Two women from Belfast have just made history by becoming the first same-sex couple to get married in Northern Ireland since legalization was introduced. Sharni and Robyn tied the knot yesterday, February 11, after having been in a relationship for six years. Initially, the couple had planned to register their civil partnership on the same date, but in light of the January 13th legalization of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland, the couple decided to throw a beautiful wedding.
This couple has just made history in Northern Ireland by becoming the first same-sex couple to get married
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Two twenty-somethings Sharni Edwards and Robyn Peoples tied the know at a hotel in Carrickfergus town in County Antrim. Reportedly, the couple danced their first dance to Nathan Sykes and Ariana Grande's Over And Over Again.
Equal marriage has become possible after the landmark law change in 2019
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The young women met back in 2014 in a gay nightclub. The two instantly clicked. "We haven’t been separated since," Sharni told the media. The newlyweds became engaged in 2015 during a trip to Paris, where they went to see Ariana Grande's concert.
And as of January 13, same-sex couples can finally get legally married
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The recent (and highly necessary) legalization has brought Northern Ireland in line with the rest of the United Kingdom, where same-sex couples have been able to legally marry each other since 2014. Along with the legalization of gay marriage, abortion has been decriminalized too.
The couple says that they made history by accident, not by design
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Originally, the couple had been planning a civil partnership on the same date, but after the law was changed in Northern Ireland, the two knew that they wanted marriage. Consequently, when Sharni and Robyn went to the registrar's office in Carrickfergus town to register their big day, they were told that they were the first to sign up for a civil marriage.
And are extremely grateful for those who supported the change of the law
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"We are so thankful for the Love Equality campaigners for fighting for us," Sharni told Pink News. "If it wasn’t for their hard work and effort, we wouldn’t be in this position now."
As always, there were a few nay-sayers
Luckily, they were outnumbered by the people who felt genuinely happy for the couple
