Paul and Craig on top of the world, exchanging rings, with a celebrant from the NSW Registry.
A couple has climbed to the top of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge to tie the knot in front of a dozen family and friends in celebration of Sydney WorldPride 2023. Paul Pui and Craig Hamilton have been together for 15 years and are among 26 lucky couples getting married during the global LGBTQIA+ festival from 17 February to 5 March by selecting a micro-wedding with the NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages. NSW Registrar Theresa Fairman said the Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb, Sydney Opera House and Manly Yacht Club were the enviable locations where the couples would get married for a micro price.
“We invited everyone to get married with us during Sydney WorldPride 2023 in the spirit of inclusivity and we are so privileged to be marrying 10 same-sex couples across these three amazing and iconic locations,” Ms Fairman commented “The Registry was honoured to be part of Paul and Craig’s big day with a celebrant from our team leading their ceremony on the top of Sydney’s prominent bridge and overseeing the glorious harbour. Their day was even more special with WorldPride being held in Sydney for the first time, a city which prides itself on celebrating and including the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Ms Fairman said that Micro-weddings may be micro in cost with packages starting at $1199 but they are not micro in flair with a range of stunning locations to choose from across NSW for couples to share their big day in front of loved ones. Fairman went on to explain that already around 1200 couples, which is about 15 per cent of all same-sex marriages in NSW, have chosen a Registry micro-wedding or ceremony since same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia in December 2017.”
Paul Pui from Sydney said he and Craig had been planning a destination wedding in 2024 but after seeing the opportunity to get married on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge during WorldPride they thought all the stars had aligned.
“Nothing could be more memorable than getting married on top of the Harbour Bridge, with sweeping views across the harbor during WorldPride, which is like the Olympic Games for the LGBTQIA+ community, but at a price that is affordable,” Mr Pui commented “It’s the first time WorldPride is in Sydney, and we don’t know when our city will be hosting it again, so this really was an unforgettable experience.”
The couple who met at a friend’s birthday party at a nightclub on Oxford Street in 2008 celebrated with an intimate lunch at a venue nearby after their wedding on top of the Bridge.
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