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Guidance - Approved Premises for Civil Partnership

Approved Premises for Civil Marriages and Civil Partnerships - part 6

1. As soon as a couple have made provisional arrangements for their civil partnership on approved premises they should be advised that the ceremony coordinator for the venue will contact the Superintendent Registrar for the district in which the premises are situated at The Register Office, Priory Hall, Priory Park, Dudley, DY1 4UE* to request attendance of the Registration staff at the venue for the date and time required by the couple. Confirmation of the attendance of the Registration staff will be sent to the venue within 7 working days by email. The ceremony coordinator for Dudley Registration District will contact the couple to confirm the provisional arrangements and to give advice on the legal procedures (known as giving notice) required before the civil partnership can take place.

a) *A fully completed provisional marriage/civil partnership booking form should be sent to registration.celeb@dudley.gov.uk to request the Registrars’ attendance by the ceremony coordinator at the approved premises.

2. Without the presence of the Registration officer there can be no civil partnership registration and any arrangements for the use of the premises depend entirely on their availability. It is, therefore, essential that the couple make an advance booking with the Registrar as soon as a booking can be accepted. (Up to twelve months in advance of the date of the ceremony.) A fee for this attendance will be payable before the ceremony.

3. The couple will also have to give a notice of civil partnership to an authorised person of the registration authority in which they live. This notice must be given in person by each of the couple and is valid for twelve months. The couple should, therefore, attend the register office(s) where they live as soon as notice can be given. There is a fifteen-day waiting period after notice has been given before the registration can take place.

4. If either of the couple is subject to immigration control, there will be further procedures to follow before notice of civil partnership can be given. The local registration authority can advise further on these procedures.

5. The couple should be warned that any arrangements made for a civil partnership to take place on the approved premises are dependent on:

a) the attendance of the civil partnership registrar for the area in which the premises are situated; and,

b) the issue of the civil partnership schedule by the registration authority for the area in which the premises are situated.

6. The couple should be advised that only a civil, non-religious registration can be permitted by the Registrar. The contents of any proceedings must be agreed in advance by the Civil Partnership Registrar who will be attending the registration.

7. Any rights of copyright for music, readings etc permitted at the registration are a matter for the couple and the holder of the approval.

8. When it is confirmed that the parties have both given their legal notices of civil partnership, the Registrar will send a confirmation letter and information pack to the couple.

9. The parties must be advised of any limit to the number of guests attending their ceremony, determined by the size of the ceremony room.

10. The parties must be advised that punctuality on the day of the ceremony is essential. It must be pointed out that the Registration Staff may be booked to attend other ceremonies in different buildings. Late arrival may result in a shortened ceremony, no photographs following the signing of the register or the ceremony being postponed to a later time.

11. On the day of the ceremony the Registration Staff will arrive 30 minutes before the appointed ceremony time. The Registrar will meet with one partner 20 minutes before the ceremony time in the interview room provided by the venue, the second partner will be seen by the Registrar 10 minutes before the ceremony time in the interview room. If the couple prefer they can been seen together 15 minutes before the ceremony time.