Civil partnerships

Same sex couples wishing to formalise their relationship may do so by registering as a civil partnership. Couples may enhance the registration with a Kentish civil partnership ceremony.

In Kent a civil partnership can only be registered by a Civil Partnership Registrar appointed by the county council. Registrations may only take place in the Register Office, county council Registration Offices or approved premises (such as hotels, stately homes, castles etc.) licensed by the county council. There is no legal religious alternative.

The registration of your civil partnership is special to you - and we have provided a range of choices for you - whether you choose registration or a registration and ceremony.

• Registration only - this may take place either at a Kent County Council owned ceremony venue (a Registration Office) or at ceremony venues especially licensed by Kent County Council such as hotels, castles, country houses or civil buildings. The registration has a simple format and should take no longer than 15 minutes. Please note, a registration does not include any personal ceremony choices.
• Registration and Simply Perfect Ceremony - 2 Simply Perfect packs are available covering ceremonies at Kent County Council owned ceremony venues and ceremonies at 1 of the many ceremony venues specially licensed by Kent County Council. Both packs provide a framework for the personalising of the ceremony to include special vows, poetry, music, prose or personal messages of celebration and the involvement of family and friends.

The civil partnership ceremony can be traditional or a less formal occasion, alternatively you may wish to consider a 'theme partnership ceremony'.

To enter into a civil partnership couples must be:

• of the same sex
• not already in a civil partnership or lawful marriage
• not closely related to 1 another
• aged 18 or over (or provide evidence of consent if aged 16 or 17)

People who are subject to immigration control will need to check with their local ceremonies teams to discuss their eligiblity.

If this procedure appears daunting in any way - don't worry - our Ceremonies Teams are there to help and provide assistance for your special day.

Further information on civil partnerships can be found from the Government Equalities Office.

Ceremony times - have your say!

Currently couples can only hold a civil ceremony between 8am and 6pm. However, the Government is currently looking to increase the hours when civil weddings and partnerships can take place. We'd love to hear your views on this plan so please take a minute to take part in our survey.