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Civil partnerships: The facts

What is a civil partnership?

It’s society’s way of finally publicly recognising that you and your same-sex partner do want to live happily ever after in the eyes of your family, friends, work colleagues and all your nosey neighbours. It’s also legally
binding, so it’s not something to do for a dare ..

When did the law change?

The Civil Partnership Act came into force on December 5 2005, which paved the way for the UK’s first gay
‘marriages’ on Wednesday December 21.

So how many have done it?

Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish were among the first of nearly 700 same-sex couples in England and Wales who made it legal. The couple, who had by then been together for 11 years, tied the knot at the Guildhall in Windsor - a year after Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles married at the same venue. The Government, though, estimates that 22,000 same-sex couples will want to sign the civil register by 2010.

So how do we do it?

After you’ve plucked up the courage to propose, you’ll need to let the registrar - as well as your mum and dad - know. That’s pretty important. Once you’ve done that - you will need to make an appointment - you can tie the knot 15 clear days later at almost any venue in the UK that is licensed to host civil weddings. Or then again, you can just sign a piece of paper in front of two witnesses.

Can we tie the knot in church?

Ministers are expected to publish plans to allow gay couples to "marry" in church very soon. Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone is to propose lifting the ban on civil partnerships taking place in religious settings in England and Wales.
However, there are no plans to compel religious organisations to hold ceremonies and the Church of England has said it will not allow its churches to be used.

At the moment, though, you can get married anywhere you want in the UK, provided the venue holds a licence for civil weddings - and is happy to host your civil partnership [We have sourced the ones that are genuinely happy for you]. Although your ceremony currently cannot include any religious references, you could have a blessing at a later date with a gay-friendly vicar. There are some.

Are there any rules when it comes to the ceremony?

Apart from the religious one, there are no rules. And that’s the first rule to having a day to remember..

What perks do we get?

Plenty .. including the right to your partner’s pension. In short you will be treated the same as a married, straight couple except you’ll also know that rainbows are not just for children’s books..

What happens if it all goes horribly wrong?

We hope it doesn’t, but if does you will need to get a ‘divorce’. In our world, though, it’s called a dissolution. That’s fine by us; we like to be different ..

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@heatherpeace that sounds lovely. and what we used to do (apart from the rehearsing bit) until we had a baby..he tends to call the shots now 03 Feb 2012 14:34:11
It's not often we speak up for the Church, but today we'd like to thank the Bishop of Salisbury for coming out in support of gay marriage. 03 Feb 2012 10:48:40
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