History was made in Northern Ireland on Tuesday as the first same-sex marriage took place.
Robyn Peoples, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, made their vows on the sixth anniversary of getting together at the Loughshore Hotel in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim.
That happened to coincide with same-sex marriage coming into law in Northern Ireland on Monday, February 10, 2020.
And with media gathered from across the UK, Ireland, and further afield, the pair became the faces of the culmination of a campaign that stretched back over many years.
Sharni, a waitress originally from Brighton, said: “We didn’t expect to be the first couple, it’s coincidental.
“Today is our six-year anniversary so we wanted to go ahead with a civil partnership but when the bill was passed it was perfect timing and it was a complete coincidence, a happy coincidence, we couldn’t be more grateful.”
Robyn, a care worker from North Belfast, added: “For Northern Ireland we need to be the face of the people to show everyone it’s OK.
“We fought so long and hard for this opportunity to be seen as equal and now we are here and it’s just amazing.”
The pair also answered that all-important question – what song have they chosen for their first dance?
The answer: Over And Over Again by Nathan Sykes featuring Ariana Grande.
Gavin Boyd, policy manager at the Rainbow Project, told Belfast Live: “I think for anyone who’s been involved in the campaign for marriage equality in Northern Ireland, it’s a great sense of achievement, a great sense of relief that finally we’re able to see the first couples get married.
