A few loved-up couples across Australia made history today by holding weddings on the first official day of marriage equality.
Just minutes after midnight, Glasgow Commonwealth Games sprinter Craig Burns and his partner, athlete Luke Sullivan, tied the knot at a stunning ceremony in the New South Wales Northern Rivers Hinterland.
The couple said they fell in love “straight away” after meeting three years ago. 50 close family and friends gathered at Summergrove Estate for the ceremony.
“It’s another way to show your love and appreciation of your partner in front of the people in your life,” Craig told ABC News.
“Not being able to do that it kind of sucks a bit — you want to be able to show your partner you love them.”
Meanwhile, in the Melbourne suburb of Balaclava, Diana and Deanne Ribeiro made their union legal in Australia just after midnight.
60 guests gathered at the same location where the couple had held a commitment ceremony five years earlier.
“To be able to come back here and redo our vows and actually make it legal and finally have equality in Australia is amazing,” Diana told SBS.
“We’re just so excited to be equal like everyone else in Australia.”
Prior to January 9, a few other couples received special dispensation to hold legal weddings after same-sex marriage was passed.
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