Marriages & Partnerships
Your guide to getting married or forming a civil partnership in Somerset & North Somerset.
Simple “2+2” Civil Partnership Ceremony Guidance
Your Civil Partnership is a special occasion and we want to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible for you, from giving Notice to planning your perfect ceremony, even if that means as little ceremony as possible.
This page gives you ceremony guidance to help you complete your planning form and let you know what to expect on the day. If there is anything else you want to know or are unsure about, our website should have all the answers. If you can’t find what you’re looking for then do send a query through the contact form.
We need your planning form around a week or two before the big day so we can start personalising your ceremony. As it’s a simpler ceremony we don’t need it as far ahead as the full ceremony form. We often refer to these forms as “pre ceremony check forms” or “PCCs” for short. Previously this form was a downloadable word document but is now a digital form. It should be compatible with most devices. If you experience difficulties filling it in please email the team to request it in a different format.
You will not receive a confirmation email after submission – we will contact you if there are any problems.
Giving Notice
You will both need to give Notice of Civil Partnership. This is the legal and public declaration that you intend to form a partnership, and that you are both free and able to do so.
This must be done no more than 12 months and no less than 28 days prior to your ceremony date. We recommend that you give notice around three to six months beforehand. After 28 days the register office will grant a legal authority to form your partnership. The Registration office in the district of your ceremony will print and retain the paperwork for you. If either one of you is not a UK citizen and subject to immigration control, then the notice period could be up to 70 days so please allow plenty of extra time for this. Find more details about the process and booking information on the Giving Notice page.
Payment
Simple ceremony fees can paid on the day itself if you wish. You can pay in advance in person if you are giving notice at one of our offices. Alternatively, you can call to pay over the phone beforehand. The fee includes the cost of one partnership certificate. You can pay by card over the phone by calling 01823 282251 during normal office hours. You can also pay for additional certificates if you would like extra copies. We can only accept cheques at least four weeks in advance.
Go to the Costs page for up to date information on the costs for giving notice, ceremonies and certificates.
On The Day
We ask that you arrive around 15 minutes before your ceremony start time. Before the ceremony begins, you will have a brief meeting with the registrar to check the details to be entered into the schedule.
Our ceremony schedule is very busy so we do urge you to be on time for your appointment. If there is a delay, please let us know as soon as possible. We will always do our best to accommodate you but may have to postpone your ceremony until later in the day, or even to another date if absolutely necessary.
The Ceremony
The 2+2 Ceremony is very straightforward and most of the elements are optional for civil partnerships. It lasts around 15 to 20 minutes. This is the normal order of service.
- Introduction and Welcome
- Legal Preliminaries
- Partnership Pledges
- Ring Vows
- Announcement
- Signing of the Schedule
You can opt to have a signing only appointment for your civil partnership. We will skip the ceremonial aspects and you will not need to say any vows out loud. Just let us know on the form.
Completing the Pre-Ceremony Check Form
We need your choices at least a week in advance to prepare your ceremony. If we haven’t heard from you, we will prepare a ceremony using the first option for each element.
Booking ID
Enter the 8-digit number that will be on your confirmation email.
Post Code
Just enter the first half of your postcode here, e.g. TA1 or BS14. If you still live separately then just use the postcode for the person filling in the form.
Ceremony Date
Enter the date your ceremony will take place
Ceremony Time
This is the time that your ceremony is booked to start. You will need to arrive around 15 minutes earlier to arrange payment and have your pre ceremony interview.
Names
It is up to you who is Partner 1 and Partner 2. For an opposite sex couple there is no requirement for either the man or woman to be first. Partner 1 will say their vows first, followed by Partner 2.
Please state your current legal names, including all forenames. These are the names that you are using as you enter the marriage, that you will use to sign the schedule and that will be on your certificate.
It is up to you what surnames you adopt after the ceremony. If either party is changing their surname to the other’s, or you are going to double-barrel your names, this will not be recorded on your certificate. The certificate simply acts as proof of your marriage and can be used as evidence for a name change.
