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pink weddings magazine » 45
Ten years of progress
Last issue,
Gino Meriano
looked back
at a decade of progress since creating
Pink Weddings. This issue he continues
the journey through personal territory
and his own historic wedding to Mike
ory
S
o, you have heard about what happened when we threw ourselves into
creating a concept to help same sex couples show their love and commitment
to each other. for a moment allow me to take you back to 2004, when our
lives changed in many ways before the historical date of 21 December 2005.
Mike and I decided we needed more exposure in helping same sex couples
understand what was going on in parliament with the new bill, and why this was such an
important move forward for us all. after launching pink Weddings, the planning company,
we were hit with enquiries from more than 100 couples in less than two months, and it
didn’t stop. Questions were being asked and much needed help was being sought.
We decided to showcase same sex weddings at the major pride events in Brighton and
London. We held more than 12 example ceremonies to show couples at pride what was on
offer and then we had an idea – we were unsure it would work, but we went for it. During the
course of 2004/5 we launched the Civil partnership road show, created a panel of experts
and travelled all over the UK, talking about what we knew so far about the forthcoming
changes, to hundreds of couples, families and friends. What started as a small tour, from
Brighton to surrey, ended up taking us to more than 20 different cities in just over a year.
In 2004, we were asked to help train the registration service and perform presentations
about civil partnerships and to also hear their side of what was to be history in the making.
The year started to fill up fast and so did the media attention to the work we were doing,
being the first social enterprise to be recognised in parliament for the work we had done.
The excitement didn’t stop there. new Holland publishing signed Mike and me up to
write a book about civil partnerships, offering couples an insight into how to plan their day,
what would be involved, the ever-needed guidelines to accepting suppliers, and new
innovative concepts that would change the way we see the wedding market for ever.
Then in late 2004 we got the phone call. It was Brighton register office, asking us if we
wanted to be one of the first couples to hold our wedding. We were shocked, surprised,
and have to admit a little scared, but we said yes with all the passion in the world. and so it
was done. The plan was to hold our civil partnership dead on midnight of 20 December
2005, and as the clock struck, we were to sign on the dot as the first couple on 21
December 2005, when it became legal.
But like many things, the government put a stop to it and told us we were not allowed
to do this. our plans changed to signing dead on 8am on 21 December, shown live on the
BBC, with screens outside for the hundreds of people to watch and wait for us to walk out.
Waking up in our suite at the Brighton Hilton Metropole on 21 December at 6am, our
lives were soon to change. With clothes displayed and ready and our hearts beating, we
shared a quiet moment before we knew things would end up manic – in a fun way. We had
a lot planned for our 40 guests, from the ceremony at the register office and afterwards, to
the meal, and some surprises as well.
so on a brisk cold December morning we were ready, dressed in our suits designed by
gresham Blake. By 7.15am our room was filled with close friends and of course our best man,
best woman and peter our ring bearer. one last sip of champagne and we were
Continued...
(Part 2)