Civil partners spend £60 million on getting hitched

UK couples have splashed out over £62 million on civil partnership ceremonies since they were introduced*, according to new research.

Two years on from the publication of the Civil Partnerships Bill, research from Direct Line Home Insurance reveals that over 15,000 same-sex ceremonies** have taken place with a further 28,000 set to happen this year†, costing on average £4,000 to host.

The research shows that ceremonies are also costly for guests, who spend an average of £700 in expenses including food, hotel bills and transport when attending a civil partnership bash.

And it’s gifts that guests really splash out on, spending nearly £100 each. Typical choices include antiques or collectables (6 per cent), electronic items (5 per cent), or even adventure experiences and holiday trips (4 per cent). However it’s cash that proves most popular, with one in three guests (32 per cent) choosing to give money or vouchers.

Yet despite receiving on average £4,400 worth of presents, just one in five couples (21 per cent) said they reassessed their home insurance after their ceremony – highlighting the need for consumers to make sure they are protected.

Topping the list of venues includes registry offices (54 per cent), hotels (15 per cent) and stately homes (8 per cent). And for many, partnerships are a practical affair with one in ten (9 per cent) couples reporting they had their ceremony for legal rather than romantic reasons.

Andrew Lowe, Head of Direct Line Home Insurance comments:

Home insurance isn’t the first thing that couples think about when getting hitched, but civil partners need to make sure that their valuable gifts are fully insured before they head off on honeymoon.

“Our research shows that more than three quarters (79 per cent) of civil partners do not re-assess their home contents insurance.  This is very unwise and means that couples may receive a nasty surprise when they return home to find they have been burgled.”

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Carmel McCarthy/Direct Line Press Office

020 8256178 / 07717 294529

Email: Carmel.McCarthy@directline.com

Notes to Editors:

Research was conducted for Direct Line Home through the GayDar panel. Fieldwork was conducted between Wednesday 28th February and Monday March 5th 2007. Sample composed of 6315 GayDar members, of which 1,519 had had or were planning a Civil Partnership ceremony and 1,705 had attended a ceremony as a guest.

* 15,672 civil partnership ceremonies have taken place between December 2005-2006. Average cost of ceremony is £4010.22, therefore total spend = £ 62,848,167

** 15,672 civil partnership ceremonies have taken place between December 2005-2006 (ONS)

† 15,672 civil partnership ceremonies have taken place between December 2005-2006 (ONS). The research shows that civil partnerships are set to increase by 180 per cent from 2006 to 2007, resulting in a predicted 28,200 taking place in 2007.