Civil ceremonies within the Royal Borough

We now offer three types of Civil Ceremony: Naming Ceremonies, Commitment Ceremonies and Renewal of Vows Ceremonies. We can perform these at any of the Approved Venues within the Royal Borough. You do not have to live in Kensington and Chelsea in order to be able to plan a Civil Ceremony here. Please note that a Civil Ceremony is not a marriage or a civil partnership and is purely a non-legal celebration.

No two ceremonies are the same as the service is put together by you, creating an event that is as individual as you are and which you and your guests will cherish. Special people in your lives are welcome to take part.

 

A Naming Ceremony

A Naming Ceremony is an occasion for parents, family and friends to pledge their love and commitment to a child. It is an opportunity to celebrate the birth of a new baby or to welcome an adoptive child or step-child into a new relationship and to form a bonding within an extended family.

A Naming Ceremony allows supporting adults, grandparents and older siblings to offer assurance and guidance through their promises to your child. You can choose poems or readings to enhance the ceremony and may present your child with a special gift to mark the occasion.

Naming Ceremonies can be arranged by any parent, whether married or not, from any cultural background and with any spiritual or religious beliefs. There is no age limit to a Naming Ceremony and more than one child may be named at the same time.

A Renewal of Vows Ceremony

This is a special ceremony for married couples who wish to renew their marriage vows in a unique and personal way.

Often a Renewal of Vows ceremony is associated with a special wedding anniversary but the ceremony is just as appropriate for couples at any stage of their marriage. It is a renewal of commitment, particularly relevant to those who have been through a difficult period which may have put a strain on their relationship. This ceremony is a wonderful opportunity to for you both to reaffirm your love for one another.

Many couples who have been married abroad choose to renew their marriage vows on their return at this special celebration in which their family and friends can share. Your children or any other special people in your lives are welcome to take part.

Important: We will need to see a legal copy of your marriage certificate before we are able to proceed with this ceremony. We are also legally obligated to make sure your guests are aware that they are attending a Renewal of Vows ceremony.

“Our immense thanks and appreciation to all the staff who made our Renewal of our Wedding Vows such a special day. Just the right balance of it being a respectful occasion but in a relaxed and welcoming spirit, all of our guests had such a wonderful day.”

A Commitment Ceremony

This is a unique celebration open to both same sex and heterosexual couples who wish to make a public declaration of their love and commitment to each other in the presence of their family and friends. Unlike a marriage, this ceremony has no legal status, but it is intended to be of deep personal significance. You are able to say your promises to each other, exchange rings and invite your guests to participate in the ceremony.

If you prefer, the ceremony may be held in private without any guests present. Either way this is a moving and intimate ceremony that is unique and meaningful.

Venues for a Civil Ceremony

Currently the venues that are available for a Civil Ceremony within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea are those licensed for civil marriage ceremonies. This is because we inspect these premises on a regular basis and are satisfied that they are suitable for a gathering of this nature.

Below you will find a list of the venues within the Chelsea Old Town Hall which are available for a civil ceremony.

If you wish to have your Civil Ceremony in an approved venue you should check with that venue to confirm their capacity and availability.

The cost of a Civil Ceremony

The fees for a Civil Ceremony are as follows: 

Type of fee

 

  

A non-refundable booking fee:

 

 

Rossetti Room

£80.00

  

Brydon Room or Approved Venue

£125.00

  

Plus

 

 

An attendance fee:

Up to 31 March 2014

From 1 April 2014

Rossetti Room Monday to Friday

£175.00

£185.00

Rossetti Room Saturday

£200.00

£210.00

Brydon Room or Approved Venue Monday to Friday

£325.00

£350.00

Brydon Room or Approved Venue Saturdays

£425.00

£450.00

Brydon Room or Approved Venue Sundays and Bank Holidays

£550.00

£575.00

 

Booking a Civil Ceremony

If you would like to book a Civil Ceremony then please feel free to contact this office on 020 7361 4100 between the hours of 9am - 4pm Monday to Friday or email us at chelsea.registeroffice@rbkc.gov.uk

Further information

Once you have booked your civil ceremony with us you will then need to contact a company named Civil Ceremonies Ltd in order to purchase a Ceremony Booking Pack from them. Once you have you received the booking pack you will need to read through the booklet and complete the booking form. This should then be sent to Civil Ceremonies Ltd and they will use it to create the unique script for your ceremony.

The completed script will be sent to this office and the celebrant conducting your ceremony will use this script on the day. Failure to send the booking pack to Civil ceremonies Ltd at least two weeks before the date of your ceremony may mean that your script will not be ready in time.

Contact details for Civil Ceremonies Ltd are as follows:

Telephone: 0845 004 8608

Email: info@civilceremonies.co.uk  

Please note that none of these ceremonies has any legal status.

Registration staff are not acting in their legal capacity when carrying out these ceremonies but as civil celebrants only. Any certificates issued after the ceremonies have taken place are purely commemorative.