Chicago’s First Marriage Of 2026 Belongs To A Lesbian Couple From Humboldt Park
Melissa Nunez and Elizabeth Branske made history after winning Cook County’s annual New Year’s marriage lottery and becoming the first couple to wed in 2026.
Featured image by Kelvin Murray via Getty Images
On a cold Friday morning in downtown Chicago, while much of the city was still easing into the new year, Elizabeth Branske and Melissa Nunez were saying some major ‘I do’s.’
The Humboldt Park couple became Chicago’s first married couple of 2026 and, in the process, the first lesbian couple to ever win Cook County’s coveted New Year’s marriage lottery. Inside the Clerk’s Office, surrounded by family cheers and a few happy tears, the moment felt like a welcome breath of optimism heading into the new year.
Two years earlier, Branske rescheduled her first date with Nunez three times before they finally met at Emporium Arcade Bar. The night stretched late, filled with arcade games, flirty competitiveness, and long conversations.
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“That’s just kind of been our whole relationship, just being able to talk to each other and be open and no judgment,” Branske, 27, told the Chicago Tribune.
Nunez, 25, remembered the early days with a kind of wonder. She said she felt like she was “floating on clouds” after that first date and appreciated that Branske saw past her shyness.
Come wedding day, Branske wore a red dress and a sparkling ring. Nunez matched her in a coordinating red sweater. The ceremony was officiated by Monica Gordon, who asked the couple to love, honor, and support one another before pronouncing them married.
“I believe in love. I believe in forever love,” Gordon said. “And I’m looking at you too, and I’m like this is going to last forever.”
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The momentous day came as something of a surprise, even to the happy couple. After they got engaged in September, Nunez entered them into the annual lottery for the first marriage license of the year. With more than 1,000 Chicago-area couples applying, the odds were long. Another couple initially won, then withdrew.
“Another name had been pulled. But a couple hours later we got a call that they had withdrawn and we won,” Branske said.
Officials confirmed Branske and Nunez are the first lesbian couple to claim the top spot since the lottery began 35 years ago.
“I think that’s really cool,” Branske said. “2026 is supposed to be a year of love and prosperity, so I’m excited to see what it has in store.”
“We’re happy, excited to start this next chapter,” she said. “I never thought I’d get married. So to anybody who thinks that way now, remember that it’ll happen.”
