Britain's showbiz royalty, Elton John and David Furnish, exchanged vows and diamond wedding bands during a ceremony that capped the first week of legalized civil unions in the United Kingdom.
Opting to use the 17th century Town Hall where Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles got married in April, John and Furnish sealed their union with a kiss before facing hundreds of photographers and fans on the cobbled streets outside......
John, 58, and Furnish, 43, were among hundreds of same-sex couples tying the knot in England and Wales on Wednesday, the first day such ceremonies were possible. Others wed earlier this week in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
At a news conference, Prime Minister Tony Blair congratulated the couple for exercising their newfound legal right. Activists saw the union as a watershed moment for gay rights -- a public expression of commitment that would be impossible to ignore.
''This will give hope to millions of isolated, vulnerable, lesbian and gay people, especially those living in repressive and homophobic countries,'' said Peter Tatchell, spokesman for the gay-rights group OutRage.
The new law -- passed last year -- allows civil ceremonies that will give same-sex couples the same social security, tax, pension and inheritance rights as married heterosexual couples.
Furnish, a Canadian-born filmmaker, and John have been together for 12 years. Both have said they understand the implications of their union.
''Being such a high-profile couple and the fact that we decided to do it straight away does carry a certain message,'' John was quoted as saying by Attitude magazine. ''I'm doing this first and foremost because I want to do it for David and I want to be with David for the rest of my life, but I also want to do it to say that [the civil union law] shouldn't be something that just sits there in law. It should be embraced.''
Known for his flashy glasses, flamboyant clothes and extravagant lifestyle, the pop star chose an understated outfit and ceremony behind closed doors for his big day.
The few who attended included John's mother, Sheila, and stepfather Fred, and Furnish's parents, Gladys and Jack.
The ceremony, which took less than an hour, was conducted by Registrar Clair Williams, who also presided over the union between Charles and Camilla.
One of the guests, art dealer Jay Jopling, described the union as being ''like any other couple getting married.''
The couple emerged to a shower of rice and the click of cameras, walking arm in arm to face the paparazzi. John lifted his hand to show off a whopping diamond ring.
They then got into a black Rolls Royce -- rolling down the windows to wave to their fans -- before heading off for a family lunch. The reception cost an estimated $1.75 million, featuring pink champagne and lamb for 700 guests inside two giant white tents erected at John's Windsor mansion.
John, married once before to studio engineer Renate Blauel, is known for such songs as ''Crocodile Rock'' and ''Rocket Man.'' He was a close friend of Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, and was knighted in 1998 -- an honor he described as the pinnacle of his decades-long career.
Furnish is best known for a documentary about the pop star called ''Tantrums and Tiaras.'' He also produced a film about U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. His latest work is titled ''It's a Boy Girl Thing.''
Several European countries have legalized same-sex unions. In the United States, only Massachusetts allows gay marriage, while Vermont and Connecticut permit civil unions.
AP
Same-sex from toppers to towels
BY LUCIO GUERRERO Staff Reporter
You only need to go to your favorite card store to see how far we've come toward accepting same-sex marriages.
Because between the "Get Well Soon" section and the "Happy Birthday" section, there are now cards that cater to same-sex commitment ceremonies. Instead of the traditional card with a bride and groom on the cover, many of today's wedding cards have gender-neutral pictures and phrases to highlight almost any ceremony.
"We make cards that are appropriate for any kind of wedding," said Rachel Bolton, a spokeswoman for Hallmark. "What's important is the message it conveys: love and commitment."
But many smaller cardmakers have decided to embrace the same-sex market wholeheartedly with wedding invitations, thank-you notes and anniversary cards. Some have pictures of same-sex couples. Others are written in rainbow colors.
That's just one of many things businesses are doing to be more gay-friendly. Here are some other ways wedding-related retailers are going after the pink dollar:
*Bridal registries: First, lots of companies have pretty much stopped calling them bridal registries and now call them gift registries. They also have tweaked their language to make sure no one is offended. Instead of looking up a registry by "bride" and "groom," many stores are now asking for "registrant" and "co-registrant." Marshall Field's, for example, only asks for a name and then classifies it under "couple." And don't fret -- the store's new owner, Macy's, has a similar policy using the term "partner."
*Cake toppers: You've seen the traditional topper with the tuxedoed groom standing next to the white-dressed bride. Now you can get two grooms standing side-by-side or two brides holding hands on top of the cake.
*Wedding announcements: Although still in their infancy, many newspapers carry same-sex commitment announcements in their wedding pages. The trend is still controversial, but with large papers, such as the New York Times and Boston Globe, accepting them, other papers are expected to begin the practice.
*Wedding bands: Although the marriages are not recognized as legal unions in the United States, many gay couples are opting for wedding rings made specifically for gay couples. Similar to traditional bands, some same-sex bands include a small, pink triangle in the middle, or rainbow inlays.
*Traditional wedding gifts: Most newlyweds have a "his" and "hers" towel set somewhere in their closet. For same-sex unions, that doesn't have to be any different -- with a little tweaking, of course. Available online is the "his" and "his" towel set, along with the "hers" and "hers" set. How about a wedding album? You can get one of those, as well, decorated with a picture of a same-sex couple on the cover.
