Vows hope in yes vote

Celebrants await weddings boom on same-sex win

MARRIAGE celebrants are rejoicing alongside the Cairns LGBTIQ community at the news same-sex marriage could be a reality by Christmas.

Some same-sex couples in Cairns have put a pause on their civil partnership ceremonies in hopes the samesex marriage bill passes.

Edmonton civil marriage celebrant Kay Earl said she had at least two couples counting down to their marriage.

“I do expect that these couples are just over the moon and planning on marriage soon,” she said.

“Two couples have mentioned they will be looking at marriage as soon as they can.”

She said the historic yes vote had been a long time coming for many in Cairns.

“Before the Civil Partnership Law came into effect, same-sex commitment ceremonies were quite the norm for not only local couples but couples from interstate and overseas,” she said.

“I found that couples decided that the wait was worth it to do the ‘real thing’ and have a lawful marriage under the Australian Marriage Act, when it came into law.”

Closer to the city, Mooroobool marriage celebrant Wayne Rees said he could see Cairns becoming a premier same-sex wedding destination.

“With Cairns being the wedding capital of Australia, we should see an increase in the number of people coming from the southern states to tie the knot in beautiful Tropical North Queensland,” he said.

He said a number of his own friends were holding their breath for the government to make their dreams a reality.

“It’s been a long time coming but I’m glad it’s finally been decided. All we have to do is now wait until it passes into law through the parliament,” he said.

“As soon as it does happen, many of my friends will be knocking on my door and booking dates.”

Many people in the Cairns LGBTIQ community said they felt relief to hear the Leichhardt electorate had overwhelmingly voted “yes” in the postal survey.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed those aged between 70 to 84 returned the highest number of votes in the electorate with 75,356 overall.

Nearly 55 per cent of Kennedy’s 70,944 voters voted “no”, making the electorate the most opposed to same-sex marriage in the state’s north.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday he was confident the bill for same-sex marriage would pass by Christmas.