Having the ceremony in our own words made the day so much more special and ‘us’.
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Speaking from the Heart
What language does your heart speak? More and more I find it’s not English. But that’s not a problem. One of the good things about getting married in Scotland is that the ceremony can be conducted in any language, as long as all parties (including the celebrant) understand what’s being said. You can … Continue Reading
Take, choose, accept: what do you want to promise?
Couples often ask if they can use the word ‘take’ rather than ‘accept’ when they make the legal declaration at the climax of their wedding ceremony. It’s a good question. The Registrar General of Scotland’s web site says “There is no legally prescribed form of words to be used in relation to ‘marriage vows’ in … Continue Reading
Vicky and Mat’s Humanist Wedding at The Glen Pavilion
We would definitely recommend a humanist ceremony to anyone we know and we have done so on a few occasions since our wedding.
Getting married in Scotland if you live overseas
I just got an email from a couple who are coming all the way from the USA to marry near Edinburgh later this year, and what they say may be of interest if you’re not in the UK. …handling the registrar is easy, but dealing with the British Consulate to get the visa is a … Continue Reading
Registrar Fees from April 1st, 2010
I just had a call from the Registrar in Duns, who was kind enough to let me know that from the 1st of April 2010, the fee charged by all the Register Offices in Scotland for doing the paperwork on your humanist wedding has risen by £2.00 per person. So from now on, expect to … Continue Reading
Step by Step Guide to a Humanist Wedding no. 8 – The Vows – Official Guidance
One of the many attractions of a humanist ceremony is that in your wedding vows you are free to choose what you promise. The wording of the legal declaration, however is another matter. As it says on the Registrar General of Scotland’s website, “There is no legally prescribed form of words to be used in … Continue Reading
Step by Step Guide to a Humanist Wedding no 6 – Registrars and Paperwork
A humanist wedding conducted by a celebrant authorised by the Registrar General of Scotland is legal everywhere in the world.
Legalities and Vows
I recently met a couple for their wedding rehearsal two nights before the big day and while we were talking about all the necessary arrangements I asked if they’d collected the marriage schedule from the Registrar’s office yet. They gave me a rather blank look and said “did we have to give some papers to … Continue Reading
My parents are very religious, I don’t want to upset them…
Humanist ceremonies are non-religious, not anti-religious. Humanism is about the things that unite people, rather divide them, and the most important of these is love, so it’s difficult for even the most intolerant person to take offense. I often say that “although this ceremony is non-religious, it will be entirely legal, mostly civil (slight pause … Continue Reading