Russia has banned same-sex weddings and classified homosexuality as a mental illness, so when Alina Davis and Ellison Brux decided to get married, both dressed as brides, they expected to run into some trouble.

One of the brides Alina is androgynous, and while he was born a man (proved by his birth certificate) he dresses like a woman every day. And his wedding day was no different.

Alina and Ellison looked almost identical on their big day, and they said that while they didn’t experience any trouble when they handed in their marriage application, the head of registry wasn’t too impressed with Alina’s outfit choice:

“Then the head of the registry office called several times, telling us that they didn't want us to turn up both in wedding dresses. He said marriages in Russia were between a man and a woman and nobody else."

On the day itself, the pair ran into a few problems:

"When we arrived at the day of the wedding, the head of the office was trying to hide us all the time.

“They rushed us into the office through a back door and that really offended us. He told us we were a disgrace to the society and we needed medical treatment.

“Now, I am pleased to see that the photos are being shared and it's being discussed and I hope we might inspire others to challenge the restrictive practices here and formalise their unions.”

“We are not alone in having such problems. I have written to couples who are planning similar marriages and are afraid of failures with registration. Be aware – you cannot be refused.”