First gay wedding fair set for Limerick

Limerick City is to host the first Gay Wedding/Civil Partnership Fair in Ireland.

The Absolute Hotel and Spa, Limerick, will host what organisers promise to be “a spectacular event”.

Co-organised by GayWeddingsIreland.ie and Enchanted Occasions, a wedding planning and event management company, the fair will take place on Sunday, Feb 26, from 2pm to 6pm.

Joanne Hickey, the civil partnership coordinator at the Absolute Hotel, said there has been a “very positive reaction” to the hotel’s new venture.

The 30-year-old Carlow native, who has been working at the hotel for the past three years, was aged 22 when she first “came out” to her parents.

“It was very easy for me to come out to my parents. I was a late bloomer, I suppose you could say. I’m extremely lucky though, my parents are very understanding,” she said.

Ms Hickey, who was one of the first people in Ireland to have a civil partnership wedding, said she hoped people in same-sex relationships would get more than just ideas for their future nuptials from the event.

“It’s always nice to meet others who are in the same position as you,” she said.

The fair will mark the first anniversary of the Civil Partnership Act, which has seen over a thousand ceremonies in Ireland.

“The wedding fair in Limerick will also provide advice on every aspect of civil ceremonies/gay weddings,” according to a organising spokesperson.

The renowned Weddings by Franc will also have a team on-site.

“As well as offering important pointers on how to make the special day memorable, there will be entertainment throughout the day,” the organisers said.