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 So you and your girlfriend have said ‘I do’, had a voracious night of wild, passionate love making, it’s now the morning after and where to start? Unless you or your partner has been previously married, this will be the first time that both of you enter a lifelong commitment together, so it’s important to get the details right, without getting in an unnecessary fluster that may strain relations.
Planning Careful planning and scheduling will allow you to truly enjoy every moment of your civil partnership. Arrangements for large formal occasions should begin at least six months in advance. However, if you and your partner are truly forward thinking, plans for the big day may even begin 18 months beforehand. I’m sure many of you have dreams and aspirations on how you envisage the ceremony and reception, so you need to allocate the required time to ascertain just where, how and who will attend this memorable, romantic event. Choosing a date You and your partner must inevitably come to a decision about the date, bearing in mind that summer weddings tend to book up especially quickly. You will need to sign the civil partnership register locally, and subsequently there will be a 15 day waiting period once notice of intention to register has been given, before the formation can take place. Make sure you sign up early just in case your chosen venue is snapped up by other eager couples. Registration and venues You can register your partnership in any premises licensed to carry out registrations, not just a registry office. For a list of licensed venues, contact your local authority, or the General Register Office at www.gro.gov.uk. There are so many companies and websites that offer bespoke civil partnership services with venue and reception options, but g3 has officially the most extensive selection of choices for British lesbians. And that’s a fact! Naturally, with four to six months to go you will need to consider what sort of reception (if any) you and your partner would like to have. Do you intend to have a small, intimate affair with an exclusive medley of your nearest and dearest chums, or will you and your partner pull out the stops and hire a boardroom at the Dorchester? Why not draft up an invite list, with columns relating to whether they have RSVP’d, plus thorough details of any contact information ensuring you stay one step ahead of the plans, and can budget accordingly. Budgets That brings us rather depressingly to budget. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could fulfill our every wish and have that fairytale wedding once ingrained in our youthful desires? However, stark reality may testify that your wallet may not be as giving as you would like, and dumping the responsibility on the bride’s father doesn’t really make life any easier. So have a good think about catering, clothing and rings among other crucial tasks. Check out www.pinkweddings.co.uk or www.pinkwedingdays.co.uk for some initial tips. Honeymoon Another important consideration will be the illustrious honeymoon. Money and circumstances permitting, you and your betrothed will want to escape the stresses and strains of what will have been a rather chaotic albeit exciting few months. Whether you want to swan around a tropical resort in the Maldives or take a trip fly fishing in the Yorkshire Dales, ensure you have pre-organised travel arrangements to negate any furious flapping on your big day. There are many gay-friendly companies like www.respect-holidays.co.uk or www.gaydartravel.com which can ensure the dream honeymoon without the worry of any homophobia in beautiful, comfortable surroundings. Written By Jo Webber the co-author of The Complete Guide to Gay and Lesbian Weddings, published in August by Foulsham at £9.99. Available in bookshops or from www.foulsham.com. |
