Pink Wedding Days | Gay Marriage and Civil Partnerships Blog

It’s here . It’s actually here . From today, same-sex couples in England and Wales can get married .  Our definition of gender and sexuality has irrevocably changed. We all deserve to enjoy this moment. This isn’t just a victory for the gay community;  it’s a victory for everyone who has ever felt, or dreamt of feeling, the love of another human being. Marriage is about love . It’s not a business arrangement. It   isn't  a religious arrangement. You can’t help who you fall for. If you don't choose to be straight, then why would you think someone chooses to be gay?. Why  shouldn't  people marry the person they love? Straight people are statistically pretty terrible at marriage. Jesus didn’t say anything about homosexuals,                        but he did have a lot to say about love, acceptance, compassion and kindness . The wor...

 Wilfredor [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)  via Wikimedia Commons On Saturday March 29th, gay marriage in England and Wales will officially become a THING. (Not THE thing...which would be something altogether terrifying and directed by John Carpenter). I think we can all agree that it's a pretty big deal. So, if you feel like celebrating.. . In London, Stonewall (The UK’s largest lesbian, gay and bisexual charity) has joined forces with G-A-Y and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to throw Britain’s biggest equal marriage celebration at London’s Heaven nightclub . Celebrations at midnight will follow a live countdown, confetti throwing and (best of all) wedding cake. Doors open at 11pm on Friday 28 th   March and is free to those with wristbands. For more information click here . South Place Hotel will celebrate on Saturday 29 th   with an evening of champagne, dancing and disco. The night is titled “Gay Marriage is Legal – Let’s Da...

By Jon Sullivan [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons The first gay marriages will take place this weekend in venues across England and Wales . To make sure you’re up to speed on same-sex marriage, here’s our quick-fire, need-to-know guide. In 2000, The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage. In the UK , The Marriage Act (same-sex) received Royal Assent in July 2013. Conservative Prime Minister, David Cameron, was a strong supporter for the bill, but had faced considerable opposition from within his own party to see it through Parliament. Public support however, was undeniable. In a matter of months,  Scotland  will become the 17 th country in the world to allow same-sex marriages. In February, The Telegraph reported that a number of British laws (some over 700 years old) were being re-written to reflect the changes in the definitions of marriage and gender. Of particular concern to lawye...

  By Tesmec S.p.A (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 )], For couples living in, or near to, a city or town, it’s worth considering an inclusive hotel package. Gone are the days when city hotels were just generic, utilitarian reception venues. Many now offer complete, affordable and stylish packages that can be tailored to individual tastes and budgets.  Particularly for gay couples, hotels can replace the inaccessible traditions of the church (and the sometimes impersonal setting of a registry office) with a real sense of occasion.  Having a package has its benefits, too. With a simple (and relatively painless) swipe of a credit card you can have the ceremony , the wedding breakfast, the sit down meal, the evening buffet, entertainment and whatever else you need booked at the same time. Many venues will also offer the service of a wedding coordinator. We’ve selected three city venues from our directory to g...

 By U.S. Central Intelligence Agency [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons   Gay marriage is about to become legal in England and Wales . In Scotland the first same-sex weddings are expected to take place in the summer of 2014. What about in Northern Ireland ? There are currently no plans to legalise gay marriage in Northern Ireland . Making it the only country in the United Kingdom where same-sex marriage is unrecognised by the law. Traditionally, there has been strong opposition to equal marriage both in the Northern Ireland Assembly and among the country’s population. It’s a frustrating time for Northern Irish gay couples, and on February 5 th   2014, Gay Star News reported that a number of couples were threatening to sue the Government, but it’s uncertain to how successful this will be. Beyond the corridors of power however, there does appear to be some significant change to public opinion. On February 24 th 2014, the Belfast Tele...

It’s easy to understand the appeal of a country wedding : the scenery, the privacy, the timeless grandeur. Stately homes, manors and country hotels will compliment your big day with the finer details that might seem coldly absent in a more modern, urban setting. They have the space, too, and the opportunity to have photographs taken without crass neon signs, streams of cars and voyeurs watching carrier bag in hand from across the street. A rural venue doesn't just provide the four walls for a ceremony; it provides the sense of setting to create an unforgettable occasion. Below, we’ve selected some of the country venues from our same-sex wedding directory. If one takes your fancy, then feel free to click through to find out more. Lilleshall NSC Shropshire is the location of the stunning   Lilleshall NSC.  Formally the home of the Duke of Sutherland, its combination of inspired original features and extensive gardens is the perfect backdrop to any cer...

 By Ladyhawk Events (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 )], via Wikimedia Commons  Planning a wedding isn't easy. It doesn't matter how simple you intend your ceremony to be, or how intimate you want your reception: at some point it’s going to give you a headache. On the Holmes and Rahe scale (a ranking system of life's most stressful events) getting married is  listed at number 7.  There’s a reason why some people hand it all over to the professionals. So why is planning a wedding so stressful? The devil is in the detail and weddings are notorious for the details; those fiddly little extra things: matching the chair covers to the serviettes; working out who to invite and then where to sit them. It's not so much stepping out of your comfort zone, as setting up an advanced base camp and living there. You'll become a venue scout; interior designer; accountant; stylist; food critic and...

By flickrtickr2009 (Scottish Flag  Uploaded by Smooth_O[CC-BY- 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Gay marriage becomes legal in England and Wales on March 29 th . In Scotland the bill was passed in February with a majority of 87.  It will make  Scotland the 17 th country in the world to recognise same-sex marriage in the law. And...? The bill should come into force relatively quickly with Scottish MPs (SMPs) aiming to rush it through the Scottish Parliament by the end of the year. Speculation suggests that the first marriages could be celebrated as early as the autumn. As in England and Wales , there will be protection for religious groups who will have to “opt-in” to perform gay marriages. Both the Catholic Church and the Church in Scotland say they will not be conducting services. Celebrants will not be allowed to perform ceremonies if their organisation has opted-out of doing so...

By Green Lane (Own work) [GFDL  (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)  or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons From March 13 th 2014, gay couples in England and Wales will be able to register their notice for marriage. This is preparation for March 29th, when the first same-sex marriages will take place. The registration process is very straightforward and identical to civil partnership registration. You can find our post about civil ceremonies here . So, how do you register? Firstly, you’ll need to give notice to a local register office, and the office will need to form part of the registration district that you've lived in for the preceding seven days. So, if you live in Redditch (and who wouldn't want to?) don’t think you can just rock up in Windsor on the day. Ordinarily, you’ll need to allow 16 days to give notice, but there are a few exceptions. For example, if ...

By RELewisJr (Own work)  [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)],  via Wikimedia Commons In less than 30 days, same-sex marriage will become legal in England and Wales.  As a country we should feel proud of the advances made to the gay rights movement at home, but we need to remember that we are not the first to offer marriage equality.  There’s a healthy precedent for it abroad. So, as we enter the home straight, here are ten facts about gay marriage from around the world. Gay marriage is legal in South Africa because preventing it would contravene the country’s post-apartheid constitution. Gay marriage has an 82% approval rating in The Netherlands: the highest rate in Europe. Every member of Iceland’s forty-nine strong Parliament voted yes to gay marriage in 2010. Shortly after this, Icelandic Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir married her own partner and was one o...