In many ways, it felt like a perfectly ordinary wedding celebration. Guests chatted, drinks in hand, admiring each other’s attire, and sharing stories of their journey to the venue. There was an air of excited anticipation, complete with a heartfelt first-dance song and nervous glances at the sky, hoping the rain would hold off.
Thankfully, the weather held. At roughly 9 p.m. on Friday, amidst her electrifying set at the ‘All Things Go’ music festival in Forest Hills Stadium, Queens, Grammy-winning artist Lucy Dacus presided over the weddings of nine couples. A roaring crowd of thousands erupted in cheers as each couple exchanged their vows. Actor Havana Rose Liu gracefully moved across the stage, playing a spontaneous flower girl, distributing roses to the beaming newlyweds.
But of course, in many other ways, this was far from a typical wedding.
Back in July, responding to rising concerns over the erosion of LGBTQ+ rights, Ms. Dacus, who is openly queer, took to Instagram with an open invitation. She sought couples willing to legally tie the knot on stage during her upcoming tour, turning her performances into powerful statements of love and solidarity.
The response, she later revealed in an interview, was truly overwhelming.
Reflecting on the current political climate, Ms. Dacus expressed a poignant sentiment: ‘I wish this felt like a simple, everyday act, devoid of any looming threats to people’s rights. But it’s clear that everyone – myself, the performers, and the audience – is acutely aware that this moment of celebration might be fleeting,’ she noted, alluding to the ongoing public discourse surrounding same-sex marriage.
[Image: Lucy Dacus on stage, playing guitar under the lights of Forest Hills Stadium.]
Lucy Dacus, known for her work with the supergroup boygenius, initiated this unique wedding project through an Instagram post, inviting couples to marry live during her tour.
Yet, despite the gravity of the times, a sense of hope permeated her words.
‘It takes immense courage to commit in this current climate, as it highlights precisely what you are securing,’ she explained. ‘You are explicitly choosing your family, and you are choosing those who will understand you deeply enough to advocate for you through life’s challenges.’
In recent weeks on her tour, Ms. Dacus has made it a tradition to invite couples onto the stage during her performance of ‘Best Guess,’ a beautifully pragmatic song that explores how relationships often thrive on a blend of chance and commitment.
‘The song is essentially an acknowledgment that we can’t control everything, nor can we foresee the future,’ Ms. Dacus elaborated, ‘but we can always make our best, most hopeful guess.’
She reflected on its impact: ‘It has profoundly shaped my understanding of relationships. Paradoxically, the more I accept the possibility of divorce, the more deeply I connect with the essence of marriage.’ She also noted her relationship with fellow musician Julien Baker, a bandmate in the supergroup boygenius, alongside Phoebe Bridgers.
As Friday night approached, the expectant couples assembled backstage. Amidst the vibrant sounds of Ms. Dacus’s performance, her team relayed final instructions. The air buzzed with nervous excitement; couples embraced, adjusted their attire—many chosen in pristine white—and prepared for their grand entrance. Tears of joy flowed freely, even among Ms. Dacus’s dedicated crew.
Huddled together, shoulder to shoulder, with hearts pounding, they resembled a sports team on the verge of a championship game. For these couples, however, the stakes that night were profoundly personal.
[Image: A group of couples in various shades of white, gathered backstage at Forest Hills Stadium, reflecting the festive and personal nature of the event.]
Most couples chose to wear white, adding a traditional touch to the unconventional festival setting.
Among those exchanging vows were Mac Craighead and Frankie Terrone, a charming couple from Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. Their seven-year journey began serendipitously at a drag show featuring Mr. Terrone. Both credit Ms. Dacus’s music as a significant soundtrack to their relationship.
Mr. Craighead, a paraprofessional and drag performer, revealed, ‘The very first love letter I penned for Frankie included a lyric from her song ‘Trust.’’ The couple, both 32, admitted they applied for the on-stage wedding ‘on a whim’ after spotting Ms. Dacus’s Instagram call.
Mr. Terrone, an event producer, lightheartedly quipped, ‘We joked that this was probably the most elaborate way to score an autograph!’
Another pair, Ashley Huynh and Matt Moore, shared a childhood connection, having grown up together in an Atlanta suburb and both playing in the school band. Ms. Huynh, a 28-year-old software engineer and flutist, vividly remembered her first impression of Mr. Moore: ‘Who is this tiny guy with an enormous saxophone?’
Ms. Huynh and Mr. Moore, 27, who works at a trimming store, have been a couple since 2017 and now reside in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. After their August engagement, their original plan was a simple courthouse ceremony followed by a larger gathering with loved ones.
