Lo Giudice and his partner are getting married in Oslo on Saturday.

This morning, Sergio Lo Giudice, leader of the Democratic Party in the Municipality, and his partner Michele Giarratano, a lawyer and head of the Arcigay legal helpline, will depart for Oslo. Upon their return to Italy, they will be a married couple, although their marriage will not be recognized under Italian law. The ceremony will take place at 1:45 PM on Saturday at the Oslo Court of Justice. Around forty friends and relatives of the newlyweds will attend the "most beautiful day," including a seafood lunch at a restaurant on the Norwegian capital's harbor. On September 2nd, there will be a party for their friends from Bologna, naturally at the Cassero. The newlyweds will wear blue suits, with a white rose in their buttonhole, a Norwegian symbol against intolerance and violence. "This wedding was supposed to be celebrated here in the city," Lo Giudice commented, "but now everything is ready; we just have to pack our bags." Michele and I hoped to be the first to get married in Italy, and I wanted Cevenini to officiate the wedding. Now we're aiming for recognition of our union. We're considering class-action lawsuits against all Italian same-sex couples married abroad." A point emphasized by Giarratano: "Italy, along with Greece, is the only country in Western Europe not to have a law recognizing the rights of gay couples.".