Pink Wedding Days | Gay Marriage and Civil Partnerships Blog

Once you've announced your wedding, the road to the alter can seem a very long way off but don't underestimate how quickly a year can pass by.  Most couples begin planning their wedding between 12 and 18 months in advance and some will start sooner.  Whenever you start, just remember the sooner the better.  With so much to plan and pay for, your best intentions aren't worth anything unless you actually make a start.  Pick the date and venue and then get going because... getting married on a Saturday? Between May - September? Yeah, so's everyone else. There are only 52 weekends in a year, so when you see something you like - book it! 12 Months or More Before Announce the engagement. This is the fun part: where you can enjoy the thought of being married without actually having to do anything about it. Have a serious chat with your partner about the type of ceremony that you both want: religious? country? Foreign? Themed? Set a realistic budget

We already know that same-sex marriage will be legal in Scotland later this year. This brings it into line with England and Wales and makes it the 17th country in the world to allow gay marriage. It's been a momentous year for gay rights across the rest of the UK. Equal marriage has been a success: one that didn't see the sanctity of marriage eviscerated by men marrying other men or women taking vows with another women.  Couples who were in love had a wedding. Equal marriage has settled some questions, but not all. When we talk of a house divided, then there's no better example of this (both North and South of the border) than the church. On Wednesday, the Church of Scotland began the process of debating whether or not to ordain homosexual ministers. At present, only ministers that were ordained before 2009 and are either celibate or in a declared civil partnership are permitted to practice in the church. In May 2013, during a debate on the issue there were passio

Can you hear the sound of drums & whistles? Has your local Dickies sold out of hi-vis jackets? Is your city centre shutting down for the weekend? Yes? Pride season has arrived and it's been a pretty momentous year for same-sex couples. After all, there was the small thing about same-sex marriage becoming legal. Not that we made a big deal out of it... Of course, pride isn't just about the LGBT community (although, this still dominates) it's inclusive for all. Pride is about tolerance and community and includes everyone, no matter sexual preference, gender, religion or skin colour. And chances are there's a pride happening near you. We've selected a few that we think will offer the best experience and the biggest party. We can't list all of them (literally there's so much going on) but keep an eye on our social media as we'll keep you updated. Unfortunately, there's already been a casualty of the season: Pinkfields Festival at Cuck

We're sorry. We've been so excited about equal marriage that we've sort of neglected civil partnerships. It's ridiculous - we know - because civil partnerships are still the best choice for many same-sex couples. In an attempt to redress our foolish error, we've decided to dedicate this post to civil partnerships and we promise, in future, to not get so carried away with marriage. Forgive us? Legally, civil partnerships do not require an exchange of words; a wedding does. Most couples however, like to say a few words to one another or have a reading prepared. Religious wording isn't allowed in a civil partnership, so it can be difficult to find an appropriate poem or snippet of wisdom. We've selected a few that would make a classic, thoughtful addition to a civil ceremony. These are all now in the public domain, but you should still credit the authors on the day. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte “He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls ar

British Weather is the bane of many events: Barbecues Sport's days Picnics Beach holidays and weddings. You can plan your wedding to the finest detail: auditing the number of peas per plate; pushing all the chairs to perfect right angles; timetabling the reception with German precision. The weather, though? Good luck with that. In a previous post, we looked at when the best time of the year was to book a wedding . We also provided a link to the MET office, so that you could see average temperatures across the UK. That's really all you can do: pick a month and hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. Of course, when you're planning your wedding the thought of torrential downpours in July might seem like the end of the world. It's tempting to say that the wedding would be ruined.  It wouldn't be. Once the big day has arrived, the rain won't matter. It will be no where near as important to you as marrying your partner. So, buy the umbrellas a

. Let’s assume you’re in this dilemma because whoever it is that presents the problem is either on the guest list or you’re thinking about adding them to it. It's a tricky one. Maybe, people who take issue with same-sex relationships shouldn't be invited to a same-sex wedding. Ignorance, after all, shouldn't be an excuse. Yet sometimes, we have to accept that 85 year-old Granny May grew up in a different time. A different world, really . Sometimes Uncle Bob can love you as a person but he might struggle to accept your sexuality.  In most scenarios we can ignore, avoid or dismiss those whose judgement offends or upsets up.   But this isn't the Westboro Baptist Church (hopefully). This is your family. You need to consider: On a scale of mild discomfort to violent bigot - where does this person rank?  If they have ever demonstrated an intolerable level of homophobia, then even if they gave birth to you - no just no . They don't get to go to your

At a wedding it can be difficult to be heard.  By gernhaex (Flickr: Sekt) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons It can be difficult to run to time, too.  All the excitement, drama and sentiment on display: excited guests clumped together barely drawing breath from their conversations; the brides or grooms too love-drunk (or drunk-drunk) to micro-manage the speeches; the Father-in-law doing the lindy hop with gusto on the dance floor; the venue coordinator dealing with a flood in the kitchens... The schedule of a day can go awry. Once the bar is open and the legal bit is done. Why not let everyone kick off their kitten heels, cast aside their waistcoats and have a good time.  Let someone else tie all the details, the arrangements and the timings together.  Sound good? So, who then..? introduces the DJ or band? introduces the speeches? introduces the happy couple? helps the photographer herd the guests into groups? announ

You're married now. .. You've kicked out the guests, popped the balloon arch into splats, drunk the bar dry and staggered up to your room.  What about the flowers ? Throw them into the crowd? Throw them in the bin? Leave them for the cleaners? It's not just the bouquet either. What about the table flowers?The ones that have dressed the room? What about the boutonnieres? Well, we've got a few simple ideas. Why not try them out and let us know how you got on. Dry Them One of the simpler options is to hang your flowers upside down in a wardrobe and leave them to dry. This is ideal if you're going away on honeymoon. Be advised however, that the petals and blooms will look different: smaller and their shape and colour will change, too. Obviously, they will still resemble your flowers. It's not magic. If you put tulips in, then snapdragons won't come out, but don't expect them to be as you remembered them on the day. Give them a good coverin