‘This opportunity certainly fast-tracked our plans,’ Ms. Huynh stated, ‘and it turned out to be absolutely perfect for us.’
[Image: Mac Craighead and Frankie Terrone, two men smiling, holding up a white envelope.]
Mac Craighead and Frankie Terrone, from Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, expressed how Lucy Dacus’s music has been a meaningful part of their journey together.
[Image Gallery: Two photos. First, two people, one with short hair and a tattoo, holding hands as they walk backstage. Second, a woman in a black leather jacket kissing another woman in a white dress.]
Among the joyous couples who tied the knot on stage were Alex Escaja and Casey Knepley, and Maria Botero and Bella Langlois, each celebrating their unique love stories.
Maria Botero and Bella Langlois, who also married on Friday, shared their poignant relationship journey. Hailing from Norwich, Connecticut, these two women, much like Ashley Huynh and Matt Moore, first crossed paths in high school. Their bond evolved from friendship to best friendship, then college roommates, before blossoming into a full-fledged romance.
Ms. Langlois, a 25-year-old public relations professional, mused, ‘Funnily enough, we first connected in chemistry class!’
Ms. Botero, 24, a public school employee, became visibly emotional while discussing her relationship with Ms. Langlois, especially as she recounted their experience of coming out as a couple.
‘It was incredibly daunting at the time, but once we did, it simply felt natural and right,’ Ms. Botero explained. ‘Today, with everything unfolding in this administration, it’s a stark reminder of how some view pure love. Being part of a ‘statement wedding’ – with lesbians, by lesbians, celebrating love so openly – feels truly exceptional,’ she added.
As the couples made their way to the stage, a buzz went through the group: Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City, was spotted backstage, awaiting his own cameo. Several eager couples seized the chance to greet him, exchanging handshakes and snapping photos before he offered his heartfelt congratulations and well wishes.
[Image: A woman at the back of a darkened stage, smiling, while two female couples kiss in the foreground, with the audience visible in the background.]
Ms. Dacus personally officiated two of the nine marriages, with a team member handling the rest due to a clerical detail.
With Ms. Dacus and her band striking up ‘Best Guess,’ the couples flowed onto the stage, immediately beginning to dance. They swayed and twirled, gazing into the vast audience, exchanging intimate whispers and soft giggles as the stadium watched. As the song concluded, Ms. Dacus paused her singing, and with her band continuing a soft vamp, she commenced the ceremonies.
‘Are you all ready to be married?’ she asked the collective, her voice resonating through the stadium.
She then produced a paper and read a concise ceremony. ‘Dearly beloved,’ Ms. Dacus began, ‘we are gathered here today to celebrate the enduring love of all these wonderful people.’ She thoughtfully read each couple’s names, allowing the crowd a moment to cheer for every pair.
[Video: Lucy Dacus officiating the weddings onstage, with couples exchanging vows and the band playing live.]
Though their whispered vows were likely lost amidst the enthusiastic band and the cheering crowd, it was irrelevant. The palpable love emanating from the stage reached every corner of the stadium, from the very front row to the furthest reaches of the venue.
Following the mass declaration, Ms. Dacus moved swiftly across the stage, offering personal greetings to each new couple before returning to her mic as her band brought their performance to a close.
As an ordained minister through the Universal Life Church, Ms. Dacus legally officiated two of the nine marriages herself. However, due to an unforeseen clerical hurdle, a member of her management team stepped in to solemnize the remaining ceremonies, with Ms. Dacus proudly signing each marriage certificate as a witness.
[Image: Couples dancing joyfully on stage as Lucy Dacus’s band plays, surrounded by cheering fans.]
As ‘Best Guess’ began, couples streamed onto the stage, celebrating their union with joyous dancing.
[Image: Jessica Bajorinas and Grace Messimer embracing friends outside the venue after their wedding, sharing a moment of post-ceremony celebration.]
Jessica Bajorinas and Grace Messimer shared an emotional hug with friends, continuing their celebration outside after the concert.
Outside the stadium post-ceremony, newlyweds Grace Messimer and Jessica Bajorinas were enveloped in a tearful group hug with friends. One friend lightheartedly confessed, ‘I don’t even know any Lucy Dacus songs,’ before quickly adding a mock apology to Ms. Dacus and emphasizing that she wouldn’t have missed the wedding for the world.
Ms. Messimer mentioned that their mothers and siblings were still inside, enjoying the remainder of the concert.
Regarding their after-party, the couple had delightfully simple plans.
‘Perhaps some ice cream,’ Ms. Messimer concluded, ‘ice cream sounds just perfect.’