Sydney Harbour Bridge hosts first same-sex wedding

Representational image

SYDNEY: A same-sex couple in Australia made history on Thursday by getting married at the top of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge here.

Warren Orlandi and Paul Phillips, the first gay couple to get hitched on the bridge, took their vows in presence of family and close friends gathered on the structure dubbed the "coat hanger", 134 metres above the city`s main harbour, two days before the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

"The venue is unique like we are," Phillips said. "It`s the best place to do it."

The nuptials were made all the more poignant because Orlandi, who was 370kg four years ago, was motivated to lose weight to climb the bridge. Through sheer determination and lots of exercises he lost 250kg, Australia`s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) News reported.

"I used to stand under the bridge and think, one of these days I`ll climb it, and the eleventh time was to get married," he said.

"Warren (Orlandi) as a goal for himself really wanted to be able to lose enough weight to climb the bridge and he`s now done it 11 times. We support each other and take everything day by day," said Phillips.

He said the wedding was "absolutely wonderful". BridgeClimb Sydney said there have been more than 4000 proposals at the top of the Bridge.

Since 2008, they`ve also offered weddings to climbers at the summit, with the first ever BridgeClimb wedding taking place on June 3, 2008.

"It`s about people being able to be themselves for the first time in a very long time and we celebrate the people who put in all the hard work...we feel very humbled," Orlandi said.

He also said he was looking forward to watching and celebrating this year`s Mardi Gras in the light of marriage equality.

"It`s about people being able to be themselves for the first time in a very long time and we celebrate the people who put in all the hard work...we feel very humbled," Orlandi said.