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set to travel by limo around the corner, simply to arrive in
style. We arrived fashionably late to a whirlwind of media,
bright lights and cameras, and suddenly it was like a
Hollywood production, with the producer saying ‘action’
as we got out of the limo.
The gay Men’s Chorus was singing Christmas songs
as we all entered the room. special guests were waiting,
and to our shock they included the equalities minister,
Meg Munn, and some of the writers of the actual bill
itself. all seated and ready, we waited for our dear friend
and registrar Trevor Love (what a great friend and name)
to guide us into the room. and so it began.
first there was the countdown clock to 8am, as we
were poised with pen in hand to sign certificates. our
hearts were beating like mad as we signed, making Mike
and me one of the first couples to sign at 8am on the dot.
We heard cheers from inside and out and excitement
filled the room, as we then took our place for the
ceremony. Twenty minutes felt like a lifetime of joy
wrapped in a bundle, and before we knew it, we were
holding hands and being asked if we were ready to walk
outside. The tension built and we took a deep breath and
walked into a mass of media and people screaming,
clapping and cheering us on from the streets, to the
windows, and up to the rooftops. What a moment that
Mike and I will never ever forget.
We slowly made our way back to the hotel and the
rooftop, with the tables dressed stylishly with white
candles. We wanted a simple affair, with no top table, but
an intimate setting to share the moment with our guests.
a Christmas tree was dressed and sparkling brightly, minus
the baubles. The reason for this was simple – we asked
each guest not to buy us a present, but to get a bauble
that they felt represented Mike and me. so as each guest
walked in, the tree filled with a mixture of colours as they
placed each bauble on, to complete our wedding gift filled
with love. What more could Mike and I ask for?
Moments later, we had breakfast of hash browns,
eggs, bacon and more, mixed with champagne. We were
presented with our certificate by Trevor, and a
commemorative plate signed by all the dignitaries that
attended our wedding. and we even got to meet some
of the writers of the actual act itself – my word, did Mike
and I feel emotional, proud and excited about what we
knew in our hearts to be such a historical day. It was
such a grand way to end two years of our journey, but in
fact we had only just begun.
In our next issue: Gino continues the journey to the
present day
pink weddings magazine » 47
Ten years of progress
‘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...’