Same-sex Weddings
New Zealand is proudly the first Asia-Pacific country to legalise same-sex marriage. And Australia still hasn’t done anything about it sadly.
Paul McCarthy and Trent Kandler from Newcastle NSW became the first Australian same-sex couple to marry in New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa. Winning a Tourism New Zealand holiday competition against 300 other couples to be amongst the first to wed, Trent said, “I am in awe that we have this opportunity to finally make our dream a reality. I am so proud to stand together as a couple today. Ready to become united in marriage and to spend the rest of our days together. With love, friendship and our steadfast belief in each other.” Just beautiful. I love the lego men cake toppers!!!
Here’s how the rest of the world is progressing with recognising same-sex marriages:
Legal same-sex marriages:
Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay. There are nine US States and Washington DC that allow same-sex marriage.
Countries with some same-sex legal status:
Andorra, Austria, Brazil, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
Highest same-sex marriage rates:
Spain over 27,000
Canada over 21,000
Netherlands over 15,000
Alternative Wedding Ceremonies ♥ Handfasting
I really liked the sentiment behind this and thought about including it in my wedding. I would love to be able to include this is a wedding I officiate one day. I think Kate and Wills even incorporated this into their day:
This is what I found online…
In late medieval and early modern Scotland and northern England, “handfasting” was the normal term used for “betrothal” – that is, for the ceremony of exchanging consent of future marriage and agreeing to marriage contracts. The actual practice was neither Pagan nor Christian but was a common practice in general.
Well after formal betrothals/handfastings had ceased to be practiced in Scotland, a legend or myth arose that “handfasting” referred to a trial marriage of a year and a day, after which the partners could either marry permanently or part ways freely, providing there were no children involved. This myth was further purported to have been an ancient Celtic/Pagan practice as opposed to one generally observed by everyone.
Over the centuries, the story took more twists and turns and new elements were introduced, many from other cultures, such as the tying of the couple’s wrists with a ribbon or cord, sharing of bread and wine, and jumping the broom. Even the meaning of the word Handfasting changed. The original definition meant a pledge by the giving of the hand, otherwise known as a handshake. By the late 20th century, the term had been adopted and used by various Earth-based religions (believing it to be an old Celtic/Pagan practice) to refer to their own modern religious wedding practices, ranging from temporary unions to legal marriages and in almost all cases, involved the tying of the couples wrists with ribbon or cords.
In recent years, however, we are seeing more contemporary Christian, Interfaith or Spiritual couples using the term and some of the specific elements (such as the tying of the wrists) in their wedding ceremonies as well.
Sourced from http://www.altweddingservices.com
Marriage Proposal Ideas
A friend of mine is about to be proposed to and it got me thinking about cool ideas… here’s the first one I want to share with you. What a guy!!!! This video has some awesome ideas you could steal to propose to your loved one!!
Make or Break Wedding Details
The Venue Your venue needs to be more than just a pretty space. First and foremost, it needs to be a place where your guests will be comfortable. Is the room big enough to accommodate everyone? If you’re getting married outdoors, does it have an indoor option in case of bad weather? Does it fit in with the décor you wanted, and will the lighting work for you? Make a list of must-haves and bring it with you when you visit each option. Make sure the venue managers are prepared to be flexible on any little details important to you.
Wedding Aisle Runners
How cool is this idea for an aisle runner at your ceremony!!
You can have some fun creating a storyline of your romance from when you first met to key milestone moments in your relationship!
Not only a fun idea for your guests, but as you walk up the aisle you’ll relive your love story with each step.
I just love it.
Plus it’s easy to find a designer/printer that will be able to do this for you or have fun with a paintbrush, scissors, photo prints and DIY!!
I wish I could turn back the clock…
My Darling this one’s for you xxx
Winter Weddings
It’s that time of year again and what spectacular ideas to make your winter wedding extra special!
