On Dec. 21, singer Elton John and his partner David Furnish tied the knot in a ceremony that topped the first week of civil partnership ceremonies in the United Kingdom, an act permitted thanks to the passage of historic legislation.
According to CNN, the couple exchanged vows at Windsor’s town hall, where Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles wed in April. The couple emerged after the ceremony smiling, waving and mouthing ‘thank you’ to onlookers, as an attendant threw rice at them. They had said that only John’s mother and stepfather and Furnish’s parents would attend. Later in the day, the couple threw a lavish star-studded party, costing an estimated $1.75 million, according to the Associated Press.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking to reporters at a news conference, wished the couple well and congratulated them for exercising their newfound legal right. According to the British newspaper The Independent, Blair commented that ‘The Civil Partnership Act may not be the biggest change that this government has brought in. But, by correcting an obvious injustice, removing fear and providing security, it will change the lives of tens of thousands of people for the better.’
Nearly 700 gay couples in England and Wales were expected to go through the ceremony on Wednesday. Ceremonies were held earlier this week in Northern Ireland and Scotland.