Union Square play host to same sex wedding to celebrate first Grampian Pride

Union Square, Aberdeen’s shopping and leisure destination, today (Saturday, May 26) hosted the first same-sex wedding to take place inside a Scottish shopping centre.

FOLLOWING an announcement last month that the free “Union Altar” pop-up wedding service was available to anyone wishing to get married on the date of the first Grampian Pride, loved up couple Joy McIntosh and Nydine Park took up the centre’s offer.

The colorful ceremony saw the newlyweds tie the knot at the bespoke wedding altar after proudly walking in the march along Union Street. The brides were surrounded by friends and family while a Registrar from Aberdeen Registry Office conducted the ceremony, which saw the happy couple exchange personalised vows, as well as taking part in a romantic hand-fasting ceremony.

A Union Square spokesperson, said: “We are thrilled that Joy and Nydine took this unique opportunity to get married in Union Square in celebration of the first ever Grampian Pride. We want to congratulate the happy couple and wish them a lifetime of love and happiness.”

“This inaugural Grampian Pride is a significant milestone for Aberdeen and the Grampian community. We wanted to show our support for the LGBT+ community and what better way to make this Pride a memorable one – than a declaration of love is love!”

Joy McIntosh, who married her partner of four years, said: “We had been thinking about getting married for a while now. We read about the opportunity at Union Square and the fact it was designed to celebrate Grampian Pride made us take the plunge! The service itself was exactly what we had hoped for and my (now) wife Nydine looked so beautiful as she walked down the aisle!” 

Deejay Bullock, Co-Chair of Grampian Pride, added: “It’s fantastic to have Union Square’s support for our first ever Grampian Pride, and even better to have Joy and Nydine mark the day by celebrating their love in such a unique and special way.”

The newlyweds, along with 20 of their friends and family, enjoyed a complimentary champagne reception in Pizza Express following the service.