Within minutes of the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, Emma Foulkes and Petrina Bloodworth of Atlanta received the first marriage license for a gay couple in Fulton County.

The couple, who have been together for 10 years, obtained their license at the Fulton County Probate Court, then waited outside Judge Jane Morrison’s chambers for a formal ceremony.

As other states legalized same-sex marriage, the couple considered getting married elsewhere. But when they learned the Supreme Court would weigh in, they decided to wait on Georgia.

“You’re so nervous,” Foulkes told her partner as they filed out their marriage license application. “Look at your signature.”

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com