SIX YEARS I have been waiting for two of my good friends to get married and over the weekend I celebrated their first step to tying the knot.

I attended my first enGAYgement (their words, not mine).

Not just the first engagement party of two of my friends, but a party celebrating their love that we were never sure could or would happen.

There was never a question about whether or not they loved one another. In fact, they were the only stable relationship in my group of friends from high school until very recently.

It had everything most engagement parties have: balloons, champagne, friends, family, fairy lights, a grazing table (this is a new thing apparently and oh my, god it needs to be praised as the greatest invention ever) and most importantly it had two grooms to be.

When we were having the marriage equality vote, I was speaking to one of these grooms to be about how he'd never been sure if he'd be able to marry his partner. He really wanted the government to stop meddling in his business and let him marry the man he loves.

Well they did pull their finger out of the pie and now my friend is graciously (or not so much graciously) waving the gay flag as high as he can.

EnGAYgements are a thing of now, not of the future. They are a celebration of love in front of friends and family before they sign on the dotted line and even if they add an extra letter in, they are still doing exactly what my straight friends are doing. Celebrating love.

I'm not the biggest supporter of marriage, I think it's a little outdated and unnecessary, but I do think everyone should have the chance to take part in the practice. Also, I do like a good party and I do like celebrating and drinking with friends, so I can usually get behind an engagement or wedding.

It's not so much about the actual act of marriage that I am against, I am against spending thousands and thousands of dollars on a ceremony of something I can do in five minutes at a registry office.

Despite my cynical feelings towards marriage, I was so happy to watch my two friends take the next step in celebrating their love.

You've got to love an enGAYgement.