Following the Civil Partnership Act coming into force it is believes that there will be a flurry of same sex couples wanting to officially, tie the knot. At least 1,200 ceremonies are confirmed as being scheduled already. The first ceremonies under the Civil Partnerships Act can take place in Northern Ireland on 19 December, on the 20th in Scotland and on the 21st in England and Wales. Under the law, couples who want to form a partnership must register their purposes with local councils. Same sex couples can now have all of the rights that traditional married couples enjoy. Meg Munn, the minister for equality said: " We know there are people who have been together maybe 40 years and have been waiting for the chance to do this kind of thing, because of the important differences it makes to their lives. They have the same concerns as married couples - tenancy, ownership, pensions and inheritance.”

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