Same-sex couple becomes 10,000th to get Cook County marriage license

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two men from Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood became the 10,000th same-sex couple to be issued a marriage license in Cook County late Wednesday morning.

It was a big benchmark for same-sex marriage in Illinois. Terry Beauchamp and Tony Aranda walked into the Vital Records office at City Hall just before 10:45 a.m. and walked away with a big prize.

The happy couple won a honeymoon package that includes round-trip flights to Las Vegas, hotel accommodations and a romantic dinner for two. The clerk's office also waived the license fee.

Beauchamp and Aranda have been together 18 years. They met through mutual friend at dinner. After those friends got into a fight, the pair started chatting and hit it off.

The couple said they were completely surprised to receive the 10,000th marriage license.

"We truly didn't expect this at all. We woke up and got the license! And all this happened!" Aranda said.

Aranda was born in Las Vegas, so the free trip will also be a homecoming.

Cook County started allowing same-sex couples to get married on June 1, 2014. So it took about two years and three wedding seasons to reach this milestone.