Thanks for asking! A Civil Partnership is like a wedding, but secular (eg. without the religious elements or the traditional vows). It's something we've been considering for a while and once it became available to mixed-sex couples, we wanted to celebrate our love together with a ceremony.
Whatever you like! We're not going to be wearing white dresses or morning suits: just dress however you'd like for a night of celebration together. If this is too vague, here's some clarity: you probably don't need to wear a fascinator. Leave your cufflinks at home too.
No — we're not doing this the traditional way. Nothing formal: just fun. Show up, have a drink or two, celebrate us making things official after nearly two decades... that's it!
Let's hope so, or Ted and Robin are going to feel left out. Under 18s are allowed at the Distillery until 9pm, and they can stay until the end of the night (1am) in our privately-booked area, as long as they're supervised. There's a large room at the venue which we're aiming to turn into a fun spot for our younger guests.
It's a nice bar/restaurant in the centre of Birmingham, directly on the canal. We have the upstairs area (the Gin Terrace) booked out. The Distillery, as you may have guessed from the name, makes its own gin. The food is nice, it's easy to get to, and even has outdoor space if the weather smiles on us. Have a look around here!
Birmingham city centre has plenty of hotels nearby – we're working on some recommendations.
Probably! Please RSVP ASAP and let us know who you're bringing, and we can accommodate them.
There's a buffet from 6pm (suitable for vegans, veggies and meat eaters alike: let us know your preference when you RSVP) and there's a rumour about bacon sandwiches for the late-night crowd...
After eighteen years together, we don't need any crockery, toasters or silverware, so honestly, we don't want gifts. Just turn up and have a great night with us! (if you really want to give us something, volunteer to babysit the kids sometime so we can have a night off!).