GAY Civil Partnership COMMITMENTS OR UNIONS

Clarifying your Ceremony
In Context with the Legality (Signing)
of your Civil Partnership

Contrary to popular belief, you can have your Civil Partnership Ceremony by WHOMSOEVER YOU CHOOSE.

It's only the Civil Partnership Signing that has to happen with a Registrar.

Your Civil Partnership Signing, HAS to take place in a Registry Office or Registered Premises (some hotels, castles and other historic or interesting places have become Registered Premises).

Depending on who you choose to hold your Civil Partnership Ceremony, you have varying degrees of flexibility both in terms of content and in terms of location.

Your Civil Partnership Signing is very short - around 10minutes in length, and you become legal Life Partners once you have BOTH signed. If you have your Civil Partnership Ceremony before or after your Civil Partnership Signing WITH the Registrar holding the ceremony, your ceremony will be restricted both in terms of content and location.

You cannot include anything that could be classed as religious or spiritual in a ceremony by a Registrar, and individual Registrars have their own unique ways of working - some use the same script for all couples and some are willing to be more creative. If you'd like something beyond what's on offer by Registrars, we can help - please read on.

HAVE YOUR SPECIAL CEREMONY
ANYWHERE THAT PLEASES YOU BOTH
ANYHOW THAT BRINGS YOU BOTH JOY
AND MAKES FOR THE MOST SPECIAL AND MEMORABLE OCCASION
FOR YOU BOTH!

Interfaith Ministers can hold your Civil Partnership Ceremony ANYWHERE - indoors, outdoors, by the river, in a park, on a boat, on the beach, in a hotel or castle, at your house, at the zoo, in a hall, in a church or chapel if the religious minister was willing.

We use the term Civil Partnership Ceremony here to indicate that it's the ceremony that celebrates you becoming Life Partners. If you prefer to call your CP Ceremony a MARRIAGE, an EXCHANGE OF VOWS AND RINGS, a HANDFASTING, a CEREMONY OF COMMITMENT, a CEREMONY OF UNION, a BLESSING or SACRED CEREMONY we're very happy to honour your wishes. We're also happy to hold VOW RENEWALS, or RE-DEDICATIONS. There are no restrictions imposed by us as to what you call your ceremony.

We can also hold your CP Ceremony HOWEVER you wish. If we hold the ceremony for you, there is no legal aspect (this has already been taken care of by the CP Signing with the Registrar). This then leaves you free to celebrate your union in whatever way feels most joyful for you - you can exchange vows and rings, use elements from religious or spiritual traditions, you can have the ritual, readings and music of your choice.

We find out about you both and what you find meaningful, and then we weave together all the different elements you'd like including, into a ceremony unique to you, and made very personal as it's all about you. Your ceremony can be simple or elaborate, with just you, or with a small group of close friends or with all your family and friends; it can be light or deep, sacred or secular. YOU HAVE COMPLETE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE WHAT'S MEANINGFUL TO YOU.

• If you seek to define your union as marriage (beyond the confines of the state and most churches as only available to a heterosexual couple), we can help
• If you seek to define marriage as the joining of two people in love, respect and equality (regardless of gender), we can help
• If you seek to define marriage in a way which is unique to you as a couple, we can help
• If you seek to have a ceremony which recognises and honours your own unique beliefs, using the structure and wording, prayer, ritual, vows, readings and music of your choice, we can help
• If you seek to have a ceremony which can include all the elements most meaningful to you, we can help
• If you seek to write your own vows, we can help
• If you seek to renew your vows, we can help
• If you seek a ceremony of commitment or union - whatever you call your ceremony of celebration, we can help
• If you seek to have freedom of choice in where your ceremony takes place, we can help
• If you seek to have freedom of choice for every aspect of your ceremony content, we can help
• If you seek to have a ceremony which will acknowledge the journey you've made together so far, we can help
• If you seek a ceremony which will honour your union in the present moment as you make your vows and set your intentions for your future together, we can help
• If you seek a ceremony which will celebrate you and bless you as you take your first steps together joined in a new way, we can help
• If you seek a ceremony that will honour, acknowledge and bring your personal spirituality alive (even if you both have different beliefs), we can help
• If you seek anything else not listed above, please ask, it's most likely that we can help!
  

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Interfaith Ministers offering Civil Partnerships - Lesbian and Gay Marriage Ceremonies

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