Brighton Leads The Way In Same Sex Marriages
By Alex Hammond 1st Dec 2005

Since the announcement that same-sex civil partnerships will become legal in England as of 21st December, a race has been going on between Westminster and Brighton to become the national gay wedding capital. Both hope to attract the 'pink pound' and inevitable media coverage brought by hosting the first such union in England.

So, who will host England's first gay wedding, Westminster or Brighton?

Well... both actually. The cities will each see a gay couple tie the knot at exactly 8am on Wednesday 21st December, the time at which such ceremonies will become officially recognised. Brighton had hoped to steal a lead by marrying a couple on the stroke of midnight, but this plan was scuppered when it was pointed out that all weddings had to be registered between 8am and 6pm.


Brighton & Hove Register Office has really pushed the boat out to secure same-sex bookings, encouraging couples to register online, thus reducing paperwork on the day and allowing a quicker ceremony. As a result, the Brighton office has more bookings than its landlocked rival, with over 500 lined up so far (including 198 before the new year!).

The legal shift looks set to create a whole niche industry in Brighton. ?Pink Biz? wedding planner Gino Meriano is one of the first people to benefit. His company will be hosting a ?Gay Wedding Fair? on Sunday December 4th at The Metropole Hotel, Kings Road, where visitors can find out all they need to know about their big day. Never ones to miss a trick, local solictors Burt Brill & Cardens? will be running a stand and meeting new people at the event. They have tailored a whole range of services to the new weddings and will offer professional advice on the subject.

Britain will the fifth country in the world to officially recognise gay marriage, after Holland, Canada, Belgium and Spain. It's good to know that Brighton is right at the forefront of this progressive attitude.

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