Here in the UK we have so many ways of pairing up that it can get a bit confusing. So to help me work out which one's which I've put this little table together:
| Unmarried | Church marriage | Civil marriage | Civil partnership | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allowed to use the title marriage |  | |  | |
| Allowed to use religious wording during ceremony | | | | |
| Valid within religion | | | | |
| Full partnership rights under law | | | | |
| Next of kin | | | | |
| Right to be at partner's hospital bedside | | | | |
| Annulled if not children produced | | | ||
| Allowed joint adoption | | | | |
| Allowable combinations |   | | | |
I hope that clears things up.
