Queer Soccer Royalty: Sam Kerr, Kristie Mewis, Marta and Carrie Lawrence Ring In New Year With Wedding Vows

Australian striker Sam Kerr and United States midfielder Kristie Mewis were married on New Year’s Eve at a private estate in Western Australia, in a celebration quickly dubbed “soccer’s royal wedding” by fans on social media.

Reporting from LGBTQ+ outlet Go Magazine identifies the venue as Villa Dionysus, a Mediterranean‑style estate in the Swan Valley region outside Perth, with around 120 guests in attendance.

Images shared by Kerr and Mewis on Instagram show Mewis in a sequinned, off‑the‑shoulder white gown and Kerr in a black tuxedo, looks that were widely circulated and celebrated across football and queer fandoms.

Further photos and video clips from the reception show Mewis later changing into a shorter party dress and sitting on Kerr’s shoulders on the dance floor, underscoring the party atmosphere of the night.

The pair’s wedding follows a relationship that became public during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, when images of Mewis consoling Kerr after the United States defeated Australia went viral and prompted widespread online discussion of their connection.

Kerr, captain of the Australian national team and a leading scorer for Chelsea in England, has long been regarded as one of Australia’s greatest footballers, while Mewis has built a decorated career in the National Women’s Soccer League and for the U. S. national team.

The couple publicly confirmed their engagement in late 2023 and welcomed their son, Jagger, in May 2025, later sharing a first family photo that was widely covered in LGBTQ+ and sports media.

Mewis has previously spoken about the importance of being open about their relationship, telling culture magazine Gaffer that she hopes their visibility as “two girls in love” can help even “one or two people” feel more comfortable with themselves and their own relationships.

While Kerr and Mewis celebrated in a highly photographed, fan‑fueled event, women’s football legend Marta Vieira da Silva and former Orlando Pride defender Carrie Lawrence marked their own milestone with a quieter ceremony in Florida.

Out Magazine reports that Marta and Lawrence married on Friday, January 2, in Florida, where Marta has lived since joining the NWSL’s Orlando Pride in 2017.

Wedding planner Janine Closs shared images and comments about the event with Brazilian outlet CNN Brasil, describing the ceremony as carefully planned “with love, sensitivity, and intention” to create a unique, unforgettable day for the couple.

Photographs from the wedding show Marta wearing a blazer, trousers and hat, while Lawrence wore a white dress with lace details, reflecting a more understated but still distinctly personal style.

Marta and Lawrence first met as teammates at Orlando Pride, began dating in 2022 and later announced their engagement following Brazil’s silver‑medal finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Marta again represented her country on the global stage.

Lawrence, an Orlando native whose playing career included the UCF Knights and Orlando Pride, retired from professional soccer in 2024, while Marta continues to compete in the NWSL and is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in the history of the women’s game.

Coverage of the two weddings across outlets including Go Magazine, PinkNews, Out Magazine, Paging Dr. Lesbian and Autostraddle has highlighted how the celebrations collectively bookended 2025 and opened 2026 with a strong show of queer joy in women’s sport.

Commentators within LGBTQ+ media have framed the dual ceremonies as emblematic of a broader culture shift: top‑level women’s football now prominently features openly queer stars whose weddings are treated not as scandals, but as major, celebratory public events.

Writers also note that visibility takes multiple forms, contrasting the highly public, social‑media‑driven festivities of Kerr and Mewis with the more intimate, media‑light approach taken by Marta and Lawrence, both of which affirm diverse ways of being out while maintaining personal boundaries.

For LGBTQ+ fans, especially young queer and questioning people who follow women’s football, the sight of two same‑gender couples — including some of the sport’s most decorated players — marrying with broad support from teammates, clubs and global audiences offers a powerful counterpoint to ongoing discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ communities in many parts of the world.

Together, these weddings mark a notable moment in sports and LGBTQ+ history, demonstrating how love and commitment between women in football are increasingly visible, celebrated and understood as integral to the game’s evolving culture.