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Saturday, August 17, 2013

Rotorua District Court to open early for Same Sex Marriage

The Edge will marry two couples, one gay and one lesbian, on Monday morning when same-sex marriage becomes legal in New Zealand.

Richard Rawstorn (31) and Richard Andrew (27) from Christchurch and Jess Ives (31) and Rachel Briscoe (25) from the Bay of Islands will be married together on The Edge Breakfast show hosted by Jay-Jay Feeney, Mike Puru and Dom Harvey at the Rotorua Museum.

Marriage Celebrant, Sarah Bloxham, has been working with The Edge, the couples and the Marriage Registry Office to ensure she lawfully solemnizes the marriages.

“It’s wonderful that the Marriage Registry Office in Rotorua is opening half an hour earlier for us so we can be one, well two, of the first same sex marriages to take place in NZ,” says Bloxham.

Jeff Montgomery, Registrar-General and General Manager, Births, Deaths and Marriages, Department of Internal Affairs says, “The marriage licences will be available from 8.30am at Rotorua District Court. We have made arrangements for these to be released early so that they are available at the same time as in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch”.

The Edge #SameSexWedding promotion received over 12,000 votes with Richard and Richard, and Jess and Rachel crowned the winning couples.

Both couples have had three weeks to plan their weddings but in true Edge style the road to the big day hasn’t been so straight! Each couple has had to plan the other’s service and reception, from the nuptials, flowers and dresses, to the seating plan and cake.

Rachel Briscoe said “I’m excited and nervous about Monday. I get to marry my best friend but haven’t been able to plan it all my way! With family from the UK attending and all that media, it will be high stress, but fun”.

The Edge #SameSexWedding will take place at the Rotorua Museum, Oruawhata Drive, Government Gardens from 6am with the service from 8:30am, Monday, August 19, 2013.

Listen live on The Edge (23 frequencies nationwide), SKY Channel 420 or streamed on theedge.co.nz/lsiten and The Edge mobile App.

ENDS

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