Somerset Wedding Registration Service - Ceremonies Guide

If you have your heart set on a particular date, you may need to be flexible about the venue. If your priority is Location Location Location, then it’s a good idea to have some alternative dates in mind.

Whoisbenjmain Photography

MARRIAGE OR CIVIL PARTNERSHIP – WHICH ONE IS FOR YOU?

Both types of ceremony cost the same and are available to both same and opposite sex couples. You can have either one as a simple “2+2” ceremony for yourselves and two witnesses, or as a full ceremony with all your friends and family present. Visit our website for more information about the differences between the two. Just let us know which you would prefer when you send in your booking request.

Throughout this guide, we normally refer to marriage or weddings to keep things simple and a bit less wordy. However, this includes civil partnerships too as the process is essentially the same. If you’re unsure which one is for you, hopefully this will help! We provide civil marriages, which we just refer to as marriages. Legally, these are the same as traditional church marriages but can contain no religious content – that’s what makes them “civil”. They can take place at register offices or approved premises that are licensed for ceremonies.

A civil partnership provides the same legal rights and responsibilities as a marriage, but it is purely a legal contract without the traditional associations. Some people choose this type of union if they are uncomfortable with the historic idea of marriage. Civil partnerships were originally introduced for same sex couples before they had the opportunity to marry, but this was extended to all couples from 2020. The main difference to the ceremony is that you have the option not say your vows out loud for a partnership. It can be a simple signing instead - whatever you are comfortable with.

Whoisbenjmain Photography

Whoisbenjmain Photography

4

CEREMONIES GUIDE

Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator