The first ever National Gay Wedding Show will be held in Liverpool next year in support of marriage for all couples, regardless of sexuality.
Around 200 exhibitors will arrive at the BT Convention Centre on March 3rd to provide wedding services, from catering and cakes to wedding dresses and suits.
The wedding show has been set up to celebrate marriage whether straight, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender. Major brands, The Hilton, Slaters and KUONI will be present, along with other individual wedding companies.
Amendments to the Marriages and Civil Partnerships Regulations in 2011 approved civil partnerships in religious premises. Ullet Road Church in Sefton Park was the first in the UK to perform a civil partnership and will be attending the wedding show.
The news of the event comes after recent government proposals to change marriage law and allow same-sex couples to be married inside religious institutions.
The government has stressed that no religious group would be forced to hold a same-sex ceremony but there has still been controversy surrounding the issue.
It will still be illegal to be married inside the Church of England and the Church in Wales. The Church of England has opposed government plans, although having previously supported the legal changes to unjustified discrimination of same-sex relationships.
In a statement it said: “We believe that redefining marriage to include same-sex relationships will entail a dilution in the meaning of marriage for everyone by excluding the fundamental complementarity of men and women from the social and legal definition of marriage.”
Laura Davies, Marketing and Events Manager for the National Gay Wedding Show, said: “This Wedding Show at the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool invites literally everyone to come along and enjoy what is set to be a wonderful day. Having organised Wedding Shows for over four years, this show promotes equality and simply supports all couples celebrate love.”
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member Councillor Nick Small, said: “I’m delighted the UK’s first ever National Gay Wedding Show is taking place in Liverpool. We embrace diversity and earlier this year we endorsed the Stanley Street Quarter as a gay village, recognising the vital contributions the LGBT community makes to life in our city.
“Our award-winning arena and convention centre is attracting some of the biggest and best new events to our waterfront and this will be the latest high profile success for the venue.”