1 Overview
Bespoke marriages and civil partnerships
Our bespoke marriages and civil partnerships allow you to personalise your ceremony.
While there are legal requirements that have to be met within the ceremony, we can tailor it so it is unique to you. The legal part of the ceremony doesn't have to be held on the same day as the celebratory part of the ceremony - please feel free to discuss your ideas with our ceremony booking team.
Information regarding the difference between marriage and civil partnership is available on our types of ceremony page.
If you would simply like a commitment ceremony, with none of the legal formalities, we can also help with this.
2 Legal requirements
A legal ceremony, to include the declarations and signing of the schedule, must take place at a licensed venue or dedicated ceremony room.
It generally takes place before your unique celebration, either on the same day or the days leading up to it and is conducted by one of our registrar celebrants. Where possible, the same celebrant will perform both ceremonies.
Once you have booked your legal ceremony you will need to book an appointment to give notice. It is a legal requirement that both you and your partner give notice of the marriage at your local register office.
Registrar celebrants and independent celebrants
It is important to note that our registrar celebrants are trained to officiate at marriage and civil partnership ceremonies and are registered with the General Register Office.
You will only be legally married or civil partnered if you have gone through the process of giving notice and having a legal ceremony. This can only be done through the registration service or a registered religious building.
You can only be legally married or civil partnered by a registrar celebrant in a civil ceremony (or through a religious ceremony in a church, chapel or other registered religious building). A civil marriage ceremony will include the statutory and contracting words required under marriage law in the presence of two or more witnesses and requires signing of the marriage schedule.
An independent celebrant can conduct all non-legally binding ceremonies such as funerals or renewal of vows, as well as undertake celebration of marriage ceremonies. However, any celebration of marriage they undertake will not be legally binding and you will not be legally married.
All registrar celebrants are able to carry out marriages, civil partnerships, renewal of vows, baby naming, celebration of marriage ceremonies or commitment ceremonies.