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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| 'First' same-sex marriage: Melbourne couple to tie knot before Christmas | 'First' same-sex marriage: Melbourne couple to tie knot before Christmas |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Megan Stapleton and Stephanie Dybal granted approval to hold their wedding on 21 December | |
| Australian Associated Press | |
| Thu 14 Dec 2017 05.59 GMT | |
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| Two Melbourne women have been given legal approval to tie the knot before Christmas, which means Australia’s first same-sex marriage will happen sooner than expected. | Two Melbourne women have been given legal approval to tie the knot before Christmas, which means Australia’s first same-sex marriage will happen sooner than expected. |
| Megan Stapleton and Stephanie Dybal have been together for more than five years and organised a non-binding wedding for 21 December, well before laws were passed by federal parliament. | Megan Stapleton and Stephanie Dybal have been together for more than five years and organised a non-binding wedding for 21 December, well before laws were passed by federal parliament. |
| When Canberra inked the legislation, a mandatory four-week wait meant the first nuptials were on track for 9 January. | When Canberra inked the legislation, a mandatory four-week wait meant the first nuptials were on track for 9 January. |
| But because Stapleton and Dybal had been preparing their wedding for months and had relatives flying in from overseas, they were granted approval to go ahead with their plans legally. | But because Stapleton and Dybal had been preparing their wedding for months and had relatives flying in from overseas, they were granted approval to go ahead with their plans legally. |
| “They have family flying down and had everything booked and paid for back in May when no one thought the law was going to change … so Births, Deaths and Marriages approved it,” their wedding celebrant and gay rights activist Jason Tuazon-McCheyne said on Thursday. | “They have family flying down and had everything booked and paid for back in May when no one thought the law was going to change … so Births, Deaths and Marriages approved it,” their wedding celebrant and gay rights activist Jason Tuazon-McCheyne said on Thursday. |
| “This is by no means a stunt, and they had no desire to be the first couple, it just happened that it was all booked.” | “This is by no means a stunt, and they had no desire to be the first couple, it just happened that it was all booked.” |
| It may be the case that other Australian same-sex couples also meet guidelines for an earlier-than-expected wedding on home soil. | It may be the case that other Australian same-sex couples also meet guidelines for an earlier-than-expected wedding on home soil. |
| Tuazon-McCheyne has made his own contribution to Australia’s same-sex marriage debate, prompting a change to the Marriage Act in 2004 when he attempted to have his same-sex Canadian marriage recognised in the family court. | Tuazon-McCheyne has made his own contribution to Australia’s same-sex marriage debate, prompting a change to the Marriage Act in 2004 when he attempted to have his same-sex Canadian marriage recognised in the family court. |
| “I’ve been married for almost 18 years and finally my wedding is recognised,” he said. “The moment I marry Megan and Stephanie is going to extra special.” | “I’ve been married for almost 18 years and finally my wedding is recognised,” he said. “The moment I marry Megan and Stephanie is going to extra special.” |
| Marriage equality | |
| Australian politics | |
| Melbourne | |
| news | |
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