Welcome to Britain's first same-sex pagan marriage

Just how far have we come? Well, this week two male witches got married in Scotland.

Tom Lanting, 34, and Iain Robertson, 39, have been together for 12 years and on Sunday they had a wedding in Marlin's Wynd in Edinburgh that included such pagan traditions as handfasting (where hands are bound together), sharing of mead, and jumping the broom.

The couple, who describe themselves as hedge witches who use herbal remedies, said:

Getting married in a legal pagan ceremony means so much to both of us.

The new equal marriage law means that we finally have equal recognition and acceptance of our relationship, and it opens the door for all LGBTI couples to take the same step.

As hedge witches we always wanted to have a pagan marriage ceremony in line with our beliefs and it was really important to us to be able to share this ceremony with our friends and family.

Scotland is the only part of Britain that allows pagans, along with other minority and religious belief bodies, to hold formal legal weddings.

This wedding was the first one carried out by a same-sex couple since new laws on gay marriage came into place.

Louise Park the presiding officer for the Pagan Federation in Scotland, commented:

We feel that, if any couple wish to, they should be able to make their marriage vows before their own personal Gods, friends and family, in a religious ceremony tailored to suit their own beliefs.

I am absolutely over the moon to have been able to conduct Scotland's - and the UK's - first pagan same-sex marriage for Tom and Iain, who hold a special place in the hearts of Scotland's pagan community.

(Pictures: Cherrie Coutts Photography/PA Wire)

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