple due to her religious beliefs. In September 2023, a federal jury awarded the couple $100,000 in damages, and in December 2024, a judge added $260,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs, totaling $360,000.

Even if Obergefell is unlikely to be overturned, many in the LGBTQ+ community remain anxious about their rights, particularly given the SCOTUS’ recent decisions to overturn Roe v. Wade and roll back affirmative action in college admissions.