As Californians wait to learn today whether same-sex couples will again be able to have their weddings recognized by the state, as Judge Vaughn Walker will rule whether to stay his historic decision last week ruling Prop 8 unconstitutional, we at the Courage Campaign (where I work as Public Policy Director) are moving ahead with our ongoing effort to show Americans why the wedding matters.

We’re proud to present “The Wedding Matters” — a people-powered project launched by the Courage Campaign Institute’s Entertainment Industry Equality Team earlier this year. In just one day, 38 videos about the meaning of marriage equality were produced by 119 volunteers on a budget of $1,600.

We’ve been waiting for the right moment to release these videos produced by Valerie Alexander and her phenomenal team of professional filmmakers, editors and volunteers, along with the same-sex couples, friends and family who shared their moving stories of being married in 2008. And now is that time.

That’s why we want you to watch four of the most compelling videos in “The Wedding Matters” collection, each telling a unique story about weddings that happened in 2008, before Prop 8 passed. Then cast your vote for the video you think we should edit into a 60-second Public Service Announcement to be aired across California and the country.

The videos tell real stories, of real people, in their own real words. These are the stories that the right-wing opposition would prefer Americans not hear. And that’s exactly why we’re going to make sure those stories get told.

I don’t want to bias you by showing just one of the videos here, so I encourage you to go view the four videos yourself and cast your vote now!