Beaverton court celebrates marriage equality with free Pride weddings

At the Pride Beaverton, breezy button-downs, brocade vests, and fuzzy rainbow coats weren’t simply fashion pieces; they were wedding dresses for couples who got married on Sunday in a celebration of equality and love.

As part of a national effort by the Oregon Judges Association to designate June as a month of marriage equality, the Beaverton Municipal Court provided free marriages during Beaverton Pride, conducted by Presiding Judge Juliet Britton, for the second consecutive year.

According to Britton, 2025 marked the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling that states may not outlaw same-sex marriage. Another important month for marriage equality is June. The Supreme Court ruled in the 1960s that states could not forbid interracial marriage.

The weddings commemorated two historic cases: Loving v. Virginia, which legalized interracial marriage in 1967, and Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2015.

“That wasn’t always the case, so I’m glad we have it as law now,” Britton added. It wasn’t that long ago—ten years ago. I was truly moved by the gratitude we received last year for celebrating their marriage, which shows how far we still have to go as a global community.

Judge Britton realized the celebration needed to become a yearly tradition after conducting 12 weddings at the event the previous year.

On Sunday afternoon, Kresin and Field’s ceremony was presided over by Judge Juliet Britton.Profenna Chiara

Britton stated, “I wanted to do something special for the community during Pride.” As a judge, I decided to perform at a wedding. This service felt appropriate and a way to let the community know that we support you and want you to have the same rights as everyone else, regardless of who you love.

All officiation expenses were waived for the three couples who exchanged vows on Sunday inside and outside the Beaverton Municipal Court. Festive decorations and a wedding cake were also part of the festivities. Pan and Vawn Schechter, who relocated from the East Coast to Oregon a year ago, were among them.

Vawn Schechter remarked, “We’ve been together for a very long time.” And how much longer will we have this chance given the state of the globe today? It was absolutely natural.

Vawn Schechter and Pan (left) kiss outside Beaverton Municipal Court following their wedding.Profenna Chiara

Pan beat Vawn’s planned proposal by a month and proposed to him just before they left New Jersey.

It was time, Pan Schechter stated, after we had been in Oregon for nearly a year. I am quite happy and it is undoubtedly a fantastic day.

One of Judge Britton’s favorite parts of her job is getting to see each couple’s private moments.

“I’m assisting them in asserting this constitutional right,” she stated. That just means a lot to me as a judge and lawyer. It’s the most enjoyable activity, in my opinion.

Other courts in Oregon have hosted similar activities in addition to Beaverton’s yearly free wedding day. Judges Rachael Federico and Justin Kidd conducted ceremonies at Grand Gesture Books in Portland. Services were conducted in a number of languages, and attendees were invited to dress festively and enjoy cupcakes and cider. Judge Emily Oberdorfer in Tigard waived wedding costs for the entire month of June. The Oregon Judges Association organized all of these events as part of a larger initiative to honor civil rights and provide equitable access to public services.

A mix of recently engaged couples, lifelong companions, and couples like Kora Kresin and Cole Field, who were finally bringing their wedding preparations to fruition after seven years together, attended the Beaverton event.

“Back in 2020, we were planning to get married,” Field remarked. The world sort of ended after that.

The pair was drawn to the opportunity to tie the knot less than a mile from their Beaverton home after seeing an advertisement for the event last year in the mail. They finally made the decision to hold the ceremony this year, even though they had originally intended to wait until next year.

Kresin remarked, “We love our neighborhood.” It was crucial to be within our zip code.

The pair celebrated in front of the Beaverton Municipal Court in Griffith Park, where a few friends and family members watched the ceremony from a semicircle of foldout seats. For the pair, the tiny, unofficial party was the perfect setting.

On Sunday, Cole Field (left) and Kora Kresin exchanged vows in a modest but sincere ceremony.Profenna Chiara

According to Field, I witnessed my sister’s wedding two summers ago, and it was a very lavish event. The fact that it was somewhat smaller made us quite happy.

In an homage to Kresin’s parents, whose own interracial marriage was legalized by the same ruling, Kresin and Field used a quote from the Loving v. Virginia ruling for their opening remarks during the ceremony.

Regarding the court case, Kresin stated, “My parents were an interracial marriage, and they obviously benefited from it.” Therefore, the idea of equality simply jumped out.

Britton expressed her hope that future festivals of this kind might be adopted by additional communities in Oregon.

Britton expressed her desire for every community to embrace the significance and celebration of at least one June day. In my ideal world, everyone, regardless of who they love, would be able to receive services wherever without worrying about criticism.

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Chiara Profenna discusses faith, religion, and cultural ties. You may contact her at cprofenna@oregonian.com or @chiaraprofenna, or 503-221-4327.

The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust supports The Oregonian/OregonLive in its efforts to provide readers with articles about faith, religion, and cultural ties in Oregon. All content is the exclusive property of The Oregonian/OregonLive.