Approved Venue Ceremony – ENHANCED VENUE CIVIL PARTNERSHIP CEREMONY

Your Registration Service Marriage Ceremony

Congratulations! We are thrilled that you have chosen to form your civil partnership with an Enhanced Ceremony with Leicestershire Registration Service at one of our Approved Venues.

Here in Leicestershire, we are delighted to offer you flexibility in how you want to celebrate your civil partnership. Let us help ensure you have all the information you need about the ceremony itself, so it is one less thing for you to worry about. Here are a few things you need to think about and action before your big day:

If you haven’t done so already, you are required, by law, to each give your notice of civil partnership. You will need to do this in person with your local Registration district (i.e. your local district is the same as where you pay your council tax). This is to inform them of your intention of entering into a civil partnership. If you and your partner live in different areas, you will each need to give notice in your own registration district. However, if you or your partner are subject to immigration control, you must both give notice together in the district in which one or both of you live. Both parties will need to have completed this at least 28 days before the ceremony date. We recommend booking your appointment at least six months before your ceremony date if you can. You can find more information online about the process of giving notice and what you will need for your appointment.

Your civil partnership fees will need to be paid for in full, 8 weeks before your ceremony date. Give us a call on 0116 3056565 to speak to a member of our team. You can pay with a credit or debit card or discuss alternative payment methods. The cost of your civil partnership will include one legal certificate, with additional copies costing £12.50 each.

You can order and pay for additional copies of your certificate either when you pay your ceremony fee or at any time after your ceremony. We strongly recommend ordering extra certificates when you pay your fee if you’re planning to update things like your passport or driving licence with your new name. It’s a good idea to get a few spare certificates, as most places won’t accept photocopies.

You will need to ask two people to witness your ceremony. These can be friends or family members if you wish. Your witnesses must have a good understanding of English, and we recommend that your witnesses are over 16 years old. The Registrars on the day will speak with your witnesses and guide them through the signing of your schedule.

You will both separately have a pre-ceremony interview with the Registrars before your ceremony. One of you will be interviewed 30 minutes before your ceremony, with the second interview being 15 minutes before the ceremony. Your venue will facilitate in organising your interviews.

Our staff work multiple ceremonies in a day, so we aim for them to start promptly to ensure all other couple’s ceremonies run on time. Although we make every effort to accommodate late arrivals, your ceremony may have to be postponed if you or any of your guests are late. You should do your utmost to ensure that everyone arrives on time.

Ceremonies at Approved Venues must take place in licenced rooms, or in a linked outdoor area. A linked outdoor area must be pre-approved by the Leicestershire Registration Service. Approved Venues will know where they can hold ceremonies, so please discuss this with them. Whilst we aim to conduct your ceremony in the place you chose, the decision is ultimately down to the Registrars attending on the day. Outside ceremonies will need inclement weather provision organised inside by the venue. You will also need to complete an outdoor ceremony agreement as part of your online options.

When forming a civil partnership, there is no legal requirement for any legal words to be spoken by you, and you don’t need to have a full ceremony. However, if you wish to have a full ceremony in front of your loved ones, then that is absolutely fine. You can choose either to read and acknowledge the declaration (the legal statement) or you can repeat the words of the declaration after the Deputy Superintendent Registrar.

You will be emailed a link approx. 12 weeks before your big day, which will take you online to complete some details about your ceremony. You will be asked to provide the following information:

• Full legal names of the couple and contact details
• How many people will be in attendance on the day
• Names of your witnesses
• Details of entrances into the ceremony room
• Music choices
• An outdoor ceremony agreement (if applicable)
• You can provide details and upload personalised vows and readings
• Details of your ring exchange (if applicable)
• How you would like to be announced to your guests at the end of your ceremony

Please complete your online options at least 8 weeks before your ceremony. If you need support completing this, please do get in touch.

The online link does not allow you to save your choices and return to complete them at a later date, so please have all of this information ready prior to completing your online choices. We will need all the information to ensure we can fully personalise your ceremony and this will need to be done at least 8 weeks prior to your ceremony, this includes personalised vows and readings. Should you wish to keep your personalised vows a secret from each other, you can email them into us separately. We will hold a copy of your personalised vows and readings with your ceremony paperwork on the day, but it is advised that you have your readings on cards that you have prepared. Please note that personalised vows and readings should be appropriate for a legal ceremony and not contain any religious content or connotations.

A lovely way to include loved ones in your special occasion is to invite them to write/perform a reading as part of your ceremony. A ceremony reading can be almost anything. A traditional reading, a poem, song lyrics, meaningful movie quotes, a literary passage, or something written especially for or by you or your loved ones, your options are truly limitless. As you have chosen to have a civil ceremony, a legal requirement means you will need to ensure your choices contain no religious content or connotations, but other than that, feel free to explore your options. Our Registrars would be honoured to read any readings for you if your guests would rather watch – the choice is yours. If you would like one of our Registrars to read one for you, then just get in touch.

You can personalise your ceremony by having up to four songs of your choice. The first song will be played as you make an entrance, the second and third will be played whilst you sign the legal paperwork and have photographs and the fourth as you exit as the happy couple. As it is a civil ceremony, you will need to ensure that your choices contain no religious content or connotations, and that they are appropriate for a legal ceremony. It is also possible for you to organise live music to be played at your ceremony (in agreement with your venue). Registrars will speak with whoever is organising the music before the ceremony to go over cues etc. Registrars are not responsible for playing music during ceremonies at Approved Venues.

