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Kjell Frølich Banjaminsen, 63, and his partner Erik Skjelnæs, 70, waited decades. Their dream came true.

Kjell Frølich Banjaminsen, 63, and his partner Erik Skjelnæs, 70, waited decades to be able to have a traditional wedding ceremony, and their dream came true just moments after the Church voted to allow same-sex weddings.

Marriage equality was introduced in the country back in 2008, but same-sex couples were still unable to marry in a church. This changed on Monday 30 January, when a church synod voted to approve the new liturgy. At the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, Kjell and Erik tied the knot in front of Pastor Bettina Eckbo in Eidskog Church, making them the first same-sex couple to have a marriage approved by the Church of Norway. According to The Local, Eckbo said: “It was great fun and really cosy to be a part of.

They already represent the values that marriage is about – faithfulness and supporting one another on good days and bad. “These two men have lived through a lot of the recent history of homosexuals. When they got together in 1981, it must have seemed very unreal for them to think that they would one day get married in the church.”Norway is known for its liberal approach to equal rights – it was recently named the best place for LGBT+ people to work, and last year announced it would provide HIV-preventative drug PrEP to high-risk groups.