The new law to allow same-sex marriage marriages comes into effect on Saturday, March 29, 2014.

Brighton Pavilion, Music Room
Brighton Pavilion, Music Room
To celebrate, Brighton & Hove City Council’s Register Office, in partnership with the Royal Pavilion are accepting applications from same-sex couples wishing to be the first couple to be wed in the city.The selected couple will be wed, free of charge, in the magnificent setting of the Royal Pavilion’s Music Room at what will be both Brighton & Hove’s first same-sex marriage and first late night wedding. At one minute past midnight on the day same-sex marriage ceremonies become legal, the city’s registrars will conduct the first wedding in the Music Room of the Royal Pavilion. This will be the first marriage to take place in the beautiful Music Room which has only recently been licensed for evening weddings.Cllr Leo Littman, lead councillor for City Services, said: “We warmly welcome the change in the law allowing people of the same sex to marry one another.“Brighton and Hove is a very popular place for both weddings and civil partnerships. We are now seeing a high level of interest from same-sex couples wanting to get married here. You can feel the excitement build towards the city’s first same-sex wedding in March.“Holding the first ceremony in our grand, historic Royal Pavilion gives the city the chance to show itself for what it is; egalitarian, forward looking and also with a real respect for our history. It’s a venue close to my heart; I was married at the Royal Pavilion in 2007. “We hope and expect that in the years ahead many more happy couples will choose to hold their weddings in our city.”This offer is open to any same-sex couple planning to be married in Brighton & Hove. Both parties must be legally able to be married on March 29, 2014. The couple must also be willing for the media to be present at their ceremony and to appear in publicity about this historic moment.Couples in existing civil partnerships cannot apply as the legislation to convert a civil partnership to a marriage has not yet been announced.Senior Ceremonies Registrar, Trevor Love, part of the team organising the celebrations for the day, said: “We’ve been taking enquiries for over a year from couples wanting to know when we will be able to offer same-sex weddings. Even before the government announced the official date, we were inundated with people wanting to be married as soon as the law allowed and asking to go on a waiting list. We hope to share this sense of excitement. The ceremony we have planned is going to be a wonderful celebration for the happy couple and the city.”The selected couple will be able to invite 80 guests to join them for their wedding in the Royal Pavilion Music Room. There will be no charge for the registration services or room hire for the ceremony, however all other costs associated with the wedding must be met by the couple including accommodation, transport, catering, reception or other room hire and new frocks.Couples are invited to write or email Brighton & Hove City Council Register Office in big letters explaining why the Royal Pavilion is special for them and what it would mean to be married there on March 29. The closing date for applications to be received is Friday, January 31, 2014. The lucky couple will be announced on Friday, February 14,  2014.The Register Office is already taking bookings for Saturday 29 as many same-sex couples are wanting to be wed on the very first day the law allows.To apply for this special Royal Pavilion ceremony, e-mail: register.office@brighton-hove/gov.ukIn the ‘subject box’ mark your e-mail: First Wedding March 29.If you do not have access to e-mail write to:Linda Holm Superintendent Registrar, Brighton & Hove Register Office, Town Hall, Brighton, BN1 1JAFor information on ceremonies with Brighton & Hove City Council Register Office, including fees for registrars attending external venues, CLICK HERE:

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