In Britain, heterosexual couples are now fighting for the right to not wed, while same-sex partners are embracing the age-old institution of marriage.

In the space of a few weeks, two events have taken place that have come to symbolize how much society’s attitude has shifted when it comes to the importance of saying “I do” — or “I don’t.”

On June 27, a heterosexual couple from London won their legal bid to enter into a civil partnership instead of a marriage. Rebecca Steinfeld, 37, and Charles Keidan, 41, argued that marriage was a staid institution that had “treated women as property for centuries” and was therefore not compatible with their relationship.

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