Fink! cards are one of a new generation of 'conversation cards' pitching themselves as the ultimate tool in your arsenal of preventing that most dreaded menace of social gatherings: the Awkward Silence. The 22 cards in the new wedding edition are a slight variant on the original questions, featuring such gems as 'if you weren't here today, what would you be doing instead?' and 'What makes a successful marriage?'
Until 1884, in England, a woman was officially listed as one of her husband's possessions. How times have changed! H. Samuel have just become the first chain in the country to sell engagement rings exclusively for men. The ring available from the H. Samuel website, is called the "Tioro" - a chunky titanium band set with a subtle diamond. Although popular in parts of Scandinavia and Basque regions of Spain they have (until now) been are a rare sight in Britain.
The retailer believes the demand for a male engagement ring is partly down to equality with more women than ever proposing to their fellas, as well as being a clear symbol that the man is "off the market"! As H. Samuel's buying controller Natasha Gregory explains, "the men's engagement ring is a clear message to everyone that the man is going to be married and also works perfectly for civil partnerships". Interestingly she goes on to say "over 60% of our customers think it's a good idea for women to ask men to marry them." Really?! Maybe I'm just a bit old fashioned but I'm not sure I'd want to be the one asking. What's your verdict? Tell us in the poll below!
This lovely ring, £197 from Joolia, is made from black Zirconium (a lustrous grey hued metal resembling titanium) would make great his and his rings for a civil partnership. The ring can be engraved with the date of the wedding in Roman numerals... if you're not sure how to convert a date into numerals (who does?!) then have a look at this website.
Somehow I managed to miss out one of the UK's most prominent wedding events of recent years these past few months. Thankfully, I've just gotten on board in time to tell you all about the last city's installment of the Official UK Gay Wedding Show 2008.
Cardiff and Manchester's shows are already over for this year, but Brighton's bash will be taking place on the 16th of this month at the Hilton Metropole Hotel. The show is celebrating its 5th year in the UK, and tickets are available at their official website.
Being a big fan of typography, I love these stacked names note cards by Fabulous Stationery. With space for 10 characters on the first two lines and up to 30 on the third, these cards are versatile enough for an engagement announcement, casual wedding or commitment ceremony invitation, or after-the-fact thank you.
We've seen a couple of cards for same sex marriages before, but they've been fun and/or stylish. So here's a nice cheesy one for you.
Available from The Wedding Party, the wording on the outside is "Love doesn`t make the world go `round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile," which is nice enough, but the picture's a bit too twee for me. They've got a "Mrs and Mrs" card too, of course.
This is one of those news stories that makes me think "Hooray!" and "About bloomin' time" all at once. Hallmark, unrivalled greeting cards giant of the Western world has begun selling same-sex wedding cards.
While gay marriage isn't legally recognised in the vast majority of US States, this is one step further to the overground acceptance of something that should be entirely run of the mill. Thankfully for us in the UK, gay and lesbian civil partnerships are going on all over the place, and now there's an easy way to get a card for your favourite couple. With three designs that avoid horrible clichés, the simple and pretty cards are suitable for blessings and civil ceremonies alike. Whether you're calling it a wedding or not, Hallmark have it covered.
At long last the designs for all things gay weddings are beginning to depart from the overly sensitive to the downright fun. If you're looking for the right card for your favourite gay couple, but are finding the usual fare a little bit staid, then look no further than Dean Morris Cards.
Perfect for camping it up with fresh, contemporary and tongue-in-cheek funny designs, these Civil Partnership designs are a long time coming in my book. This great Fabulous Couple card costs just £1.95 from the Dean Morris website. Take a look for some more designs that are out and proud!
For same sex weddings there's no reason why the run of the mill wedding bands and engagement rings can't be bought, but I really like the idea of supporting those small companies which cater their products specifically towards the gay and lesbian partnership market.
For your ceremony, these gorgeous matching female insignia rings are a clever, quirky and fun choice for lesbian couples. I love the symbolism of the two rings fitting together to make the design complete. This ring set, along with many others, is available from Love and Pride online. This 18k gold set will cost £835 for the pair in the sale.
Ellen De Generes has announced plans to marry her long time super-hot girlfriend Portia De Rossi on her talkshow. The couple have been together for four years.
The news followed a decision by California's Supreme Court not to ban gay marriage as people have a "right to marry" a person of their choosing leaving the previous ban unconstitutional.
Organising a civil partnership ceremony, whether it's same-sex or otherwise, can be feel like a bit of a runaround at times. Looking for a beautiful setting and also figuring out the official license side can be tricky, but thankfully there are increasing numbers of beautiful venues which cater for all your needs.
Kilworth House Hotel has a range of rooms for your ceremony and reception, and they're registered to license civil partnerships too. Having carried out weddings and ceremonies of all kinds means they're well versed in the relatively new business of gay and lesbian unions, meaning you can relax and enjoy the best day of your lives. Find out more from their website.
Finding the perfect card for every occasion can be such a nightmare - just think of the hours you've spent agonising over birthdays and the dreaded Valentine's day in your local card shop. Even trickier than all those put together can be a non-traditional wedding, whether it's a same sex union or a civil ceremony.
Avoiding all the much overused clichés, The Greeting Card Company's simple and stylish civil ceremony cards are a great choice for any couple. Leaving it up to you to add the sentiment, this pretty champagne flute choice keeps it simple and suits the occasion perfectly. Get it online for £2.24.
It seems a little bit daft to think that a photographer could specialise in civil partnerships - after all, the process is much the same - but finding out you've chosen someone who isn't exactly understanding of same sex unions would be a devastating eventuality.
Thankfully, with the surge in same sex weddings since the law was passed there's many a wedding trader who's showing off their availability to gay and lesbian ceremonies. Karen Julia is a photographer who's based in Manchester but offers a service throughout the UK. Check out her website to view some wonderful sample shots and to get in touch. Then all you need to do is remember to relax and smile.
This might be nowhere near the conventional bridal gowns we're used to seeing, but I really do think that this Vintage Lace dress from ASOS could be perfect for a casual wedding for a young couple.
While the model in the pictures is wearing the dress rather, er, snugly, it's actually much more demure than ASOS would have you believe. Just be sure to wear it a little more loose and no one will bat an eyelid. In a great shade of vintage cream, this lace number could be fantastic for a laid back outdoor wedding in summer. And just think of the money left over for the honeymoon if you bought a dress for just £38!
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Fink! cards are one of a new generation of 'conversation cards' pitching themselves as the ultimate tool in your arsenal of preventing that most dreaded menace of social gatherings: the Awkward Silence. The 22 cards in the new wedding edition are a slight variant on the original questions, featuring such gems as 'if you weren't here today, what would you be doing instead?' and 'What makes a successful marriage?'
From: Daily Frock: Suzanne Neville Antoinette