First gay wedding performed in a church in Norway with a new inclusive ceremony

Norway’s first gay wedding in a church has taken place, just seconds after the change in the rules came in to force.

Kjell Frølich Benjaminsen and Erik Skjelnæs tied the knot in the Eidskog Church in the South of the country just after midnight, making them the first same sex couple to have a marriage ceremony in a church.

Paster Bettina Eckbo, who led the service, said it was “great fun and really cosy to be part of”. And she added: “They already represent the values that marriage is about”.

The Lutheran Church of Norway approved same-sex marriage in april 2016, but since January 2017 a definitive ritual has been performed for all type of couples.

The pair have lived together for 36 years