Old Norse Weddings Becoming More Popular For Same-Sex Couples

Iceland is not just a popular spot for same-sex weddings; an increasing number of couples are opting to get married as per Old Norse tradition.

Gay Iceland reports that the full legalisation of same-sex marriage in Iceland in 2010 has prompted many couples to choose the country as a destination to tie the knot. Increasingly, many of those couples are opting to skip having a church wedding and go full Old Norse, joining together in sacred matrimony in a ceremony conducted by Ásatrúarfélagið.

“There has been a massive increase in demand for same-sex wedding ceremonies in the last year, an explosion really,” Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, high chieftain of Ásatrúarfélagið, told Gay Iceland. “The pagan belief is very inclusive and we are open to all opinions. So we welcome all, gay or straight, Icelandic or foreign.”

In fact, Ásatrúarfélagið has been conducting same-sex marriages since 2003, outpacing the National Church by seven years. However, they had no legal grounds on which to base the weddings – couples were requires to go to the county office (sýslumaðurinn) in order to make their marriage official. In 2013, Ásatrúarfélagið was finally granted the authority to make their weddings legally binding in themselves.

Those interested in having their wedding in Iceland can get the information they need from the Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association, Ásatrúarfélagið or Pink Iceland.

Photo by Iceland Wedding Planner/Miss Ann
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