Brides looking to tie-the-knot amidst COVID can find inspiration and romance from Vice President Kamala Harris’s intimate courthouse wedding!
As the first ever woman and woman of color to be elected Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris is an icon for women around the world.
Beyond her impressive years of service as District Attorney of San Fransisco, California Attorney General, United States Senator, and now Vice President, Kamala’s romance with her husband, Douglas (Doug) Emhoff, equally captured our hearts.
The loving couple tied-the-knot on August 22, 2014 in an intimate courthouse wedding in Santa Barbara, California. While their wedding day was purposely private and small in size, it was filled with special moments with family and lots of love!
For more details from Doug and Kamala Harris’s intimate courthouse wedding and their love story, keep reading below!
- Couple: Kamala Harris & Douglas Emhoff
- Occupations: Vice-president of the United States (Kamala); Lawyer & first ever Second Gentleman in US history (Doug).
- Wedding Date: August 22, 2014
- Wedding Location: Courthouse in Santa Barbara, California
Quick facts:
- Officiant: Kamala’s sister, Maya Harris.
- The ring: A “simple” engagement ring with a round brilliant diamond set on a platinum band (The Knot).
- The Dress: Golden dress, by a California designer.
- First Dance Song: “Like a Star” by Corinne Bailey Rae.
How they met…
Kamala and Doug first met on a blind date set up by one of Kamala’s close friends, Chrisette Hudlin.
In a 2020 interview by Jessica M. Goldstein for Marie Claire Magazine, Chrisette explains how she first met Doug through work in 2013. By the end of their meeting, Doug had made a great impression on her. However, she officially decided to play matchmaker for the soon-to-be couple after “[Doug] mentioned he’d met [Kamala] recently at a lawyer event” and “said something to the effect of “she’s really hot.””
So, with Chrisette’s influence, Doug reached out to Kamala through text. And then, before their first date, he left a long rambling voicemail (which Kamala ultimately saved and replays for him every year on their anniversary!).
In Kamala’s memoir, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,” she reveals that following their first date, Doug didn’t waste any time! The next day he emailed her, writing: “I’m too old to play games or hide the ball….I really like you, and I want to see if we can make this work.”
And so began their journey to love!
The proposal…
After about a year of dating, Doug asked Kamala to marry him in a simple proposal in her apartment on March 27th, 2014 (Sacramento Bee).
Right in the middle of a conversation deliberating whether to get chicken or shrimp pad thai, Doug suddenly dropped to one knee and asked Kamala to marry him!
Of course, she said yes! And the rest is history!
When you knew they were “the one”?…
From the moment they met, Kamala and Doug knew their relationship was special.
In an article for GQ magazine, Doug expressed: “The moment I met Kamala, I knew I was in love. Not just because of who she is — the warm, funny, and compassionate woman who grounds our family — but also because of the deep resolve with which she fights for the causes she believes in.”
Kamala is equally smitten with her hubby! In a 2019 interview for Now This, Kamala gushes that she “loves [her] husband!”
She adds, smiling: “[Doug] is funny…kind… [and] patient. He loves my cooking. He’s just a really great guy.”
Wedding details…
In an article by Leah Garchik for SFG covering the details of their wedding, the couple wed to the romantic music of a cellist playing in the courtroom. The bride and groom also wrote and recited their own vows to one another.
In a special moment during the ceremony, Kamala’s niece, Meena, read Maya Angelou’s poem “Touched by an Angel,” which ends, “Suddenly we see/ that love costs all we are/ and will ever be./ Yet it is only love/ which sets us free.”
Cultural elements…
While Kamala is of Indian and Jamaican descent and identifies as a Black Baptist, the pair also wanted to incorporate Doug’s Jewish background into their wedding.
So, they included Jewish rituals in their wedding (like “breaking the glass” during the ceremony) and honored Kamala’s Indian heritage by placing a flowered garland around Doug’s neck.
Advice for other couples…
Leading by example, Kamala’s advice is to take your time. There’s no need to rush!
In her memoir, Kamala recalls that “After their second date, [Doug] wanted her to meet his teenage kids, Cole and Ella.” While she wanted to meet them, she knew in her heart it was too soon.
She writes: “As a child of divorce, I knew how hard it can be when your parents start to date other people… so I slowed things down.”
After their third date, the couple decided to “commit to each other for six months, and to reevaluate [their] relationship at the end of it.”
In that time-period, Kamala did meet Doug’s children and within a years time, he asked her to be his wife!
Looking for more inspiration like Kamala Harris’s courthouse wedding?
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omg wow absolutely interesting the story about the wedding of a vice president! she looks amazing! do they have more pictures of kamalas wedding?
Hi there! Thank you for reading and leaving a comment! At this time, these are the only photos we have of her wedding.