The first same-sex marriage in Chester will take place over the Easter weekend.
As of midnight tonight (Friday, March 28), gay and lesbian couples in England and Wales who wish to have a wedding rather than a civil partnership, are able to have one, following controversial legislation by the Government that was passed last summer.
The new law means Sally Griffiths, 28, will be able to marry her long-term partner, 26-year-old mechanic Jenna Peters next month at Chester Register Office after a six year courtship.
The couple, who live in Wrexham, will celebrate a small, intimate wedding on April 19 before renewing their vows in a bigger ceremony next year, as Sally is just weeks away from giving birth to the couple’s first child, conceived after IVF treatment.
Sally, an NHS receptionist at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, told The Chronicle: “To be honest, we just want a small ceremony this time and do it properly next year because I want to be able to have a drink and wear a nice dress - all of that.
“It’s very exciting to be the first in Chester, and lovely that we can be treated equally and be known as wife and wife in a real wedding ceremony.
“We’ve been to quite a few civil ceremonies and they’ve all been lovely and very intimate but there's no real sense of romance, it’s very short and sweet and not as personal as a wedding.
“It will be lovely to have the whole ‘kiss the bride’ thing.”
Sally, who is expecting a baby girl, added: “We love Chester so we’re very happy to have the wedding here. “Although we live in Wrexham, we spend a lot of time here. We chose the registry office because we’re not really ‘church’ people.
“After the service we’ll be heading to Hickory’s for a meal which will be nice by the River Dee.
“Chester is a beautiful, picturesque city and we’re hoping it’ll be a lovely day.”
