Pink Wedding Days | Gay Marriage and Civil Partnerships Blog

Planning a wedding is hard .  It probably always has been, but there’s something about having a modern wedding that seems to be more, well , theatre than anything else. You’ve seen the YouTube clips of elaborate first dances , singing waiters forming flash mobs , and speeches rapped by bridesmaids . I remember when a wedding went something like this: a ceremony, a sit-down meal, a buffet and a dance to Dexys Midnight Runners  and all before the bar shut at 11. Times have changed . Perhaps guests do have higher expectations, or maybe couples just have higher hopes for their own day.  Whatever it is, a wedding that stands out is something we all aspire to have (and to attend). As if planning a wedding wasn’t difficult enough, now you’ve got to plan for “fun”, too.  Fortunately, we know someone who’ll be perfect for you big day.  If you’re in the South East of England , then you really need to hear about Neil Devlin Magic ....

Australia’s same-sex marriage debate looks set to rattle on for some time now. Sadly, 2015 will not be the year that gay marriage becomes legal down under .  There’s an election to get through first, but there’s hope . 2015 was, after all, the year in which the Republic of Ireland voted YES to gay marriage. And that victory came from a country that only legalised divorce in the mid-90s. Australia will legalise same-sex marriage; we absolutely genuinely believe that, but it just won’t be done right now . Our money says 2016 , but we’ll see. Here at Pink Wedding Days , we’re not exactly *ahem* high-brow, but we thought we’d pass this scholarly article onto our readers. Gordon Waitt has written a short article for Australian Geographer about the shortfalls on both sides of the Australian same-sex marriage debate. His suggestion seems to be that neither side is willing to consider a way beyond the institution of marriage , and ...

According to the country's Justice Minister, the first same-sex weddings could take place in Ireland by the end of 2015. The result of the referendum in May was a resounding YES , but delays in the Appeal's Court has already set the new legislation back by weeks.  This latest announcement , however, could be a sign that things are about to start moving, and It'll be a relief for those couples  waiting  to say 'I do'.   Once there's the go ahead, then couples will be able to register their notice for marriage ; the first marriages will be three months after that (the current notice period in the Republic of Ireland ).  As you can imagine, the window of opportunity for seeing same-sex weddings in 2015 gets smaller each day.  Getting legislation into law can often feel  glacial  at best. probably the only thing slower is the  evolution of  religious morality  but that's another story... The first marriages ...

Are you struggling to find your fairy tale venue in Oxfordshire? Well, we fancy ourselves as something of a fairy Godmother, so we just had to tell you about Heythrop Park Resort in Chipping Norton , Oxfordshire.  Image Owned by Heythrop Park Built in 1703 , this grade II listed mansion will certainly make a grand statement in any ceremony. Situated in 440 acres, it combines space, scenery and grandeur and can be hired exclusively for your event. Heythrop Park does, however, offer a reception room for smaller parties , too. They have a number of suites that you can choose from if you’re happier in a more intimate setting.  We’re confident that you’ll fall in love with Heythrop House the moment you step inside. Why not give them a call and arrange a viewing? If you’d like to find out more (or to view more venues), then visit the Pink Wedding Days website by clicking here . 

If you’re struggling to kick start your wedding plans, then what could be more inspiring than a personal consultation with celebrity wedding planner Mark Niemierko and a night at Brighton’s Hotel du Vin . Southbank Centre’s Big Wedding Weekend and The Gay Wedding Guide are offering one lucky couple the chance to do all of the above, and you can enter by clicking here.    Good luck!

Chances are that you’ve been to a wedding in the last twelve months. Statistics might suggest that marriage is on the decline, but it doesn’t always feel that way. Having just accepted invitations for  4 weddings in 2016, I’m highly dubious as to how much the declining figures apply to me.  And a lot of you probably feel the same. We’ve written before about the rising costs of getting married . We’ve written, too, about the rising cost of attending as a guest , but it’s worth revisiting the subject.  Credit expert Experian  have released the results of a survey that suggest couples are turning down invitations because they cannot afford to attend.  After all, couples pay  double the amount each. In the past we’ve lamented with our fellow singletons about sitting alone or not having a plus one, but there will be a greater cost involved when you attend a wedding as a couple; it’s especially true for same-sex couples ...

A slice of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s wedding cake was bought by an unnamed bidder at auction in Lewes this week. Made in 1947 , the slice of cake made £500 and is still wrapped in its original parchment and box. According to the BBC, the cake is still edible due to the high alcohol content (high enough to last 68 years...). The bidder is believed to be based in Los Angeles.  There was a similar story in the news last week when a couple from New York , married for 60 years, admitted to celebrating each anniversary by eating a small piece of their wedding cake. They maintain that all the cake needs is a drop of brandy to keep it moist. After they’ve taken their slice, the cake is then stored in a metal tin in the cupboard. I l ove cake , but I'm not sure that I could be convinced to try cake that was that old -- would you?

I try to contribute to some of the bridal requests on Facebook. You might have seen them. If you follow Confetti’s page or if you use their forum, then you’ll definitely have seen them. It seems there are a lot of brides in need of cold showers, a slap around the face and a whiskey  help and advice.  I’ve never had to plan a wedding , but I’ve been around enough people who have to know that things can get a little crazy. The small things that wouldn’t have phased a person six months ago suddenly become a life or death dilemma.  And have you ever tried to tell a bride to calm down? Probably not if you’re reading this. One common theme that I’ve noticed in these requests is that there appears to be a great confusion as to whose wedding it actually is . Instead of being able to enjoy the build up to the big day, brides are being barraged by demands from friends and family. So, I thought I'd write a quick post to remind everyone planning a weddin...

Voters in the Faroe Islands went to the polls yesterday (September 1 st ) in the country’s parliamentary elections. Campaigning has been dominated by the issue of same-sex marriage, and it’s likely that the result of the vote will determine whether or not equal marriage stands a chance of being accepted into law.   Last year, Pink News reported that 61% of islanders were in favour of gay marriage ; during last year’s pride an estimated 5,000 people marched for gay rights (that’s 1 in 10 of the population). However, when it came to extending Denmark’s equal marriage law to the island back in March 2014, the vote was defeated. It’s perhaps worth mentioning that the Faroe Islands is an autonomous country in the Kingdom of Denmark . It means that whilst the islands have control of most of their domestic issues (like same-sex marriage) it’s Denmark that controls foreign policy, justice, police and military.  Denmark legalised gay marriage in 2012. Acc...

NOMA is back in the news again this week. Following a lengthy legal battle, the National Organisation for Marriage was told to release details of its financial backers.  They did (begrudgingly) thereby revealing that they're largely funded by Catholic groups. (They're not a religious group, though. Honest.) New week, new NOMA story it seems... Same-sex marriage has been legal in the United States since June, but NOMA isn’t done campaigning. Pink News report that the group has now asked all Republican Presidential Candidates to pledge their support for a new constitutional amendment on marriage.  This new amendment would immediately void any same-sex marriage that has taken place in the US. Not quite satisfied with sounding like super-massive douchebags, NOMA also want the candidates to pledge that they’ll protect the rights of those who don’t agree with same-sex marriage or homosexuality: You don’t want that gay man eating in your restaur...