Westminster ceremonies
Civil marriage A civil marriage ceremony is performed by two registrars and can take place at a register office or other venues approved by Westminster City Council to hold such ceremonies. To ensure that a valid civil marriage contract is made, there cannot be any religious practices, themes, wording or music included in the ceremony. Partners can be of the same or opposite sex to enter a civil marriage. Notice of intention to marry must be given prior to entering a civil marriage – for further guidance on this please see page 9.
The ceremony begins with a warm welcome and introduction from the registrar. We offer different versions of the ceremony, which you may personalise with the addition of your own vows, music, or readings. However, all ceremonies contain some mandatory legal declarations which cannot be altered. During the ceremony you and your partner will be asked to say your marriage vows, and depending on your choice, rings may also be exchanged. Music can be incorporated into the ceremony to enhance the entrance
and exit of the couple, and the signing of the marriage schedule.
Whether you choose one of our suggested ceremonies (available to download from our website www.adaytoremember.london/ ceremonies) or make amendments to them, you will need to confirm your final ceremony choice to the Register Office prior to the ceremony by completing the ceremony planner which can be found at www.adaytoremember.london/ceremonies/ scripts-1. Please include as many details as possible about how you want your ceremony to run and be sure to submit it at least one week before your ceremony. Civil partnership To enter a civil partnership you can be of the same or opposite sex. Both of the partners, two witnesses and a registrar sign a civil partnership schedule, at the time of the ceremony. A civil partnership is recognised as a legal contract between two partners and can be conducted at any register office or approved premises. You can choose to have a purely administrative process where you sign the document in front of two witnesses or you can combine it with a ceremony. There is a sample ceremony script available to download from the website www.adaytoremember.london/ceremonies/ scripts-1 Civil partnership conversion You can convert your existing (same sex) civil partnership into a marriage at Westminster Register Office or at an approved venue. You can choose to have a purely administrative process, or to have a ceremony following the legal registration of your marriage.
You will need the following documents for the conversion:
• original civil partnership certificate • proof of identity e.g. a passport (if your name has changed you will also need a document showing the link between your names) • proof of address e.g. utility bill, bank statement, driving licence
Lucie Watson Photography
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