Conan O'Brien Officiates Late-Night TV's First-Ever Gay Wedding

On Thursday evening, comedian Conan O'Brien went where no television host has gone before. The talk show host made history by officiating what was late-night television's first-ever gay wedding.

The ceremony, which brought together O'Brien's costume designer Scott Cronick and his partner David Gorshein, took place at New York City's Beacon Theatre. The L.A. Times has more about the couple's vows:

Onstage, the couple exchanged heartfelt vows. "Anyone in the world would be happy to wear one of your designs, but no one is possibly happier than I am to wear your ring," Gorshein said.

"I have only one vow for you. I vow to fill your every day with so much love. Cameras or no cameras, I am here today and I am yours forever," Cronick promised his partner.

At the end of the nuptials, Conan -- who, based on his words, seemed to be legitimately and legally marrying the couple -- said, "By the power invested in me by the state of New York and the Universal Life Church, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You can kiss the groom."

Watch the ceremony, below:

While producers have insisted that this wasn't a ratings plot, commentators have questioned the motives behind airing the wedding event. Best Week Ever's Dan Hopper writes:

All I could think about during this entire ceremony — and this isn’t a judgment, just literally what popped into my head and stayed there — was the Larry Sanders Show episode when Larry and his producer Artie convince Hank to marry his new fiancee on the air to boost ratings. It’s not entirely a linear comparison, because Hank’s wedding itself was a sham whereas Scott and David are actual partners who clearly were going to get married with or without the show, but I just can’t shake the fact that the ‘onscreen talk show wedding’ had already been established as a known, go-to example of a blatant ratings grab back in 1993. Now 18 years after the joke about onscreen weddings, our best talk show host is unironically doing one? That’s a little bit sad, no?

It is important to note that Conan has been taping in New York this week and that this show is a portion of his week-long stint in the Big Apple. Considering his obvious support for same-sex marriage, perhaps this was an opportunity to highlight the newfound legality of gay matrimonies via a televised ceremony.

Either way, the ratings allegations aren't going to dissipate, especially considering that news about the marriage leaked prior to the Thursday night event.