Top 10 gay weddings
1.Elton John & David Furnish
December 21 2005
Civil partnership ceremony at the Guildhall, Windsor, with only a small number of guests in attendance, although Arthur, the couple's dog, was present. Followed by a £1 million party at the couple's Berkshire mansion, which caused a traffic jam of celebrities queueing to get into the grounds. Among the guests were Victoria Beckham, Donatella Versace, Claudia Schiffer, Ringo Starr, Liz Hurley, Lulu and Cilla Black.
2.Matt Lucas Little Britain comedian& Kevin McGeetelevision producer
December 17 2006
The couple wore suits for the ceremony, but fancy dress for the reception at Banqueting House in Whitehall, London. Lucas arrived as Aladdin and McGee as Prince Charming. Sir Elton John dressed as Captain Hook.
3.Peter Cowell & Dr David Lord
May 2008
The Anglican church's first gay 'wedding', revealed by The Sunday Telegraph, went ahead in defiance of the Bishop of London, in whose diocese it took place. Although some liberal clergy had previously carried out "blessing ceremonies" for homosexual couples, this was the first time a vicar has performed a "wedding ceremony", using a traditional marriage liturgy, with readings, hymns and a Eucharist.
News of the ceremony emerged days before a crucial summit of the Anglican Church's conservative bishops and archbishops, who were threatening to split the worldwide Church over the issue of homosexual clergy. It was denounced as "blasphemous" by some conservatives
4.Alan Duncan (Shadow Secretary for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform)& James Dunseath (a City press officer)
July 24 2008
The first sitting Conservative MP voluntarily to acknowledge he is gay married in a low-key ceremony at Marylebone Register Office. The reception at the Merchant Taylors' Hall in central London was attended by Norman Lamont, the former Chancellor, Carol Thatcher, the journalist and daughter of the former Prime Minister, and William Hague, the Shadow Foreign Secretary.
5.George Takei(actor who played Mr Sulu in Star Trek) & Brad Altman( his business manager)
September 14 2008
The ceremony at the Democracy Forum of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles was presided over by a Buddhist priest, and featured Native American wedding bands, a Japanese koto harp and a bagpipe procession.
Walter Koenig, who played Mr Chekov in Star Trek, was best man. Nichelle Nichols, who starred as Lieutenant Uhura, was matron of honour.
6. Ellen DeGeneres(US comedian and television host)& Portia de Rossi(actress)
August 16 2008
The couple exchanged handwritten vows in an intimate ceremony at their Los Angeles home, with 19 guests in attendance including their respective mothers.
7.Chris Smith(Labour politician)&Dorian Jabri(an education adviser)
July 21 2006
The former Culture Secretary became the first member of the House of Lords to have a civil partnership at a private ceremony at Islington Town Hall in north London. The couple announced their partnerhsip the following day at Lord Smith's 55th birthday party at the Serpentine Gallery, where guests included Claire Rayner, the agony aunt, and the actor Antony Sher.
8.Michael Cashman(former EastEnders actor) &Paul Cottingham
March 11 2006
Guests at the ceremony in banqueting halls close to the Shakespeare's rebuilt Globe Theatre in London included Gordon Brown, Sir Ian McKellen, the actor, June Brown, who plays Dot Cotton in EastEnders, and Neil Kinnock.
9.Gráinne Close & Shannon Sickels
December 19 2005
When they exchanged vows at Belfast City Hall, Ms Close and Ms Sickels became the first gay couple to hold a civil partnership ceremony in the UK.
They were cheered and applauded by supporters as they left the ceremony in a ribboned Hackney cab.
Northern Ireland was able to host the UK's first ceremonies because it had a shorter registration period.
10. Adam Macy (farmer in The Archers) &Ian Craig (chef in The Archers)
14 December 2006
The Archers became the first British soap opera to feature a gay civil ceremony when Adam Macy, played by Andrew Wincott, and Ian Craig, played by Stephen Kennedy, married . More than a quarter of a million extra listeners were reported to have tuned in to Radio 4 for the episode.
Edited by scattmatt - 1/10/2008, 20:07
