What is it

The Civil Partnership is not a requirement.

It will in fact make no difference, except to prove your commitment to your life together, and have something fun to look forward to. Civil partners have been specifically denied family rights, and their children will not be protected by the constitution like the children of married couples.

Still, it is a good first step to protect the children in case of litigation. It will not change the fact that only one of the two adoptive parentsw will be the legal parent, as a sole adopter. But it will give the partner a social status above “boy/girl-friend” or “civil cohabitant”.

Is it a wedding?

Yes. Only conservative ignorance would argue otherwise.

A wedding is defined as a ceremony where public vows to support and love one another and live together are exchange. The pledging makes the wedding.

Such a pledge is included as a pre-requisite to the validity of the signature of the registry. All the rest is what society sees a a wedding, and it is also included in the case of civil partners.

In all the meaning of the word, a Civil Partnership is as much (or as little) of a wedding as a civil marriage is. The wedding industry has understood that from the start.

More info

• http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2010/en/act/pub/0024/print.html
• http://www.groireland.ie/civil_partnership.htm
• http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/birth_family_relationships/civil_partnerships/civil_partnership_and_same_sex_couples.html

Here is the way your wedding ceremony will go.

You are allowed by law to add other stuff (more complex vows, readings, as long as it is not religious).

Civil partnership ceremony

Good morning. My name is …….……… Registrar and I am conducting the civil partnership between <…Partner1…> and <…Partner2…> today.

<…Partner1…> and <…Partner2…> would like to thank you for coming here today to celebrate their partnership. It means a great deal to them that you can be here to share their happiness as they make their promises to each other.

<…Partner1…> and <…Partner2…> will register their civil partnership and will make pledges before you as a public demonstration of their love and commitment to each other.

<…Partner1…> and <…Partner2…>, you both formally attended in the presence of a Civil Registrar on the …….……… and on that occasion, a declaration was signed by you both, stating that there is no legal reason why you may not register as each other’s civil partner.

I now call on you to make a verbal declaration in the presence of your witnesses to re-affirm that there I is no legal reason why you may not be registered as each other’s civil partner.

Couples and witnesses to stand

<…Partner1…>, repeat after me:

“I do solemnly and sincerely declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why we may not register as each other’s civil partner. I declare my intention to live with and support you and I declare that I accept you as a civil partner in accordance with the law.”

<…Partner2…>, repeat after me:

“I do solemnly and sincerely declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why we may not register as each other’s civil partner. I declare my intention to live with and support you and I declare that I accept you as a civil partner in accordance with the law.”

<…Partner1…>, do you understand the declarations you have now made? Have you made them of your free will and without duress?

<…Partner2…>, do you understand the declarations you have now made? Have you made them of your free will and without duress?

Couple to face each other for vows

Before <…Partner1…> and <…Partner2…> actually register their partnership they would like to make their vows:

<…Partner1…>, repeat after me:

“I pledge to share my life with you. I promise to love, honour and support you. I will respect you and be true to you, through good times and bad. To these promises, I give my word.”

<…Partner2…>, repeat after me:

“I pledge to share my life with you. I promise to love, honour and support you. I will respect you and be true to you, through good times and bad. To these promises, I give my word.”

Ring ceremony (optional)

<…Partner1…> and <…Partner2…> are now going to seal their partnership with the giving and receiving of a ring. A ring is an unbroken circle; it has no beginning and no end. It symbolises unending and everlasting love and is an outward sign of the lifelong promise that you have made to each other.

<…Partner1…>, could you please place the ring on <…Partner2…>’s finger and repeat after me:

“I give you this ring as a token of my love, a symbol of all that we have promised and all that we now share.”

<…Partner2…>, could you please place the ring on <…Partner1…>’s finger and repeat after me:

 “I give you this ring as a token of my love, a symbol of all that we have promised and all that we now share.”

Optional

Non-religious vows and/or readings (music too?), in English or Irish, can be included after clearing it with the registrar.

Unless the registrar can satify herself that vows/readings in another language do not add any religious dimension to the proceedings, she may approve the use of the another language but it is unlikely.

Conclusion

<…Partner1…> and <…Partner2…> have made the declarations as required by law and will now sign the Civil Partnership Registration form which is the final step in becoming civil partners.

The parties to the civil partnership, the witnesses and the Registrar (in that order) sign the civil partnership registration form. The civil partnership is legally binding once the registrar has signed the form.

The registrar concludes:

By virtue of the powers vested in me by the Civil Registration Act 2004 I pronounce you civil partners of each other.