Exchanging rings is seen as a traditional part of a ceremony, but it is your choice whether to do this at your ceremony. If you would like to exchange rings, you will need to decide if you are going to have one of your guests present the rings. You can also let us know if you do not want to exchange rings.

Once we have received your online options, we will be in touch to take your final fee payment and also to arrange a telephone appointment for you to have chat with one of our Registrars. They will go through your ceremony plans, and it offers an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have.

If you are planning on having your civil ceremony as part of your religious celebrations at an Approved Venue this is fine. However, your venue will need to ensure that the room or linked outdoor area where the civil ceremony is due to be held, does not contain any religious artifacts etc.

If for any reason you need to postpone or cancel your ceremony, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. If your legal notices have been given, we will need confirmation of a cancellation emailing to leicsceremonies@leics.gov.uk. Please note, if you change your venue, date or time, you will need to pay an amendment fee.

Please take some time to read our terms and conditions on our website. By submitting your ceremony choices, you are confirming that you have read and agreed to these terms and conditions.

Your Enhanced Ceremony

This is your special day and there is no need to be nervous or worried about the ceremony; our Registrars are warm and welcoming, and we are here to help and guide you through it all. Your ceremony will be attended by one or two members of the Leicestershire Registration Service. On occasion a third member of the team might be present for training and development.

The Deputy Superintendent Registrar responsible for your civil partnership schedule will speak with you individually during your pre-ceremony interview. This will be to ensure all the information we have on your legal documentation is accurate and the information you gave at your notice of civil partnership appointment is all correct. We will also be confirming the details of the ceremony with you. The Registrars will do their best to pronounce your names correctly in the ceremony.

We don’t want you to worry about memorising anything. If you chose to have a full ceremony, then you will be asked to repeat some words back to the Deputy Superintendent Registrar, but these will be broken down into a few sentences or words at a time and we will go at your pace. We appreciate that couples can be anxious about the words that are spoken as part of your ceremony, and we would ask that you get in touch with us so we can reassure you and discuss alternatives.

You will be required to either say aloud or acknowledge the following statement:
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.

If you chose to have a full ceremony, the Deputy Superintendent Registrar will add some additional words to the ceremony.

You will then be able to share your personalised vows and exchange rings (if you choose to) repeating the Deputy Superintendent’s ring vows.

The Deputy Superintendent Registrar will invite you to be seated to sign your civil partnership schedule alongside your witnesses. Your civil partnership is legally formed once all parties have signed the schedule. You will then be announced as civil partners.

Your schedule contains your personal information, so we don’t allow photographs to be taken whilst you are signing this. We do provide a commemorative certificate which can be signed whilst having photos, and it is also a nice memento of the day.

If you have a photographer in attendance, the Registrars will speak with them before the ceremony to ensure you get some lovely photos, whilst not interrupting the ceremony.
You will then be presented with your commemorative certificate and the ceremony will end with the Deputy Superintendent Registrar announcing you as civil partners to your guests.

Your legal certificate/s are not presented to you on the day. Certificates will be posted out to your chosen address once your ceremony has been registered. We aim for you to receive these within 7-10 working days.

Any amendments / corrections to your certificates after you have received them will have to be administered by the General Register Office. This could cost you up to £99 to correct, so it is very important that you check the details on your marriage schedule very carefully before you sign the document.

Forming a Civil Partnership at an Approved Venue

We look forward to seeing you and your guests for your ceremony. Here is some useful information about having your ceremony at an Approved Venue. Please do pass on this information to your guests, if appropriate:

• If you have anyone attending your ceremony with any additional needs that you think we need to be aware of, then please get in touch.
• The use of drones is subject to a number of aviation laws, and this will need to be discussed with your venue. We do not allow the use of drones during your ceremony itself.
• We do not allow food and drink in ceremony rooms or in the immediate vicinity if being held in a linked outdoor area.
• Please speak to your venue about the use of confetti.
• We now allow a couple’s dog/s to attend their civil ceremony at an approved venue. The following guidance must be followed:
• You must have agreed and discussed with your venue, the arrangements of including your dog/s in your ceremony. Not all venues are ‘pet-friendly’, so prior agreement is essential.
• You understand that you can only bring your dog/s to your ceremony. No other dogs/pets will be allowed.
• Dogs will not be permitted at ceremonies at the Leicestershire Registration offices, apart from assistance animals.
• Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times prior and during a ceremony.
• Dogs will not be allowed in the pre-ceremony interviews.
• Dogs must be kept under control at all times.
• Registrars should not approach dogs.
• Your venue agrees to take responsibility for the health and safety of guests and any housekeeping issues that may arise as a result.
• Dogs need to be up-to-date with their vaccinations as well as being treated for worms and fleas.
• The responsibility for looking after your dog/s during your ceremony must be delegated to one of your guests. This cannot be one of your chosen witnesses. If your dog/s becomes unsettled, this guest must be prepared to take them out of the ceremony room.
• Dogs cannot take an ‘active part’ in your ceremony. This means they can’t be ring bearers, bridesmaids etc. They can accompany one/both of the couple into the ceremony room. But must be handed over to the guest responsible for them before the ceremony starts.
• If your dog/s is included in the list of banned breeds as part of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, then you must be following all relevant government guidelines which can be found here https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public/banned-dogs
• We very much want to conduct the ceremony you are hoping for. However, should these terms and conditions not be met, then the Registrars reserve the right to ask for your dog/s to be removed from a ceremony room.

We appreciate that we have given you a lot of information about your ceremony. Please remember that we are here to help, and you can email us at leicsceremonies@leics.gov.uk or give us a call on 0116 3056565 to discuss any part of your ceremony. We are here to support you through this very important time of your life.

Updated February 2026