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NEXTWEEKJane Wenham-Jones‘My funny old week’It’s A FunnyOld WorldCOLUMN‘What is it about two people in love thathas us reaching for the Kleenex?’This week’s columnist:AuthorClaudia CarrollSometimeago,oneofmy
dearestfriendsannounced
hisengagement.Heandhis
partnerhadbeentogether
forwellovera decade,butthis
wasgoingtobea doublecausefor
celebration– mainlybecausetheir
weddingwastobeoneofthefirst
totakeplacesincesame-sexcivil
partnershipsbecamelegalover
herein theRepublicofIreland.
‘Amazingnews!’I squealed
joyfullyat mypal.‘Buttellmethis
much– what’stheactualdifference
betweena civilpartnershipand...
well,a normalwedding?’
Notmuch,it turnsout.
Forstarters,theweddingwas
to beheldat thegorgeouslyposh
RathsallaghHouse,oneof themost
romanticweddingvenuesgoing.
Andforthewomen,alltheusual
franticrunningaroundandtearing
ourhairoutovertryingtofindshoes
to matchdresseswasimmediately
banishedwhenthegroom-to-be
reassuredusthatthedresscode
waseffectively,‘Justturnup in
whateveryoufeellike.’
Becausethat’sthemagicalthing
aboutcivilpartnerships;it’salmost
liketheAliceThroughtheLooking
Glassof normalweddings,withall
theusualtraditionsandconventions
totallyturnedupsidedown.
Youwantto dresslikeyou’reon
yourwayto theOscars?‘Themore
fabulousthebetter,dahhling,’as
Gregtoldusall.‘It’sgoingto be
sparklesandsequinsalltheway!’
Andboy,wasit. It wasthemost
gloriouslysunnyAugustday,with
theentireceremonyheldoutdoors,
soit feltlikewewereallonour
holidays.Butinsteadof a nervous
brideclingingto herdadasshe
walkeddowntheaislewhilean
organisthammeredoutHereComes
the Bride, we had both groomsWhereI’vebeen:Shoppinginthesales.
WhatI’vebought:AfabulousZaradress, which
wasata knockdownreduction.Bargain.
WhoI’vemet:ThebeautifulGloriaHunniford, while
attendinga charitylunch.Shewassolovely.
WhatI’veseen:Lastmonth,postboxespainted
in rainbow colours, for Pride week. Amazing!strideconfidentlytowardsthealtar
withtheirrespectivemothersat
theirside,proudlyfollowedbya
gaggleof brothers,sisters,in-laws,
niecesandnephews,allpartof
theweddingprocession.Allthere
to giveloveandsupport, just
likefamiliesshould.
Theamazingthingwasthat
becauseof thefunnatureof the
ceremony,it seemedto make
theactualvowpartevenmore
emotionalandmoving.Whatis it
abouttwopeoplepledgingto love
andcherisheachotheralwaysthat
hasusreachingfortheKleenex?
Thewholeservicewasoverin
30 minutesorless,andnextthing,
thebrand-newcivilpartnerswere
struttingdowntheaisletoThat’s
AmorebyDeanMartin.
Anyway,notlongaftertheir
wedding,itwaslikethefloodgates
openedandsoonprettymuchevery
gaycouplethatI knewin long-term
relationshipswerefast deciding
tomakeitofficial.
I thoughtof justhowfarwe’ve
come.Tothinkthatonly 30 years
ago,gaycouplesin theRepublicof
Irelandcouldbearrestedfordoing
nothingmorethanlivinganhonest
lifetogether,whereasnowwecan
celebratetheirunionjustlikewe
wouldwithanybodyelse.
Andthismakesmefeel so
inordinately proud.