Any same-sex couple can arrange to convert their civil partnership into a marriage if they choose, as long as the civil partnership took place in England or Wales. Opposite-sex couples are not able to convert their civil partnership to a marriage, as they had the choice of a marriage or a civil partnership at the time of their ceremony.
You do not have to live in Islington or the City of London to convert your civil partnership here.
You can either do this in a simple appointment, or choose to have a ceremony. If you want to book an appointment-only conversion (called a one-stage conversion), please see this webpage for more information.
What are the steps to arrange a civil partnership conversion ceremony (two-stage conversion)?
1. Choose your venue – Islington and City of London have over 50 licenced venues to choose from, from ancient livery halls to modern restaurants. Many couples choose to Say I Do again at the beautiful and historic Islington Town Hall, and you can see photographs, information and prices for all our ceremony locations by visiting these pages:
2. Book your venue and registrars – When you’ve decided where you want to hold your ceremony, you will need to book the date and time with us. If you are holding your ceremony at the Town Hall, the room and registrars are booked during the same process. If you are holding your ceremony in another venue, you will need to book your venue and then book the registrars to attend your venue.
Please email us to discuss the dates and times we can offer you. Once a date and time is agreed and you have paid a deposit, we’ll send you a confirmation email.
3. Make an appointment to complete the first stage of the conversion process – This means making an in-person appointment at Islington Town Hall to show them proof of your identity, address and your civil partnership, and fill out some paperwork. This should be done at least one month before the ceremony. Please email us to make an appointment to do this.
4. Pay the final fee – If you didn’t pay the full fee at the time of booking your ceremony, you will be reminded to make the final payment at least three months before your date.
5. Choose your ceremony content – We will send you information about the choices you have, and ask you to complete a form with your decisions. We ask you to return this to us at least a month before the ceremony. Each ceremony is individual and can reflect events in your life together. We will give you script examples and help you choose the ceremony content that is right for you.
6. Arrive on the day and have a wonderful time!
We have lots of information you may find helpful on our ‘Your Questions’ page, although many of these are aimed at couples holding first marriage and civil partnership ceremonies, and our staff are able to answer any other questions you may have.