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John Lennon and Yoko Ono were married on March 20, 1969 in Gibraltar. Both of them were already in a relationship before they decided to get married. They met at an art exhibition in London in 1966. The rest is history, which presumably also had a decisive influence on the further development of the Beatles.
The decision to get married in Gibraltar was quite strategic. At the time, the country was known for having fewer bureaucratic hurdles and shorter waiting times for marriage licenses than in Great Britain. This allowed Lennon and Ono to get married quickly and easily.
The wedding took place in the Gibraltar Registrar’s Office, a noticeably plain registry office. The ceremony itself was very simple, with just a few guests. Lennon and Ono both wore everyday clothes, Lennon wearing a white shirt and pants while Ono wore a white mini dress with a hat.
Despite these measures, there was of course gigantic media interest. The couple had already caused a stir and demonstrated to the public their close bond over and above all other interests. John Lennon was one of the most famous musicians in the world at the time, and Yoko Ono was a controversial but very respected artist. The press followed both of them every step of the way in Gibraltar.
After the wedding, the couple honeymooned in Amsterdam, where they initiated their now legendary “Bed-In for Peace” campaign. Instead of traditionally traveling and celebrating their own love, they decided to promote the love of peace. The campaign was later continued in Canada. The time in Toronto also brought the first live album by a Beatles without them Beatles highlights: “Live Peace in Toronto 1969” (with the Plastic Ono Band).