Couples brave the cold to get coveted wedding reservations
»Play Video
PORTLAND, Ore. - Every year around this time the Portland Parks & Recreation office in downtown Portland gets a whole lot busier.
On the first business day of the year, couples who are getting married in the coming months and want to have a wedding in one of Portland's parks show up before dawn and patiently wait for the date and location they are hoping to get.
"It reminds us of standing in line for concert tickets a long time ago," said bride-to-be Amie Lorisch who was trying to secure a date in early August.
"The date is July 20 and we're aiming for Peninsula Park," said Kym Bradley, who was there with her partner, Jenn Becker. "Hopefully we'll get the gazebo and then sneak into the Rose Garden."
"We're just trying to make it as special as we can," said Becker. "It's important and significant to us."
"We're doing it for the support and the love and the family," said Bradley.
The two women, however, know their wedding day won't end with the same documentation as the other couples they waited in line with on Wednesday.
"We're doing everything that everyone else is doing, but we don't get to walk away with a piece of paper, so it's a little frustrating," said Becker.
Still, they are focusing on the positive as they plan their special day.
"Basically our entire family is coming," said Becker. "Like 80-year-old grandparents (who are) super conservative, excited for us, and my parents. I mean everybody is coming. We haven't had really anybody not be incredibly supportive."
Portland Parks and Recreation has more than 180 parks and gardens that can be reserved for wedding ceremonies and receptions.
Nice! Way to brave the cold for your significant other! My wife and I just got married in Playa Del Carmen Mexico. The parks will be beautiful as well with lots of sunshine that time of year!
Really?
Â
If I had it to do over we would have had a nice pre or post party for the family/friends and a trip to Vegas for the wedding and anyone willing to come (close friends) and then spent the saved money on a nicer honeymoon.
Â
The big church ceremony was really not worth the cost and effort and a longer nicer honeymoon would have been more memorable.
I don't have anyone to marry :( But if I did, I think it'd be really cool to utilize local parks for the ceremony rather than lining the pockets of some private venue (though I've seen some incredible weddings at local private venues), not sure if I'd want to brave the cold for it, but I think there would be something very cool in having a city park be the reminder of your wedding day.
 @pdxd ya never know when it's going to rain, though.
Good for them..! Â I hope they all get really nice spots for their weddings and have long, happy lives together..! :-)
Kym and Jenn, you two are so cute together! Â Congrats on snagging your spot :)
Kym and Jenn, good luck! I hope the Supreme Court grants marriage equality by your wedding day.
This comment has been deleted
 @The Resistance Conceiving babies has nothing to do with marriage, only with who is boinking someone else....or who got donor semen, etc. Don't tie to together procreation and marriage because they are  not connected, though not uncommon experiences in adults (and teens') lives..
 @The Resistance Who people decide to love is not another persons business.  You are entitled to your opinion as anyone else, but it does not mean you are correct.
Â
Like the Beatles: Â "All you need is love" Â EVERYONE is entitled to that. Â No matter of race, creed, sexual preference or physical appearance. Â We are all the same HUMAN RACE.
Â
It's time for a new age way of thinking. Â Let go of your HATE....... Â
 @Silver Surfer I agree, some people like @The Resistance still think the vast majority are opposed to gay marriage. In all honesty, a lot of the times when measures regarding gay rights end up on the ballot people get confused by the wording (ie.a "yes" vote, may mean voting against gay marriage, or a "no" vote means you support gay marriage). Let's just all be equal, how about that?
 @The Resistance Also based on the definition of marriage you just gave, infertile couples and couples who don't wish to have children also should not be able to marry. I think you'll find some resistance to that idea in OR.
 The.  Actually we can conceive (we have the physical ability to), we have the ability to do so and the resources just like any other couple with infertility issues. Its mostly that we chose not to as the world is already vastly overpopulated. My wife and I are choosing to adopt from foster care instead to give kids who don't have a home one. Maybe some heterosexual couples should try that instead of bringing more children into this world, for society to take care of later at some point in life, in addition to the unwanted children already here. Oh I forgot, there are some who say they can't  possibly love what is genetically not their's so instead spend their time lording their ability to conceive over the poor fools that cannot.