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Civil partnerships

Due to an unprecedented demand for our Statutory Weddings and Civil Partnerships, we have been able to expand our ceremony availability to include more days of the week. Please visit our Occasions Telford website to make your booking.

Remember to also book your Notices as soon as you can!

We are delighted to advise that as a result of the implementation of the Civil Partnerships (opposite sex couples) Regulations 2019, a civil partnership can be formed by two people of the opposite sex, as well as two people of the same sex. This allows for all couples to obtain legal recognition for their relationship and be treated equally in a wide range of legal matters to those couples who enter into a marriage.

From 2 December 2019, an opposite sex couple can attend their local Register Office to complete a legal notice of intention to form a civil partnership, which could then take place from 31 December 2019.

Your civil partnership can be formed at our Register Office in Wellington or at any of our approved venues by simply signing the legal schedule in front of your chosen two witnesses and the Civil Partnership Registrar. If you wish, you can have a celebratory ceremony included as part of your special day.

You can now book your Telford & Wrekin Register Office/Wrekin Suite ceremony, or the registrars for a ceremony to be held at an Approved Venue in Telford & Wrekin, by visiting our Occasions Telford website.

Visit the Occasions Telford website

In order to form a civil partnership in the UK, the couple must:

  • be 16 years of age or older,
  • not be within the prohibited degrees of relationship and
  • not already be in a civil partnership or marriage.

Additionally, as with marriages in England and Wales, individuals who are aged 16 and 17 will have to obtain the written consent of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) before the forming of a civil partnership.

Please email register.office@telford.gov.uk should you have any further questions or would like to check the availability of dates.


Civil partnership ceremony

If you are interested in using our Register Office, view our photo gallery which shows our bespoke-designed ceremonies section with seating for up to 60 guests. You can also view a virtual tour of the Register Office, which is available Monday to Saturday.

View our list of approved venues to discover alternative locations within the borough that our staff can attend to perform your ceremony. Ceremonies can be performed at our approved venues on any day of the week, including Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Throughout every step of your journey, we will offer you advice and guidance on how to make your special day a perfect and memorable occasion, personalised to your liking.

Once you have agreed your location of choice, please contact our office to check availability and for advice on what what to do next.

View details of ceremony costs from April 2020 for a civil partnership ceremony


The Notice of Civil Partnership

This is the legal preliminary to your civil partnership. Each party to the civil partnership will need to attend at the Register Office in person and give notice of their intention to become partners. This will be the case even when you live in the same registration district.

You do not have to attend together but are encouraged to do so. The Notice has to be displayed, in accordance with the law, at the local Register Office for a minimum of 28 days.

The Superintendent Registrar for the marriage district will issue the authority for your civil partnership to go ahead only when you have both attended to give notice. A notice of civil partnership is valid for 12 months.

In order to give your Notice of Civil Partnership, you will be asked to produce documents as evidence of name, age and residency. For example:

  • a passport and either
    • a birth certificate or driving licence
    • a utility bill (dated no more than 3 months before the notice date)
    • a bank/building society statement (dated no more than one month before the notice date).

Other documents may also be acceptable. For example, in addition to the above, a recent bank statement or utility bill that shows your current address. Or, if you have been previously married or in a partnership, either an original Decree Absolute (issued after divorce) or an original death certificate of your former spouse/partner.

If you have changed your name by deed poll or statutory declaration, you will be required to produce that document.

Each party to the partnership will be required to declare their nationality. This will enable the Superintendent Registrar to advise you whether any further administrative procedures or legal requirements are needed to ensure the recognition of your partnership in the country of which you are a national.

There is a fee of £35 per person that in non-refundable if you do not attend the appointment and this must be paid when the appointment is booked.

Complete our online form to book your notice of civil partnership appointment online


What happens at a civil partnership registration?

A civil partnership will be registered once the couple has signed the civil partnership document in the presence of a registrar and two witnesses.

There will be words printed on the document that the couple will be able to read or say at the time of signing the document.

Civil partnership registration is an entirely secular process and the Civil Partnership Act prevents any religious service from taking place during the statutory steps leading to the formation of a civil partnership.


What will it cost?

View details of ceremony costs from April 2020 for a civil partnership ceremony.


How do I book the Registrar?

To book a ceremony, please do so online by visiting our Occasions Telford website.

You can pre-book your ceremony at least two years in advance by paying a non-refundable booking fee, giving you the assurance that staff will then be available on your special day.


The Marriage (same sex couples) Act 2013

Since 29 March 2014, couples of the same sex can enter into a legal marriage. View our marriage page if you are interested in marriage as an alternative to civil partnership.

View information on converting your partnership into a marriage if you have previously entered into a civil partnership.

Have your say

Our aim is to provide a quality service that is valued by its customers. We are proud of the service we provide and are committed to listening to our customers' views. Please help us to maintain high standards of service by spending a few moments completing our registrars customer satisfaction survey.

Last updated: 07/08/2023 10:26

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