Lake District gears up for gay weddings
8:59am Wednesday 14th December 2005
SOUTH Lakeland's first gay weddings' have been booked, after new legislation came into force to ensure that couples' relationships are recognised in the eyes of the law, reports Ruth Lythe.
Eight civil partnerships have already been booked for South Lakeland, with another nine across the rest of Cumbria.
The new Civil Partnerships Act gives all couples including same-sex partners - the same legal rights as couples entering a traditional marriage.
And Cumbria County Council is one of a number of local authorities to offer a wedding-style ceremony at its registry offices or other venues.
According to the legislation, introduced on December 5, couples can form a civil partnership anywhere in the country no matter where they live.
Venues, such as hotels, which have been allowed to host traditional weddings in the past, can also hold civil partnerships.
Legally, couples must give a 15-day notice period before they form their partnership meaning that the first ceremonies will be held on December 21.
Cumbria County Council's spokesman for the registrars' service, Ian Stewart, welcomed the new law.
But he stressed that introducing the ceremonies was not a bid for cash by the area.
"It is not about chasing the pink pound. It is about equality and diversity and about treating everyone in the county with dignity and respect. I think it is a good thing that choice can be extended to more people," he said.
He said that previously gay couples had been left in a "legal limbo," with their relationships not recognised in the eyes of the law.
But Cumbria would not be following in the footsteps of other local authorities by introducing a glossy brochure advertising the region as a destination for the partnerships.
"If we had the money we would love to be able to do so but we haven't got a lot of resources," said Coun Stewart.
Hotels across the county will also be hosting the partnerships, offering the same services as they would to a couple holding a traditional wedding.
Marketing manager at Windermere's Linthwaite House Hotel, Claire Davenport, said that the hotel had received 22 inquiries from couples wanting to form civil partnerships.
She added that she expected South Lakeland to become a top location for the ceremonies.
"The Lake District is a beautiful place, and I think there has certainly been a lot of publicity about the ceremonies, so I can't see why it won't be a popular place for civil partnerships," she said.