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Marriage Equality

The Couple Who Took Down Utah's Same-Sex Marriage Ban Get Wed

The Couple Who Took Down Utah's Same-Sex Marriage Ban Get Wed

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Two of the men who fought Utah's ban on same-sex marriage and won finally celebrate their special day.

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Derek Kitchen and his now-husband, Moudi Sbeity, one of the Utah couples who served as plaintiffs in the successful 2014 lawsuit that overturned the states's ban on same-sex marriage, got the chance to celebrate their wedding day this past Sunday.

The couple, now officially the Sbeity-Kitchens, were wed at the Gallivan Center Plaza in Salt Lake City in front of nearly 1,000 eager onlookers.

The Salt Lake Tribune shared a few moments from the ceremony:


"I commit myself to accept you for who you are whether or not I can fully understand you or comprehend your feelings," Kitchen told Sbeity with a confidence that belied any wedding jitters. "I know that love must be worked for and once achieved, be maintained. I am grateful for the opportunity to love you."

"You are my companion, my fellow adventurer and my fellow risk-taker," Sbeity said, adding that he felt the same butterflies on Sunday that he did six years ago when the pair first met.

Sbeity said his love for Kitchen wasn't defined by any grand moment or gesture, not was it love at first sight.

"There were multiple moments that over time, have proved that you are good for me and I am good for you," he said. "Together we are stronger and can accomplish more. ... I love you."

See more photos from the couple's wedding below.

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