When the State Supreme Court’s Goodridge decision legalized same-sex marriage in Massachusetts ten years ago, Harvey Soldan and Gary Holt left their home in Riverside, California, for Provincetown, planning to be among those first in line for a marriage license on May 17, 2004. After arriving in Boston, they drove to the tip of Cape Cod, where nearly 400 years earlier the Mayflower Pilgrims first landed in the New World, also seeking freedom.

“Provincetown is the perfect place to get married, whether you’re gay or straight,” said Harvey, originally from Massachusetts. “And that day, May 17, 2004, was such a celebratory atmosphere. There were families, and balloons and kids and dogs and bicycles – normal things. It was just couples and their loved ones celebrating the chance to finally become families. Massachusetts is a revolutionary place, so it was an ideal spot for our revolutionary marriage.”
Harvey and Gary’s own journey to Ptown was followed by many more. By the time the sun set that day, 154 marriage licenses had been filed with the Town Clerk’s office, and in the past decade more than 4,000 same-sex couples have chosen to marry in America’s First Destination.
“Provincetown is defined by its welcoming spirit and history of diversity,” Tony Fuccillo, Director of Tourism for Provincetown said. “And we’re proud that we have become the number one destination for same-sex weddings since Massachusetts made history ten years ago.”

This spring, Provincetown will commemorate ten years of marriage equality with a number of celebrations throughout the month of May, adding to the appeal of visiting this seaside destination before the summer fun heats up.
Join LGBT couples the world over to commemorate this momentous occasion in Provincetown! Here’s our top ten list:

1. Sign an Honorary Marriage Registry
The Provincetown Board of Selectmen will issue a proclamation that will be placed in a commemorative registry outside of the Town Clerk’s office, where visitors can record what marriage equality means to them personally, and their thoughts on Provincetown’s place in the history of the struggle for marriage equality. The registry will later be scanned and placed on the Provincetown History Project website.
2. Witness a Groundbreaking Anniversary
Join one of the couples that filed for a same-sex marriage license in Provincetown in 2004 as they renew their vows on their tenth anniversary of May 17, 2014.
3. Snap a Selfie!
Take a picture of you and your loved one at the specially decorated Town Hall or at your favorite place in Provincetown, and then share on Facebook with @ptowntourism to help create a collage that shows the face of what marriage equality has meant for couples in loving relationships nationwide.
4. Celebrate with Song
Attend a joyous and uplifting commemorative concert on the steps of Town Hall with the Outer Cape Chorale on Friday and Saturday, May 16-17, 2014.
5. Join a Unity Ceremony
Participate in a symbolic unity ceremony at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House on Sunday, May 18, to celebrate a decade of marriage equality in Massachusetts. For more information go to UUMH.org
6. Meet your Future Bride
Visit Provincetown and find your future bride during the Women’s Music Festival on May 3; Single Women’s Weekend, May 16-18; or Women of Color Weekend, May 29 -June 1.
7. Propose Already!
Plan to pop the question and get engaged in Provincetown during the annual festivities and beautiful spring atmosphere that marks the month of May, especially during Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-26.
8. Honeymoon – again and again and again
Whether you’re just married or just looking for a second, third or fourth honeymoon, Provincetown is the place escape! Business Insider just named Ptown second on its list of the top twelve honeymoon destinations for gay couples, besting cities like Napa, California; Tel Aviv, Israel; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and the island of Hawaii.
9. Be Inspired
Experience troves of terrific art by gay and lesbian artists exhibited at one of Ptown’s many eclectic shops and galleries.
10. Run Free
Join your partner with a run to the top of the Pilgrim Monument on May 3 to celebrate the Mayflower Pilgrims’ legacy of freedom and acceptance in Provincetown. The run benefits the Cape Cod Firefighters/EMS Cancer Relief Fund.

Spring in Provincetown means warming sands, kaleidoscope sunsets, and leisurely strolls along Commercial Street. The town’s award-winning accommodations offer attractive prices, and guests are treated like locals as Ptown’s renowned shops, galleries and restaurants open their doors to the sidewalks to welcome visitors.

These are just a few of the reasons that Provincetown was recently rated one of the ten happiest seaside towns in America for 2014 by Costal Living magazine, adding to a long list of accolades in 2013, when Fodor’s Travel, Smithsonian Magazine and others named Ptown one of America’s 10 Best Small Towns to visit, and Travel and Leisure called it one of ‘America’s Most Romantic’ destinations.