Cynthia Nixon is making plans to `marry' her partner Christine Marinoni after beating breast cancer.

The 'Sex and the City' star, 42, underwent surgery and six-and-a-half weeks of daily radiation treatment after she was diagnosed with the disease in 2006 - and the experience has prompted lesbian Nixon's desire to cement her union to Marinoni with an official declaration of the couple's commitment to one another.

A source tells the National Enquirer: "Cynthia and Chris want a quiet autumn ceremony in Vermont under the red leaves.

"It's supposed to be a very low-key gathering, just for close friends and family."

Nixon met Marinoni in 2004, just seven months after ending her 15-year relationship with former lover Danny Mozes, the father of the actress' two children.