In the early afternoon of July 27 Shayne Mallard and Jesper Hansen will wed in a towering old church in Copenhagen before 100 witnesses. Their marriage will last less than a fortnight, a trifling normally reserved for Hollywood celebrities.

Mr Mallard, a former Liberal Party candidate and City of Sydney councillor, is dreading the moment they return home, post-honeymoon, to Australia, where their same-sex ceremony will not be recognised under law. "When the wheels touch down in Sydney the discrimination just comes straight back into our lives," he says.

Happy couple: Jesper Hansen and Shayne Mallard. Credit:Edwina Pickles

But he sees NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell's support for gay marriage as part of an evolution in conservative politics. He counts Mr O'Farrell as a friend and invited him to the summer wedding but the Premier is unable to attend. He has, though, bought the happy couple a present. ''We need a new toaster. The one we've got keeps burning bread,'' Mr Mallard said, laughing.

Confirmed guests include NSW upper house president Don Harwin and Hornsby MP Matt Kean. Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian says she also hopes to attend the wedding of her ''dear friends''.