Civil Partnership Ceremonies

Step 1 - Choose your venue

Choosing where to have your ceremony is one of the first, and most exciting, decisions you’ll make, and it helps set the tone for your entire day. Here in Leicestershire, we’re fortunate to offer almost 60 licensed venues and Registration Offices., making it easy to find a location that reflects your style and fits your budget. You can explore all of our licensed options on our Registration Offices and Venues pages.

Once you have selected your venue, we recommend booking your Registrars as early as possible, even if your ceremony is a few years away. This helps secure your preferred date and time and ensures everything is in place for your special day.

Step 2 - Book your ceremony / Registrar

To book your Registrar, please contact our friendly team on 0116 3056565. Bookings can be made up to three years in advance of your ceremony date. As we don’t currently offer online booking, calling us is the best way to secure your preferred date and time.

A non-refundable deposit is payable when you make your booking, so we recommend reviewing our terms and conditions beforehand. You can also view our current fees here. If you need to change the date, time or venue of your ceremony, an amendment fee will be charged as per our current fees.

Step 3 - Notice of civil partnership appointment

Before your ceremony takes place, there are some important legal formalities that must be completed. Each of you will need to give your notice of civil partnership, in person, at a Registration Office within the district where you live.

Giving notice is a legal requirement. By doing so, each of you will formally declare your intention to form a civil partnership. You must each give notice individually to the Registration Service where you live, and you must have lived in that district for at least seven consecutive days before your appointment.

If you live in Leicestershire, you can book your notice of civil partnership at any of our seven offices by calling us on 0116 3056565. If you live outside Leicestershire, you will need to contact the Registration district local to your home address. You can find your nearest office here. If you live in different Registration districts, you will need to give your notice separately to your local office.

Notice can be given up to 12 months before your ceremony. However, we recommend completing this as early as possible – ideally at least three months before your chosen date (28 clear days in the absolute minimum) – to allow plenty of time for all legal checks to be completed.

You can find more detailed information about the legal requirements here. If one or both of you are not a British national or are subject to immigration control, additional conditions may apply to your notice of civil partnership. Please see here for further guidance, or contact us on 0116 3056565 and our team will be happy to help.

Step 4 - Personalising your ceremony

Now it is the perfect time to let us know how you’d like to personalise your ceremony. The options available will depend on the type of ceremony you have chosen.

Remember, you can choose either a legal-focused ceremony or a full ceremony. Please don’t worry if you change your mind closer to the day, your Registrar will confirm your preferred ceremony style with you when you arrive.

Around 12 weeks before your ceremony (or at the time of booking if your ceremony is within that window), you will receive an email with an options form to complete. This form allows you to share details such as your music choices, witness names, entrances and other preferences.

We kindly ask that you complete this form promptly so we can include your choices in your ceremony paperwork.

For full guidance on what you can expect and how to prepare, please refer to your ceremony information, which is emailed to you when you book and again when we send your options form.

Civil partnership to marriage conversion

Any same-sex couple in a civil partnership has the option to convert their partnership into a marriage if they wish to. You can choose to this with or without a ceremony, and you will receive a marriage certificate showing the original date your civil partnership was formed.

Please call us on 0116 3056565, where our team will be happy to answer any questions you may have and help you book your preferred type of conversion.

Converting without a ceremony

You will both need to attend an appointment at one of our offices. There is no requirement to live, or to have previously lived, in Leicestershire to convert your civil partnership here.

You will need to bring along your civil partnership certificate/s, and the documents needed to confirm your identity and address, along with the correct fee. We will advise you of the specific documents required when you book your appointment

Converting with a ceremony

Although a ceremony is not a legal requirement, we are very happy to provide one if you would like it. Your ceremony can take place at the following:

• A Registration Office
• A licenced venue
• A registered religious building, provided the religious organisation and the building permit same-sex marriages
• A premises where a Jewish of Society of Friends ceremony will take place immediately after the conversion

If you would like your conversion to include a ceremony, please contact us and we will guide you through the next steps.