Civil partnerships

The Glasshouse at Combermere Abbey is an approved premise for civil partnership ceremonies in Cheshire and you can celebrate here irrespective of your home address.

As soon as you have worked out a suitable date, you should speak to our local (Cheshire East) Register Office which is based in Crewe on 01270 375140 to confirm they are available and agree a ceremony time. The choices available to you are 1000, 1200, 1400 and 1600.  You should then contact your local Register office, if you live outside the area, to arrange for you and your partner to give Notice of Civil Partnership. You must both apply in person.

Documents required for Notice of Civil Partnership

When you call to make your appointment to give Notice, ask your Registrar what documents you will need to produce.  They may include:

• Evidence of identity, age and nationality, ideally a passport
• Proof of residence in the form of a utility bill or other official document which shows your home address
• If appropriate, evidence of how any previous marriage or civil partnership ended, such as a divorce decree absolute or a death certificate
• If you are under 18 years of age, parental consent will be required
• If either of you are subject to immigration control, you will need to provide further documents
• You will also need to have the correct fee with you when you give notice.

The registration of the partnership cannot take place until 15 clear days have elapsed from the day of giving notice. During the 15 day waiting period, the Notices will be displayed in your local Register Office.

Once the 15 day waiting period has elapsed, the partnership registration and ceremony can only take place at the venue specified on the Notices. The Notices are valid for 12 months. If you change the venue, or the Notices expire, you will have to re-apply.

If you do live outside the area, your own Registrar will then provide you with a Schedule, which you should forward to the Registrar at Cheshire East.

The Ceremony

Once your booking is confirmed and you have both given Notice of Civil Partnership, you will receive a ceremony guide from Cheshire East Register Office which outlines ideas and suggestions for your ceremony. If you wish to personalise your ceremony with your own readings and music or if you would like to discuss any aspect of your ceremony, contact the dedicated team for Civil Partnership Ceremonies.

There is a CD player in The Glasshouse and we also have a list of recommended musicians, although you are welcome to choose your own.

From April through to the end of October, you may have your ceremony outside in the middle of our romantic fruit tree maze, just a couple of steps from The Glasshouse.

Fees

• Provisional bookings can be made up to three years before the ceremony date. A non-refundable administration fee of £80 is payable when the ceremony is booked.
• The Notice of Civil Partnership costs £33.50 each.

The April 2011-March 2012 fees are:

The fee includes the cost of one certificate; you can obtain additional copies for a fee of £3.50 each at the time of registration.

This information is for your guidance.  Please contact the Cheshire East Ceremonies Team for further information on 01270 375140 or visit their website www.yourceremony.org.uk