As same-sex “weddings” become legal in the UK, wedding planning website, TotallyWeddings.com offers help and advice for those gay and lesbian couples considering taking the first steps.
(PRTraffic/PRWeb) November 30, 2005 -- Across the country, gay and lesbian couples are preparing “to tie the knot” as new legislation comes into force. From 5 December, for the first time in the UK, same-sex couples will be able to make a formal commitment to each other under the new Civil Partnership Act. Couples who register their partnership will gain legal recognition for their relationship, giving them similar rights to heterosexual couples.
T hose wanting to be among the first to hold a civil partnership ceremony will still have to wait until 21 December. Although the Act comes into effect on 5 December, there is a 15-day waiting period between giving notice of intention to register and the actual registration – the equivalent of publishing the banns of heterosexual marriage.
Civil partnerships, like heterosexual weddings, can be registered at a register office or any venue approved for marriage, such as a hotel. Unlike a marriage service, however, the registration has to be entirely secular, as the Act prevents any religious service from taking place during the formation of a civil partnership. Following the signing of the legal documentation, same-sex couples can celebrate their partnership with a ceremony, although it is not required under the Act and some register offices are not offering this additional service.
With the change in the law, an increasing number of venues are now gearing up to provide civil partnership ceremonies for homosexual couples. Finding the right venue and other suppliers to make the big day extra special can be stressful and time consuming.
For anyone planning such an event, help is now at hand in the form of totallyweddings.com – a stylish, non-gender specific wedding planning site. This free, easy-to-use site puts couples in touch with some of the best wedding suppliers around the UK, taking the stress out of planning the Big Day.
“We are proud to see the first gay couples using our free service” says Frankie Simmonds, a director of totallyweddings.com . “Requests so far have gone from general queries such as ‘Venues in Sussex’ to specific requests such as ‘Cerise cravat size large’! If couples are in need of inspiration, haven’t a clue where to start, or are looking for that WOW factor, they can simply ask totallyweddings.com for help and lots of fabulous ideas will come their way.” she adds.
As the whole area of same-sex weddings is very new, totallyweddings.com has put together a “frequently asked questions” section on its website which can be found at http://www.totallyweddings.com/civilpartnershipfaq.htm
About TotallyWeddings.com
Totallyweddings.com is a free wedding planning service that puts brides, grooms, same-sex couples and members of the wedding party in touch with the best weddings suppliers in the UK to find everything from venues to mum's hat.
Contact:
TotallyWeddings.Com
Frankie Simmonds
+44 1622 8428 44
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