Every couple deserves a wedding day that feels completely their own — and a venue where they’re celebrated, not just accommodated. At Selden Barns, we’ve been proud to host same-sex weddings and civil partnerships for couples from across Sussex and beyond, and inclusivity isn’t a tagline for us — it’s how we run every single wedding we host.
If you’re a same-sex couple planning a wedding or civil partnership in Sussex, this guide covers everything you need to know: the legal side, how the day works at a barn venue, and the small things that can make your celebration feel personal from the first moment guests arrive.
Same-Sex Marriage and Civil Partnerships — What’s the Difference?
In England and Wales, same-sex couples have been able to marry since March 2014. Civil partnerships were originally introduced in 2005 for same-sex couples and, since December 2019, are available to opposite-sex couples too. Today, you have a genuine choice — and both options carry the same legal rights around inheritance, parental responsibility, pensions and next-of-kin status.
The main differences come down to wording and personal preference:
- A wedding ends with a marriage certificate and is described in law as a marriage. Couples typically exchange vows and rings.
- A civil partnership ends with a civil partnership certificate. There are no required vows, though many couples choose to include them. There’s no religious content allowed in the formation itself.
Many couples choose marriage for the language and tradition; others prefer the more secular framing of a civil partnership. Both can be celebrated in exactly the same way at Selden Barns, with the same ceremony spaces, the same drinks reception, the same wedding breakfast and the same dancing late into the night.
If you formed a civil partnership before same-sex marriage was legalised and would now like to convert it into a marriage, that’s also possible — and we’d love to host the celebration.
A Sussex Venue That Welcomes Every Couple
Selden Barns is fully licensed to host civil ceremonies and civil partnership formations on site, which means you can hold the legal ceremony, the celebration and the party all in one place. No travelling between a register office and a separate reception venue, no losing time in cars and traffic, and no break in the atmosphere your guests are building.
Our setting in the South Downs near Worthing gives you flexibility most venues can’t:
- An outdoor ceremony space for warmer months, framed by countryside views and gentle Sussex light
- An indoor ceremony barn for cooler seasons or wet-weather backup, with character beams and natural light
- Exclusive use of the whole estate — so the day feels entirely yours, with no other weddings sharing the space
- On-site accommodation so you and your closest people can stay over, get ready together, and make a weekend of it
Whether you want a 30-guest intimate ceremony or a 130-guest celebration with dancing, the venue scales to suit you.
Planning the Legal Side
A few practical points to know when you’re booking your date:
- Give notice at your local register office. Both partners need to give notice of marriage or civil partnership at least 29 days before the ceremony. You give notice in the area where you live, not where you’re getting married.
- Book your registrar separately. West Sussex County Council’s registration team conducts ceremonies at Selden Barns. We’ll help you understand the process, but registrars are booked directly with the council and we recommend doing this as soon as your venue date is confirmed.
- Decide on readings, vows and music. Civil ceremonies and civil partnerships can’t include religious content, but there’s huge scope for personal readings, contemporary music, and vows that reflect who you actually are as a couple.
- Witnesses. You’ll need two witnesses for the legal signing — usually friends or family, but anyone over 18 who understands the ceremony will do.
Ideas for Personalising Your Day
Some of the most memorable moments we’ve seen at same-sex weddings here haven’t come from a rulebook — they’ve come from couples reshaping the day around what mattered to them. A few ideas that have worked beautifully:
- Walking down the aisle together rather than separately — or both being walked in by family
- Two best people, no bridal party divide — mixed wedding parties on both sides
- Joint speeches rather than splitting them by tradition
- A reading from someone in the LGBTQ+ community who’s been important to your relationship
- Pride-inspired colour palettes — subtle rainbow nods through florals, ribbons and stationery, or a full celebration of colour
We’ve also worked with photographers, florists, celebrants and bands across Sussex who specialise in same-sex weddings and bring real warmth and experience to the day. We’re always happy to share recommendations from our supplier list.
Why Couples Choose Selden Barns
What we hear most often from couples who get married here is that it felt easy — that they were treated like a couple, full stop, with no awkward assumptions or default scripts. The team is small, the setting is ours and yours alone for the weekend, and the planning conversations are about you, not about ticking boxes.
If you’re looking for a Sussex wedding venue that genuinely welcomes every couple, hosts both weddings and civil partnerships, and gives you the space and time to celebrate your way, we’d love to show you around.
Come and See the Venue
Book a private viewing or join us at one of our open evenings to see the ceremony spaces, the barns and the cottages in person. We’ll walk you through how a same-sex wedding or civil partnership weekend works at Selden Barns, talk through dates, and answer anything you’re wondering about — no pressure, no script.