Bizarre way couple settled surname debate at their wedding
A British couple has gone viral after settling the question of whose surname to take at their wedding with a game of rock, paper, scissors.
The unorthodox moment played out right at the altar, leaving guests in shock as the pair tossed aside tradition and opted for a best-of-three showdown to choose their family name.
'Ro Sham Bo to see who takes whose last name, Hunter versus Pearce,' a wedding guest is heard saying in the clip shared on social media.
The groom, Pearce, took the lead by winning the first round, but it was the bride, Hunter, who ultimately came out on top.
'Congratulations Mr and Mrs Hunter,' reads the on-screen caption, as the crowd bursts into cheers and the newlyweds share a hug and kiss.
While many Western traditions still involve the woman taking her husband's surname after marriage, a growing number of couples have been embracing an egalitarian approach in recent years.
The viral clip has ignited plenty of discussion online, with viewers both praising and questioning the couple's unconventional choice.
'Love this! Let's normalise this kind of secure masculinity! Solid green flag!' one user commented.
While another user wrote, 'Can we talk about what a green flag groom is? No sore loser tantrum, just hugs and kisses, celebrating his gorgeous wife. Very well done!'
Not everyone was impressed, though.
'Imagine having to take your father in law's last name as a man,' one user commented.
'Ancestors rolling in their graves at this,' another wrote.
Others floated a compromise: 'Pearce-Hunter would be pretty cool, just saying.'
While comprehensive data on the trend in Australia is still limited, Flinders University professor Yvonne Corcoran-Nantes told the ABC in 2016 that over 80 per cent of Australian women continue to take their husband's surname after marriage.
Similar patterns have been observed internationally.
A 2023 report from the Pew Research Centre found that 80 per cent of women in heterosexual marriages in the United States adopted their husband's surname, while a 2019 UK survey cited in Sage Journals put that figure even higher — closer to 90 per cent.
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