Forming a civil partnership

Congratulations on your engagement!

The following pages explain the procedure for registering a civil partnership and should answer most, if not all, of your questions. Naturally, we can’t include everything about civil partnerships on this website, so if there is anything that you’re not sure about please feel free to call the Register Office.

• The Civil Partnership Act 2004
• The legal paperwork
• Venues for your ceremony
• Booking a ceremony
• Obtaining a Civil Partnership Certificate

Whether or not you live in Kensington and Chelsea, forming a civil partnership is a special occasion. Choosing the right place for your registration is just as important. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has such a lot to offer. If you have logged on to this website to find out more about forming a civil partnership, then we hope to persuade you that Kensington and Chelsea is the place to choose!

The Chelsea Old Town Hall has long been famous as a marriage venue. We bring that same experience to help you arrange your civil partnership registration. Whether you just want to have a simple registration or would like to include a non-legal civil partnership ceremony as part of your celebrations, we will try to ensure that your day is second to none. We are delighted to provide these pages to help you through the planning and organisation of your special day, and pride ourselves on offering you the highest standards of service and customer care.

The Civil Partnership Act 2004, which became law on 18 November 2004, means that same sex couples are able to form a civil partnership and have the same rights as married couples. The first civil partnership registrations took place on 21 December 2005.

When a couple undergoes a civil partnership registration they and their witnesses will sign a record of the registration, and this is the action that forms their legal union.

One of the first things to remember is that you are free to form a civil partnership anywhere in England or Wales which is licensed for civil ceremonies. This means that if you wish to form a civil partnership here in the Royal Borough then you are free to do so, no matter where you live.

The Royal Borough is proud to offer a Civil Partnership Ceremony in conjunction with the registration. Although this is a non-legal ceremony, it gives a couple the opportunity to include readings, music and an exchange of vows and/or rings as part of their celebration.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has been performing civil partnership registrations since 21 December 2005.

You can download and print a copy of our civil partnership brochure [PDF file] (warning: large file size 1.78Mb)

Related information

• Your Civil Partnership brochure

Births Deaths and Marriages

• Births
• Citizenship Ceremonies
• Civil Ceremonies
• Civil Partnerships
• Deaths
• Marriages
•