What happens at the ceremony?

The ceremony may be as simple or as grand as you wish. We  provide the framework for you to build upon. Each ceremony is divided into the following sections that give you the chance to create something personal to you both.

The minimum requirement to complete a Civil Partnership is the couple attending before an authorised civil partnership officer and signing the registration in the presence of two witnesses. The witnesses must be old enough to understand the ceremony and their role in it. All they will have to do is watch and listen to the ceremony and sign the register.
Any ceremony to mark the formation of a partnership should be a meaningful and seen as a significant event to be celebrated by the couple and their guests. 
You will receive your civil partnership certificate after your partnership is registered and additional copy certificates can also be requested at a later date.

After registering a civil partnership, some people might want to change their surname to that of their partner’s, or a couple may choose to hyphenate their names. Government departments and agencies such as the Passport Agency and the DVLA will accept civil partnership certificates in the same way that they accept marriage certificates as evidence for changing names.