Alternative Names
We will need to use your full legal names for the paperwork. However, we can use alternative names during the rest of the ceremony if that is how you are normally known.
Witnesses
You must provide two witnesses who could be, but do not need to be, friends or relatives. Please tell us their names in the pre-ceremony check form. If you need to change your witnesses just let us know on the day. There is no legal minimum age limit, but we ask that they are old enough to understand the ceremony and their role within it. Your witnesses will be asked to sign the schedule at the end of the ceremony.
Ceremony Venue Type
If you’ve booked a basic 2+2 ceremony at a register office for yourselves and two witnesses then you’ll need to choose “Registration Office For Statutory Ceremonies.” Then pick the office you’ve booked for your ceremony.
Your Partnership Pledges
There is no legal requirement for you to repeat vows when forming a partnership but many couples choose to include this element. Let us know whether you would like to include pledges, read aloud the partnership wording or skip this option.
‘I …………..…….. take you …………..…….. to be my Civil Partner. To love, respect and cherish you as long as we both shall live.’
Or
‘I …………..…….. pledge to share my life with …………..…….. I promise to care for you, honour and encourage you; to respect you and be true to you through good times and bad as long as we both shall live.’
Or read aloud the words on the schedule:
‘I declare that I know of no legal reason why we may not register as each other’s Civil Partner. I understand that on signing this document we will be forming a civil partnership with each other.’
Rings
Civil partnerships are a new and modern kind of union, but many couples still like to include familiar customs. It’s traditional for partners to place the ring on the third finger of the left hand. If you’d like to exchange a different token, you may. Please let us know if you will be exchanging one or two rings, or something else. If you tick the option on the form to say no rings it will automatically skip past this section.
Ring Vows
If you are exchanging rings, please choose one of the following vows. The Registrar will say the vow in sections for you to repeat.
Standard
I give you this ring as a symbol of our love and trust.
Ring exchange one
I give you this ring as a token of my love and affection.
Please wear it with a feeling of warmth and pride
I will love you, and remain faithful to you, now and always.
Ring exchange two
I give you this ring as a sign of our love
I promise to be faithful, loving and loyal for always
To cherish you through good times and bad, and to respect and honour you
Ring exchange three
I promise to give you my love and friendship,
To be there for you when you need me the most,
To laugh with you, to cry with you, and to confide in you,
To trust you, to comfort you, and to support you.
All that I have I share with you.
I promise to respect you, and be faithful to you always.
These promises I make for the rest of my life
And I give you this ring as a token of our love.
Ring exchange four
This ring represents our love.
I vow to love you and care for you
I shall spend my life with you
And share everything I have with you.
Announcement
Let us know how you would like to be announced at the end of the ceremony – eg Mr & Mrs Surname, the happy couple, Somerset’s newest married couple, or First name & First name. If you will be using a double-barrelled surname or creating a new name, we can use that in the announcement. If you are having a signing only appointment we won’t make an announcement.
If you have any special requests or additional needs, please use the final part of the form to let us know.
After the ceremony
The Registrar will add closing words before the completion of the schedule. Please take the time to make sure that everything on the schedule is accurate, as there is a fee for correcting entries later if the mistake wasn’t picked up at this stage.
Photographs and Videos
There isn’t space for a professional photographer at a 2+2 ceremony unless they are one of the two witnesses. Your witnesses are welcome to take photographs at appropriate stages of the ceremony. Your witnesses are also welcome to film the ceremony. We’ll make sure you have a chance to take a “signing” photograph at the end if you would like.
Confetti
We allow biodegradable confetti at our registration office venues. Please only use paper, petals/leaves or bubbles – no plastic confetti. Also, please don’t throw rice as it tends to get ground into the floor both inside and out, and can attract unwanted furry friends.
Certificates
The cost of one certificate is included in your ceremony fee and it will be posted to you after everything has been added to the electronic register. Additional certificates can either be ordered when paying for your ceremony or online at any time afterwards at somerset.gov.uk
