Three same-sex marriage licenses have been collected from the Auckland registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages the moment the doors opened. Representatives of the ZM radio network, who are conducting a same-sex wedding on Ponsonby Road, and Air New Zealand, who will host a wedding in the air this evening, were first to collect the necessary licenses, along with a female Australian couple who have asked not to be named. In Rotorua the licenses for a dual ceremony have arrived at the wedding venue, as have the Auckland licenses where the happy couple are completing the paperwork while being serenaded by Harrison Craig, winner of The Voice. Meanwhile chief registrar Jeff Montgomery has advised that the first same-sex wedding to be conducted in the Auckland Registry Office will take place at 9am. In Rotorua the brides have said that being able to get married today makes them proud to be New Zealanders and they are thrilled that from now on young people growing up will know that two people of the same sex marrying is just a normal part of life.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 19th August 2013 - 8:38am