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Mervis Diamond Importers hosted a wedding near its store March 30 to show its continued support for same-sex marriage.
Mervis Diamond Importers hosted a pop-up wedding in a park near its Washington, D.C. store to support same-sex marriage. (Image courtesy Photos From the Harty)
Washington, D.C.--Mervis Diamond Importers was quick to show its support for gay marriage when legislation came up for a vote by the Washington, D.C. council years ago, and the retailer continues to support it today.
To show that support and to celebrate the seven-year anniversary of same-sex marriage being legal in the District of Columbia, the store hosted a pop-up wedding last week.
Mervis promoted the event on its website and social media page, encouraging customers to enter to win the free wedding.
Kimberly Sullivan and Jonna Mickshaw from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania were the winners, and the couple got married in a park on K Street on March 30.
The event was both in-store and outside, with the party starting inside Mervis Diamond Importers, moving out to the park next door for the ceremony, and then back inside for the couple’s first dance.
The event was totally free for the couple--with the exception of the outfits for the big day--as Mervis worked with Designed Perfectly Events to bring together all the necessary wedding components and find vendors who would contribute their services for this one couple.
Jonathan Mervis estimated the crowd in attendance was somewhere between 50 and 75 people. 
He said the store developed the idea of the wedding because they’ve been hearing more customers say they were concerned about the future of marriage equality laws under the new administration.
“It’s been seven years since marriage equality became legal in D.C., and we’re saying it’s here to stay,” Mervis said.
Since the movement for marriage equality began, Mervis has been a strong supporter of its legality through events, products and its marketing.
When the District of Columbia council passed legislation to allow gay marriage in the district in 2010, Mervis debuted a special line of engagement and wedding rings for same-sex couples, launching the collection with a “coming out” party.
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