ONE same-sex couple is so keen to be the first to get legally hitched, they’ll exchange vows at midnight!
Juanita Tiernan, 37, and Tara Sullivan, 38, from Sydney are on a mission to make history while Mark Giunta, 33, and Michael Codey, 30, also from Sydney have already made plans for the first ‘legal’ Saturday.
For Ms Sullivan and her partner Ms Tiernan being the first couple to get married following the legalisation of same-sex marriage ‘just made sense’.
Ms Sullivan told Daily Mail Australia the couple ‘already live like they are married’ but are excited to make it official in front of their friends and family.
Tara Sullivan, left, and her partner Juanita Ternan, right with their son Arlo, hope to be Australia’s first legally-wed same-sex couple
Mark Giunta and his partner Michael Codey had already booked their wedding for January 12 and are excited it will fall on the first Saturday they can legally be wed in Sydney
The couples were both excited over the new intention to marry forms which will allow them to declare their wish to wed their partners
‘We own a home together, we have a gorgeous son, Arlo, we are living like we are married, but it is nice we can make it official – even for our son’s sake,’ she said.
The couple from Clovelly in Sydney are to be wed by marriage celebrant Kristie Poole who is excited to get them over the line as the first couple to be married.
‘I am hoping by one minute past midnight on the ninth we can make everything official,’ she said.
‘I think it is really special – and it will be a really nice thing for them to be able to tell their children,’ Ms Poole said.
The women have been together for four years – and got engaged soon after because they ‘knew it was right’.
‘I met her online,’ Ms Sullivan said.
‘I was about to give up on it when one cold night I sent a message out and there was an instant spark – I managed to sift through all the crazies and find the one.’
Ms Sullivan and Ms Tiernan have been together for four years, own a home together and have a son
The couple are excited they will be able to be married as parents to their son, Arlo
The couple plan to have a big wedding – despite the party being at midnight and hope the late-night soiree won’t keep their guests away
The couple plan to have a big wedding – despite the party being at midnight and hope the late-night soiree won’t keep their guests away.
Mr Giunta and his partner Mr Codey have planned their wedding for January 12 – the men are excited they will be able to be legally married on the day.
‘To us it was already going to be a real wedding but the fact that it will be legally recognised makes it more special,’ Mr Giunta told Daily Mail Australia.
Mark Giunta, 33, and Michael Codey, 30, have planned their wedding for January 12 – the men are excited they will be able to be legally married on the day
‘We have four grooms-maids who will be wearing white – and we will be wearing light suits too it will be a very summery wedding,’ Mr Giunta
The couple are getting married at the Gunners’ Barracks in Mosman – and plan to have 130 guests.
‘We have four grooms-maids who will be wearing white – and we will be wearing light suits too it will be a very summery wedding,’ he said.
Mr Giunta said it was ‘love at first sight’ when he and Mr Codey met in person after briefly chatting online.
‘We knew we were meant for each other from the first date, and on our one-year anniversary Michael proposed to me,’ he said.
‘We knew we were meant for each other from the first date, and on our one-year anniversary Michael proposed to me’
They have been together for three years now, actively planning their wedding for the last 12 months
They have been together for three years now, actively planning their wedding for the last 12 months.
‘Now it turns out we will be one of the first couples to get married,’ he said.
Same sex couples can register their intent to marry from Saturday, December nine, with the Governor General’s office releasing new forms with ‘party one’ and ‘party two’ in the space where the old forms said ‘bridegroom’ and ‘bride’.
Melbourne-based marriage celebrant Bronte Price is excited for same-sex weddings but thinks they will be very different to traditional occasions.
‘I don’t think we will see as many weddings at big venues with three-course meals,’ he said.
Same sex couples can register their intent to marry from Saturday, December nine, with the Governor General’s office releasing new forms with ‘party one’ and ‘party two’ in the space where the old forms said ‘bridegroom’ and ‘bride’
Ms Sullivan hopes her ties to the hospitality industry will help with planning her wedding in just one month
‘And who knows instead of exchanging rings we may see couples exchanging other things, like watches, we just don’t know,’ he said.
He plans to marry his partner eventually and says instead of hiding from each other on the big day he wants ‘to help his man get ready, to do up his top button and tie’.
The celebrant thinks more weddings will be held toward the middle and end of 2018.
‘People have to have time to get over the hurt caused by the postal vote and to plan things,’ he said.
Ms Poole, the celebrant who is hoping to get her couple over the line as the first legally wed couple in Australia is also offering to legalise marriages for those men and women who chose to tie the knot overseas.
‘In exchange for a donation to the couples LGBTIQ+ charity of choice, I’m offering to legalise their marriage to save them from heading to the courthouse.
‘This is directed at couples who have forked out a bucket-load of cash on a wedding, but who still are not recognised as married,’ she said.
The couple rallied together and with their 14-month-old son in support of same sex marriage