Two Women Marry at Midnight in Austria's First Same-Sex Wedding

Right as the clock struck midnight on January 1, two Austrian women tied the knot in the predominantly Catholic country.

Nicole Kopaunik and Daniela Paier got married in a ceremony in Velden, South Austria, public broadcasterORF reported.

According to the Associated Press, the couple, both 37, had been engaged for four years.

Back in 2017, Austria ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, but it did not go into effect until January 1, 2019. Previously, same-sex couples could only enter into registered partnerships, which didn’t grant couples the same rights as married individuals.

Nicole Kopaunik said to PinkNews, “Now, everyone has the chance to decide for themselves if they want a ‘marriage for all’ or if they want a registered partnership."

“That was not the case before. We decided to marry and are happy about it.”

Her bride, Daniela, is adopting Kopaunik’s surname. “We are a family, and will have a family name,” she said.

Congrats to the happy couple!