Royal Borough Registrar Ceremonies Guide - Flipbook - Page 27
I had a simple marriage abroad for legal reasons
but now wish to celebrate with friends and family
here in the UK
We can offer a celebration ceremony. This is not legally
binding and cannot contain the legal marriage vows, but we
have a range of alternative suggested vows, or you can write
your own. Otherwise, you can celebrate as you choose, with
bridesmaids, exchanging rings, being walked down the aisle
– plenty of ways to make it really special!
We need to change the date of our ceremony – is
that possible?
We understand that circumstances can change. When you
book, we will discuss the terms and conditions with you
and send them to you in your confirmation email. You can
bring your ceremony forward (assuming you have given
notice already) or postpone for up to year from the original
ceremony date. There will be an administrative charge for
the rebooking, plus any small increase or refund in the fees
paid depending on whether you move to a date attracting a
higher or lower price.
When you give notice, your documents are valid for a year,
so if your new date is beyond the date you gave notice then
you may need to give notice again.
Can we have drinks before or during the ceremony?
Food and drink cannot be consumed in the ceremony room/
area for an hour before or during the ceremony. Of course, a
drinks reception away from the ceremony room is fine and
in the ceremony a glass of water to soothe a nervous dry
mouth is totally fine!
What is the difference between a civil
partnership and a same sex marriage?
In the UK civil partnership was originally introduced as an
alternative to same sex marriage. Now marriage is available
to all couples, and more recently civil partnership has also
been made available to opposite sex couples. So, the choice
of marriage and civil partnership is available to all couples.
There can be confusion between a civil marriage and a civil
partnership – civil marriage is a non-religious legal marriage
conducted by a registrar. A civil partnership is a legal
alternative to this. Please see the information on the
government website.
Please note if you are same sex couple in a civil partnership
this can be changed to be a marriage if you so choose. This
is because for some couples they did not have the option of
marriage at the time they formed their partnership. This is
therefore not an option for opposite sex couples, who must
dissolve their partnership if they wish to be married.
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