Gay Couples Exchange Vows During Mount Rushmore Celebration

MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL, S.D. (AP) — Seven gay couples exchanged vows and another couple renewed their vows Sunday during a group wedding at Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

The celebration of this summer's U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage took place in the amphitheater overlooked by the presidential mountain carving.

Coordinator Nancy Rosenbrahn renewed vows with her wife, Jennie. The couple had married in Minnesota because same-sex marriage was not legal in South Dakota. She says she's happy to finally exchange vows in her home state.

Kevin and Gary Oleson say they're thankful for the great setting for the wedding. Says Gary, "What a place to do it."

A wedding reception held the Adoba Hotel in downtown Rapid City also served as a fundraiser for the Black Hills Center for Equality.

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