Gay Marriage in Canada

Canada Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage  20th July 2005

QUOTE OF THE DAY

My partner of 5 years and I were married in August 2006. Something changed in that moment when we stood before our friends and family and committed ourselves to each other. It was such a public affirmation of our commitment and it is a deeply personal experience unequalled in my lifetime.

I know that both me and my husband felt a 'shift' that day and that despite having already spent over 5 years of daily life together, our relationship had moved to an even deeper place in that simple ceremony.

There is something quite inexplicable but soulful that happens with the ceremony of marriage. It's not just legal.

Why would anyone want to deny fellow human beings the opportunity to publicly nurture strong, supportive, deep, and lasting relationships?

Pride Bride has been featured in:

	Acceptance, and business opportunities, in Winnipeg Wedding vendors cater to gay couples BY RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER Pioneer Press
	Gays rush to altar, fearing marriage law at risk Co-owner Rita Leonard told CTV's Canada AM Thursday her company has been getting many more calls than usual with the looming election. Some couples are considering marriage as a political statement and others are just looking at holding their weddings sooner, she said. "For the most part we're telling people to be cautious, you know, take your time, don't rush into anything," Leonard said.
	Gay couples tied in knots by ROMA LUCIW Wedding planner Rita Leonard, who owns Winnipeg-based Pride Bride with her life partner Paula, says the number of calls they are receiving has spiked by about 40 per cent since Christmas. "People are definitely concerned," she said. "Couples are calling and asking us what we think. They are saying if the Conservatives win, they want to get married right away."
	Canada's gay and lesbian couples waste no time getting to altar Gay and lesbian couples in Winnipeg are wasting no time getting to the altar just in case Canada's conservative Tories win in Monday's election, the Winnipeg Free Press reported Wednesday. "People I never thought would marry in a million years are calling and saying they want to get married," Rita Leonard, co-owner of Pride Bride, told the newspaper. "We're getting a lot of people asking about it. People are scared and concerned and are looking for advice."
	Tory numbers see gays flock to altar A Winnipeg wedding planner says gay couples are rushing to the altar in case the Conservatives win Monday's election. "People I never thought would marry in a million years are calling and saying they want to get married," said Rita Leonard, co-owner of Pride Bride.
	Same sex, individualized parties Pridebride.com, based in Canada, features gay wedding software and same-sex marriage news along with gifts and wedding accessories, and purpleunions.com steers gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transsexual (GLBT) couples to rainbow-friendly vendors and honeymoon locations around the world.
	Much ado about gay commitment ceremonies There also are new wedding-planning portal sites such as PrideBride.com aimed at helping same-sex couples around the world do it "their" way. Some couples, says Leonard, "get hung up on having to do it like a straight wedding, but we say we're different for a reason, so you can do your wedding different."
	Here come the brides Gay wedding planners help couples get the details right
	Commit yourself at PrideBride.com June is traditinally the month of weddings and marriage. So what better time is there to check out the website pridebride.com.
Edmonton Sun	WINNIPEG -- Looking for a gay wedding cake topper? Need a lesbian limo driver? You'll find the answers at Pridebride.com, an online company offering marriage and commitment ceremony planning for same-sex couples, started by two lesbians.