Jewish woman, partner among first same-sex marriages in Britain

(JTA) — A Jewish woman and her non-Jewish partner were among the first same-sex couples to be married in Britain hours after a law permitting such marriages went into effect.

Nicola Pettit, 29, who is Jewish, married Tania Ward, 28, on Saturday morning at Brighton Town Hall, according to the London Jewish Chronicle. The couple had a religious ceremony on Saturday evening led by Rabbi Janet Darley of South London Liberal Synagogue, according to the newspaper.

“It was really important for me to have a rabbi and other Jewish elements present,” Pettit told the newspaper. “It also means a lot for my mum and the rest of my family, who all attend the Liberal Jewish Synagogue together.”

The law went into effect early Saturday morning.

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