• Log in
    Out.comFashionEntertainmentDesignLifestyleTravel & NightlifeOut ExclusivesNewsPrintWeddingsVideo
    ADVOCATEPrideOut TravelerPLUSADVOCATE CHANNEL
    Email NewsletterSubscribeSubscriber Services
    CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
    © 2023 Pride Publishing Inc.
    All Rights reserved
    Out MagazineOut Magazine
    Scroll To Top

    By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.

    Accept

    Just the Two of Us: This Lesbian Couple Built, Decorated Their Own Wedding

    Javy Rodriguez
    | 11/15/20

    Just the Two of Us: This Lesbian Couple Built, Decorated Their Own Wedding

    Whitney Erickson and Heidi Carls wedding photos.

    Though some prefer to have teams and teams of people preparing their nuptials, Mrs. and Mrs. Whitney Erickson and Heidi Carls, who tied the knot on 10/10/2020 in the backyard of their new home in Victoria, Minnesota, decided to do things (mostly) on their own proving that where there's a will, there's a way.

    Carls proposed to Erickson after nine years of being together. The two had already known shortly after they started dating that they wanted to get married, but focused on getting their feet on solid ground first. That meant almost a year of long distance after college and grad school, moving across the country together twice, and finally, settling back in Minnesota together so that Erickson could work while Carls returned to Nursing School. Carls finally popped the question last fall, in Lisbon, Portugal, during a trip Erickson won through work.

    The couple originally planned their wedding for about 150 guests. But once the ongoing global pandemic hit, they had to re-imagine the entire day.

    "The number 1 thing we knew was that we still wanted to get married on our original wedding date of 10/10/2020," Erickson tells Out. "We have officially been together for 10 years this year and didn't want to wait any longer to tie the knot."

    Whitney Erickson and Heidi Carls wedding photos.

    With that one plan in place, the pair set about deciding on everything else. The marriage would happen in their new backyard, having moved in to a home on September 15. That gave them just under a month to pull it all together, meaning they had to be savvy. So, they did it all themselves, preparing and creating all of the decorations. Carls even created their wedding arch by hand. It wasn't until about a week before that they finalized it all.

    "It meant everything to us to get married and we feel so fortunate to live in a country that recognizes same-sex marriage as a human right," Erickson says. "We deserve to have the same benefits as others who marry, and are hopeful our marriage continues to be protected and that those benefits and rights are not taken from us during this time in America."

    All photos by Emily Theisen of Lite Creatives.

    Dsc00286
    Dsc00802
    Dsc00958
    Dsc00618
    Dsc01510
    Whitney Erickson and Heidi Carls wedding photos
    Dsc09078
    Dsc00755
    Dsc09043
    Dsc00720
    Whitney Erickson and Heidi Carls wedding photos
    Dsc01562
    Dsc01510
    Dsc09418
    Dsc09358
    Dsc09405
    Whitney Erickson and Heidi Carls Wedding photos.

    All photos by Emily Theisen of Lite Creatives.

    Latest Stories

    18 LGBTQ+ Shows That Got Canceled in 2023 (So Far)
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    18 LGBTQ+ Shows That Got Canceled in 2023 (So Far)

    55m
    Anthony Bowens
    Fashion
    Badge
    gallery

    Anthony Bowens Stars in Savage X Fenty's Sexy New Pride Collection

    May 26 2023 11:38 AM
    Boomer Banks Reveals Which 'Drag Race' Queen He Hooked Up With (and How)
    sex
    Badge
    gallery

    Boomer Banks Reveals Which 'Drag Race' Queen He Hooked Up With (and How)

    May 26 2023 10:29 AM
    Here's How Hollywood Reacted to the Loss of Tina Turner
    Celebs
    Badge
    gallery

    Here's How Hollywood Reacted to the Loss of Tina Turner

    May 25 2023 1:24 PM
    matt bomer and jonathan bailey
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    Matt Bomer, Jonathan Bailey Look Historically Hot in 'Fellow Travelers'

    May 25 2023 1:10 PM
    LA Pride 2023 lineup
    Music
    Badge
    gallery

    LA Pride 2023 Announces Full Official Lineup of Performers

    May 25 2023 11:44 AM
    Yam Yam on Survivor 44
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    Meet Yam Yam, 'Survivor's 1st Out Gay Winner of Color

    May 25 2023 11:11 AM
    Yasmin Finney; Kit Connor; Joe Locke
    Celebs
    Badge
    gallery

    Here's Where to Follow All the 'Heartstopper' Actors on Instagram

    May 24 2023 5:45 PM
    Drag Race Mexico
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    Meet the Queens of 'Drag Race México' Season 1

    May 24 2023 2:00 PM
    joe locke and kit connor in heartstopper
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    Here Are the 1st Images from 'Heartstopper' Season 2

    May 24 2023 11:45 AM
    Coach's New Pride Collection Is Taking Us to Fire Island
    Fashion
    Badge
    gallery

    Coach's New Pride Collection Is Taking Us to Fire Island

    May 24 2023 10:30 AM
    Kris Kelkar
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    Meet Kris Kelkar, 'Swiping America's Sexy Gay Star

    May 23 2023 3:34 PM
    Lil Nas X; Brandon Flynn; Manu Rios
    Fashion
    Badge
    gallery

    25 Sexy Celebrity Calvin Klein Ads We'll Always Be Thirsty For

    May 23 2023 12:11 PM
    Manu Rios
    Celebs
    Badge
    gallery

    13 Hot Pics of Manu Ríos Looking Stunning on the Red Carpet

    May 23 2023 11:45 AM
    Watch Brandon Flynn Strip Down in Calvin Klein's Sexy New Pride Campaign
    Fashion
    Badge
    gallery

    Watch Brandon Flynn Strip Down in Calvin Klein's Sexy New Pride Campaign

    May 23 2023 10:02 AM
    billy porter and qaysean williams
    Fashion
    Badge
    gallery

    This Designer Recreated an Iconic Billy Porter Look for a Queer Teen’s Prom

    May 22 2023 2:59 PM
    nicholas galitzine
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    Here's the First Look at Gay Monarchy Series 'Mary & George'

    May 19 2023 12:50 PM
    All Stars 8 Pit Crew
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    'All Stars 8's Pit Crew Is Hotter Than Ever With New & OG Members

    May 19 2023 12:45 PM
    Jason Fernandez, Manu Rios, Jose Condessa
    Celebs
    Badge
    gallery

    Here's All the Hot Guys Starring in 'Strange Way of Life'

    May 19 2023 11:21 AM
    Ask a Scientist: Can I Take PrEP and Fiber at the Same Time?
    Health
    Badge
    gallery

    Ask a Scientist: Can I Take PrEP and Fiber at the Same Time?

    May 18 2023 5:45 PM