Happy Days at Melville Castle

Lance and Barry from Fife, chose the beautiful setting of Melville Castle for their civil partnership ceremony and reception and invited friends and family to join them on this special occasion. A fantastic day was had by all, before the happy couple left in the evening to honeymoon in Miami! Our very best wishes and congratulations to you both!

Photos By Iain at PIC Weddings

Gay Weddings Scotland

Annie & Sylvana at Urquhart Castle - September 29th

Annie and Sylvana from London spent the past year planning their civil partnership with Highland Country Weddings, which took place at the beautiful location of Urquhart Castle by Loch Ness, this last Saturday.

The weather was perfect (despite a midge or two), the registrar conducted a moving ceremony and champagne and nibbles followed aplenty. Annie and Sylvana were joined by their friends Ebon Knee, Bart and Wouter and our own Janis who felt truly privileged to be an invited guest. A further drinks reception and dinner was held at the beautiful 5 star Rocpool Reserve in Inverness.

A day to be remembered! Our very best congratulations to Annie and Sylvana!

Snap shots by Janis - here enjoying a drink with Ebon Knee :o)

Gay Weddings in Scotland

Highland Country Weddings

A good old Irish knees up!

Michael and Fergus chose the beautiful city of Edinburgh to show their love and commitment to friends and family on 16th June this year. Coming over from Ireland, a lovely ceremony was held in the new registry office at Lothian Chambers, followed by a great reception and party at the Apex City Hotel, in the city's Grassmarket.

Congratulations to Michael and Fergus and here's to a continuing friendship! Best wishes from us all!

Photos by Jennifer at Jenniflower Wedding

Gay Weddings in Scotland

Highland Country Weddings

MTV Documentary on love

MTV are currently producing a news documentary about young love, relationships and marriage, and are looking for young people planning their a civil partnership:

We are planning to follow a selection of young people willing to share their views and opinions on all aspects of this topic.We want to look at love from all angles and are looking for young people with interesting stories and experiences relating to love.Ideally we would be interested in getting in touch with young people (16-24) who are planning a civil partnership.

Contact for more information : nneke.laetitia@mtvne.com or on 020 7284 6392

Melville Castle - September 3rd with Nicholas and Paul

A fantastic civil partnership ceremony happened at Melville Castle - just outside of Edinburgh - this month! September 3rd saw the union between Nicholas and Paul. They brought with them 35 friends and family from Ireland to celebrate their partnership. These are pictures from the renowned photographer, Margaret McAtier.

Highland Country Weddings

Wedding Photography by Margaret McAtier

BBC

The BBC are making a series to represent the different kinds of relationships that exist in Britain today. The series will provide a fascinating insight into the world of modern relationships. They are looking for 12 couples.
Read on, if interested!

BBC TELEVISION WANTS TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR BIG DAY FOR ‘WEDDING STORIES’

Are you getting married between now and mid November 2006? The BBC is interested in speaking to couples who feel that they have an interesting story to tell and would be happy to be filmed in the weeks leading up to their big day. Are you long lost lovers? Is yours a story of love conquering all despite the odds? Or are you planning something out of the ordinary for your wedding day? Whatever the story we would like to be there to capture the moments up to and including that special journey up the aisle. If you would like to share your story why not give us a call? We will be happy to talk to you in more detail about the programme and will treat your call as confidential. 020 8752 5724 - Ella Ide Or e-mail wedding@bbc.co.uk

Gay Marriage Amendment fails to pass in US

Following on from the recent upturn of events in the Western Isles, I logged on to read another story on ‘Gay Weddings’, but this time featuring the United States of America.

“The U.S. Senate voted down a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage on Wednesday, but Republicans planned a vote in the House of Representatives to keep a national spotlight on the hot-button issue.
The 49 to 48 Senate vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to clear a procedural hurdle, thwarting U.S. President George W. Bush and the mostly Republican lawmakers who said
The constitution must be amended to prevent judges from striking down existing state bans on gay marriage.” BTYahoo News

Clearly this is still a big issue in not only Scotland, but in other parts of the world too. Reports state, “According to a March 2006 poll by the Pew Research Centre, 51 percent of Americans oppose same-sex marriage, down from 63 percent in February 2004.” BTYahoo News

Forty-five states in the USA have amended their constitutions or brought in laws prohibiting same-sex marriages.

Although Scotland has experienced it’s own fair share of opposition and discrimination, it would seem that in comparison, it might still be an easier option to come to Scotland and make your commitment to each other public.

To find out more about your options for a ceremony in Scotland, contact us today and we will be happy to discuss further your plans.

A Change of Heart in the Hebrides for Civil Partnership Ceremonies

A new bill is being introduced which makes it illegal for businesses and local authorities to discriminate against homosexuals. This will have implications for the Western Isles Council, who have to date refused to conduct same-sex ceremonies. Registrars working for the council have refused to take part in civil partnership registrations, leaving the Western Isles as the only place in Scotland where gay couples could not get ‘married’.

The move was one of controversy, with the Executive threatening to fly over registrars to perform the ceremonies. Gay Rights supporters condemned the move, with locals supporting the decision with the weight of the church behind them.

The new bill will have an impact on all businesses, including hotels and guesthouses and Bed & Breakfast establishments. Gay Rights campaigners have welcomed the decision, whereas the church has shown ‘dismay’.