Elton John to marry long-time partner David Furnish in England this weekend
Elton John, 67, and his live-in partner for the past 21 years, David Furnish, 52, are getting married on December 21 at their home in Windsor in front of just 50 friends and family, says the Mirror.
John and Furnish entered into a civil partnership on December 21, 2005, the first day that such civil partnerships could be performed in England. The service was held at Windsor Guildhall, before some 650 guests. Now that same-sex marriage has also been legalized there, they intend to seal their relationship with a marriage as well.
On the passage of the new law making gay marriage legal in England, John in an interview with Today back in March said: "I'm very proud of Britain and the laws that we've seen come into existence since we've been together. Having our civil partnership was an incredible breakthrough for people that have campaigned for a long time - through the '60s and the '50s in England when it was so hard to be gay and hard to be open about it. And it was a criminal act. So for this legislation to come through is joyous, and we should celebrate it. We shouldn't just say, 'Oh, well we have a civil partnership. We're not going to bother to get married'' We will get married."
And get married they shall - this coming weekend. This time around though, the ceremony will be small and intimate, low-key, with just their close friends and family, and their two sons, born via surrogates, in attendance. John and Furnish who met and fell "in love very quickly" back in 1993 are parents to 3-year-old Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John and 23-month-old Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John.
According to the Mirror report, the couple have been planning for the low-key, intimate wedding for months. Their sons will act as their ring-bearers. Guests will be servedfestive canapes. And mulled wine will be flowing throughout the celebration.