Pink Wedding Days | Gay Marriage and Civil Partnerships Blog

It’s St Andrews Day and we wanted to find out about Scottish wedding traditions. Scotland has a wide selection of superb wedding venues . From chic city-centre ceremonies to sprawling country homes and gorgeous hideaways tucked against gentle shorelines – there’s something for everyone in Scotland. And if the wedding planning is getting to be too much then there’s always Gretna Green  – anything to get out of those seating plans, right? Looking for a Scottish wedding venue?   V isit the Pink Wedding Days website.  With such a long and fascinating history, it’s no surprise that Scotland boasts some fascinating wedding traditions.   And here are five of our favourites:  Blackenings. The stag-do isn’t as modern as you might think.  Scottish men have been doing it for a wee while now, and they call it a blackening. It does sound rather ominous but it’s not that far off an inflatable sheep and a lamppost.  The gro...

The Pink Wedding Days website features a variety of wedding venues in Newcastle and the North-East , and here’s one that we’re really excited to share with you: The Caledonian Hotel in Jesmond.  The Caledonian is where Georgian charm and character meet contemporary chic. Just five minutes by car from Newcastle City Centre , the hotel has been refurbished to a very high standard and boasts ninety-one ensuite bedrooms alongside the hotel’s banqueting facilities and outdoor terrace .  With the assistance of The Caledonian’s dedicated wedding coordinator, couples are in safe hands when it comes to planning their big day.  There are a number of wedding packages , too, for couples to choose from.   We really love the added bonus of the  ‘return night’ o n the Ultimate Complete Wedding Package option.  Couples are invited to return for a complimentary stay on their first anniversary; it doesn’t get much more romantic than that....

The Mercure Milton Keynes Abbey Hill is 5-minutes away from the centre of Milton Keynes . With its beautiful grounds overlooking the hotel’s golf course, however, it couldn’t feel further from the hustle and bustle of the city.  The hotel is one of the venues currently listed on the Pink Wedding Days website  and is a perfect all-year venue  ideal for couples planning early 2018 weddings and beyond.  The hotel offers bespoke weddings believing that each ceremony and reception should reflect the unique wishes of the couple.  There’s a good selection of tempting wedding packages to suit all budgets and tastes with an option of ceremony rooms.  Outdoor ceremonies are catered for, too. The venue has a gorgeous outdoor gazebo overlooking the golf course . You can’t guarantee the weather in the UK but you can certainly bank on the hotel pulling out all the stops come rain or shine. We think you’ll love the building’s charm, ...

Whose surname should same-sex couples use? What about one name over the other? What if the names were blended to create a new one? Or double-barrelled? And can’t you both just keep your own name? Same-sex couples have a choice that many heterosexual newlyweds don’t appear to acknowledge: you can call yourself whatever you want. In ye olde times, women were treated like property and weddings were a business arrangement between families; it was always the woman who took her husband's name, and most women (and men) still believe this is the right and proper way of doing things.  (Don’t miss the interesting statistic about this on the infographic below.) But nothing interesting or exciting ever came out of something that was done 'right and proper'. If you're a same-sex couple , then you can pick how you want your surname to appear .   Share one Make a new one Keep your own Wedding planning is an exciting time, so it's a...

Askham Hall in Cumbria is one of our favourite venues, and we're always excited when they let us in on their special offers. We think you're going to love these but remember to be quick because they won't be around forever.  Askham Hall, Penrith, Cumbria writes:  "With the festive season approaching we’re in the wedding spirit and are pleased to release the following great offers hot off the press:   Saturday 7 April 2018 (Easter holidays)   Due to a cancellation, this fantastic date in the Easter holidays has just become available. We’re also offering a free glass of fizz for your day guests!   Saturday 10 March 2018   We are offering a £1,500 discount off the last available weekend spring date along with a free glass of fizz for your day guests!   February 2018 winter wonderland special package for 60 Guests – £4925 Askham Hall truly is the perfect winter venue for your wedding – a winter wed...

The modern British family is changing. Whether it’s a household with same-sex partners, single mums, stay-at-home dads, gender-neutral new-borns or transgender parents , the make-up of our families, our relationships and our homes is evolving. Our society is  now more diverse  than ever (although, with work still to be done),  so it’s inevitable that traditional family models have changed in line with that. But whatever the aesthetic makeup of the family, the fundamental values at the core of home life are often the same:   people want to love and be loved in a nurturing and safe environment where personal and professional interests are supported and can grow alongside healthy relationships.    This is just as true when children are involved. Of course, raising children isn't as heteronormative as it was a decade or more ago.  It’s comforting, therefore, to see the results of a recent survey by Lifecake .  They look...

Australia’s Bureau of Statistics revealed the results of the country’s same-sex marriage vote on Wednesday, and it was an overwhelming victory for the Yes Campaign. 80% of eligible voters returned their ballots. 12.7 million people voted in total with 61.6% voting in favour of gay marriage. All states recorded a majority ‘yes’ vote.  News.com.au reported  Qantas CEO and marriage equality advocate Alan Joyce as saying: “If this was a general election, it would be the biggest landslide in Australian electoral history.” The vote isn’t legally binding but Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull , has said that politicians must honour the result.  Although, those opposed to the bill are already seeking amendments to protect businesses from having to cater to gay couples.  How that can still be considered 'equal marriage' is beyond us... The law could be finalised as early as December 7 th . The cost o...

Are you planning a hen or hag party and stuck for ideas? It's no small order being asked to organise fun for a pre-wedding shindig, but here are a few ideas that we hope will get you started. Bridal Shower & Hen Party Games by

LEADING WEDDING MARKETPLACE REVEALS THE NATION’S FAVOURITE WEDDING FIRST DANCE SONG hitched.co.uk spoke to over 4000 loved-up newlyweds to uncover the most popular first dance songs that span generations As couples across the UK prepare to tie the knot just in time for Christmas, hitched.co.uk asked the nation to reveal their first dance songs to determine the all-time favourite and most popular first dance anthem. In a new interactive content piece , hitched.co.uk , reveal the most popular first dance songs, the songs that span across four generations, the king of first dance songs and the most unlikely first dance songs. Until recently, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if you attended a wedding where Etta James ‘At Last’ or The Waterboys classic ‘How Long Will I Love You’ were the first dance song of choice. But, as times have changed so has music taste; modern-day newlyweds have fallen head over heels for the sounds of Ed Sheeran , new man on the s...