First UK gay marriages to take place in North today
19/12/2005 - 08:02:44The first formal gay marriages in the UK are due to take place in the North today under new civil partnership legislation that came into force earlier this month.
A number of gay and lesbian couples are due to tie the knot during ceremonies at Belfast City Hall.
The first marriages are taking place in the North because local law only requires 14 days notice of a ceremony, while the rest of Britain requires 15 days.
Technically, today's ceremonies are not the first gay marriages as the waiting period was waived for a British couple because one was terminally ill with just days to live.
