Civil Ceremony
What is the difference between a marriage and a civil partnership?
A civil partnership is formed by signing a contract, and a marriage is formed by the exchanging of vows and then the signing of a marriage certificate. A marriage ceremony can be a religious or civil ceremony, whereas a civil partnership is entirely a civil ceremony. Whether you want to make it unique or keep things simple, the steps for arranging your civil wedding ceremony are the same. We'll take you through what you need to know.
There are some key legal steps to follow in the run-up to your big day, so you'll need to add these to your wedding to-do list. Once these are completed, you can also think about making your civil ceremony unique.
Licensed areas at Cambridge Marina
All civil ceremony wedding venues must hold a license for the location in which a registrar can legally conduct a ceremony. At Cambridge Marina, the Marquee is licensed for up to 450 guests and weddings can be conducted in both the Riverside Suite (which is the first section of the marquee) and the main section of the marquee. We hold an outside ceremony license for the little private island which has a permanent structure where the registrar officiates. The license permits up to 300 guests to attend. In the case of adverse weather, your outdoor ceremony would be relocated in the Riverside Suite. The Registrar has the final decision on whether the ceremony would need to be moved indoors.
Once you have decided to go ahead on your chosen date, you will need to book your Cambridge registrar by following this link for civil ceremony venues.
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What Is Involved in Giving Notice?
Once you have your venue and registrar arranged, the next step is giving notice of your intended marriage at your local register office. This needs to be done at least 28 days before your wedding day. You can only give notice at the register office if you have lived in the registration district for the past seven days. Your notice will be publicly displayed there for 28 days. Remember - to give notice, you're looking for the register office nearest to where you live, not to where you're getting married, if different. If you and your partner live in different districts, you need to give notice separately in your respective local register offices. You must hold the ceremony within 12 months of giving notice, otherwise you must go through the process again. If you change the wedding or corporate events venue, you'll also have to give notice again.
Once you have all the legalities in place you can make decisions on how you would like to personalise your ceremony. Whether a faith or non-religious ceremony or a symbolic ceremony or blessing, you can personalise the event by adding readings and music. The marquee can be decorated according to your theme and if holding an outdoor ceremony, the structure on the island can be wrapped in silk or made into a flower arch or traditional mandap.
