ZM, Air NZ and an Aussie couple are first in line for licenses at the Auckland Registry Office 8.15AM: Hosts of the Edge radio station have each described the dual same-sex wedding ceremony their station is sponsoring this morning as being "just like a normal wedding!" In Auckland city, where fourteen of today's 31 same-sex weddings will be conducted the Registry Office is quiet with no one arriving yet to pick up their marriage licenses. Licenses must be collected from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages before weddings can take place. However, the doors to the office remain shut and will do so until 8.30am and the foyer of the building is quiet. It is expected that representatives of the ZM radio network will be among the very first to collect a license for the marriage of Tash Vitali and Melissa Ray. Meanwhile, Vitali has arrived at the Unitarian Church, wearing a white blouse and trousers and carrying a small bouquet of white roses. She is laughing and smiling and talking with friends and media. Two bridesmaids are in long green dresses. Ray is expected to arrive soon. In Rotorua where preliminary aspects of the ceremony are under way the brides are in white dresses, the grooms in suits. The station's hosts continually refer to the ceremony as being "just like a normal wedding" then correcting themselves in some embarrassment. Other centres where same-sex weddings are planned for today, the first day such marriages are legally allowed in New Zealand include Manukau (1), Wellington (6), Christchurch (6) and Rotorua (4). 8.32am Update: ZM, Air NZ and an Aussie couple are first in line to collect same-sex marriage licenses at the Auckland Registry Office
Credit: GayuNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 19th August 2013 - 7:58am