Questions and answers

Q My partner and I are planning to hold a Civil Partnership celebration that reflects our characters and does not look like a copy of a straight wedding, but we don't want to make any of our relatives and friends feel uncomfortable about coming to a gay event.

A If you make sure that the invitations are clear about the fact that this is a Civil Partnership and not a wedding, your guests will have accepted the concept when they accept your invitation. If you use the services of a gay planning and design company, such as The Big Bash Company, we will be able to organise an event which is not a pastiche of a wedding, but which will celebrate your personalities and leave all of your guests with a warm feeling that they were honoured to have participated in a significant occasion in your lives.

Q Since the concept of Civil Partnerships is so new to the UK , is there any pattern to follow?

A This is one of the most exciting aspects of the new law: there are no rules or etiquette to follow. The best ceremonies are always the ones you think out from scratch so that everything is done for a purpose, not simply because this is what is expected of you. There may be aspects of straight weddings that you like and may copy - but don't feel restricted. If you are looking for ideas, why not give us a call and see how we can help?

Q We've decided to register as Civil Partners, but have no idea what to do next. Where do we start?

A You have to make some fundamental decisions early on - such as whether you want a small private ceremony or a big do, how much you can afford to spend, who you want to invite and where you want to do the deed. You will need to choose a venue that is licensed for Civil Partnerships (any of those that are licensed for civil marriages will be able to do this too - look at the General Register Office web site for a complete list for your area) and make a provisional booking before contacting your local Register Office to book the services of a Registrar. In most cases they will be very helpful and will advise you on how to make your ceremony special, but you may decide to engage the services of a professional celebrant (for contacts try the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association ). Then you can start planning the details of the ceremony, the guest list, catering, entertainment, transport and so on, and organising a day to celebrate your Partnership in style and leave your guests with warm and happy memories of a unique event. If all this seems too much to take on or too stressful and exhausting, give us a call to see if we can help to handle some or all of the details.

Q One of my favourite pieces of music is a hymn. Will I be able to have this at my Civil Partnership ceremony?

A No. The same rules apply to both Civil Partnership and civil wedding ceremonies as far as religious content is concerned. Only a civil, non-religious ceremony is permitted, so any music, reading, words or performance which forms a part of the ceremony must be secular and agreed with the Registrar in advance. For more information have a look at the DTI's Women and Equality web site. You may be surprised to find that you can't even use popular classics such as Robbie Williams' Angels or readings that include religious references. However, do check with your registrar as it is possible that the rules may be relaxed somewhat in the near future.

Q Will we be able to change our names once we register as Civil Partners?

A Yes. The Government (including agencies such as the Passport Office and the DVLA) will accept civil partnership certificates just as they do marriage certificates as evidence of name changes - so you can choose to adopt each other's names or hyphenate them if you like. Just don't blame us if the postman gets confused!