Getting Married in Scotland
Welcome to our guide to getting married in Scotland. Before you go into depth about the specifics for your wedding in Scotland we have a couple of articles that we suggest you read first.
Scotland is the UK’s answer to Las Vegas. It might be lacking in as many casinos or Elvis Presley impersonators but it makes up for it with its beautiful scenery and buildings shrouded in history, in which you can take your wedding vows.
Getting married in Scotland is very simple provided, you have the necessary paperwork. You can have either a Civil or a Religious Ceremony.
Civil Ceremony
Civil Ceremonies are conducted by authorised registrars, in approved places >> . If you wish to hold a wedding ceremony in a place which isn’t currently authorised you would need to contact the local council and enquire about the procedure for making an application for a Temporary Approval.
Religious Ceremony
A Religious Ceremony may be held anywhere so long as it has been approved by the minister conducting the ceremony. A religious ceremony is only legal if duly performed by a person authorised to do so under the Marriage (Scotland) Act of 1977, such as a minister, priest or clergyman.
Residence Stay
There is no residence requirement.
Witnesses
Whether you are having a Civil or a Religious Ceremony you will be required to provide two witnesses, both of whom must be aged 16 or over.
The Marriage Notice
Prior to giving notice
If you are having a Religious Ceremony you will need to discuss the marriage arrangements with your minister before giving notice.
If you are having a Civil Ceremony you should first contact the registrar in advance to ensure they are available to conduct the ceremony on your chosen date and that the register office is available should you wish to be married there.
Giving Notice
Notice must be given no later than 15 days in advance. However it is advisable to do so earlier in case there is a delay with processing your paperwork, which could ultimately lead to your wedding being postponed.
Both parties do not have to appear in person when giving notice of their marriage. They must complete and submit their own marriage notice to the register office for the district in which the marriage is to take place. This should be sent to the registrar four weeks prior to the wedding
If either of the parties has been previously married then the registrar will need to receive the notices six weeks in advance.
Only in exceptional circumstances, and with permission from the Registrar General, can a marriage proceed with less than 15 days notice period.
When notice is given both parties will be asked to sign a declaration that the information they have provided is correct, upon which the General Register Office of Scotland (GROS) will then check all the documents.
Basic Documents
Along with the Marriage Notice both parties must submit the following documents:
- Birth Certificate 1
- A valid passport 2
- If divorced, or you were in a registered Civil Partnership which has since dissolved, you will need to produce a Decree of Absolute or annulment, or a certified copy.
- If widowed, a spouses death certificate, along with the previous marriage certificate.
All documents submitted must be in English, if not they must be accompanied with a certified translation into English.
Minimum Age
Under Scottish Law both parties must be sixteen years old or over. They do not require the consent of their parents.
Marriage Schedule
Once all the documentation has been checked, and the registrar has confirmed that both parties are free to marry (no impediment), the Marriage Schedule is then prepared. A wedding ceremony can not be performed without the Marriage Schedule. The earliest a Marriage Schedule can be issued is seven days in advance of the marriage.
If you are having a Religious Ceremony one of the parties will be asked to appear in person to collect the Marriage Schedule from the registrar.
The Marriage Schedule should then be given to the minister who will be conducting the ceremony before the performing of the marriage. On completion of the marriage ceremony the minister, along with the bride and groom and the two witnesses, should then sign the Marriage Schedule. The document should then be returned to the registrar no later than three days after the wedding day in order for the marriage to be registered.
If you are having a Civil Ceremony the registrar will produce the document after the ceremony. They will ask that both parties, along with the two witnesses, sign the document. They will then register the marriage.
Marriage Certificate
A Marriage Certificate will be issued on receipt of the Marriage Schedule. Individual register offices have different turn over times in which they process the Marriage Schedule and then send on the Marriage Certificate by post, but on average it can take between 7-10 days for you to receive your certificate.
Marriage Fees
You will be charged fees for the following:
- Each submission of the Marriage Notice (Civil or Religious) to the district registrar.
- For the solemnisation of a Civil marriage.
- For each extract of the entry of the register of marriage (Civil or Religious).
Additional Fees
In the case of a Civil Ceremony you may be asked to pay an additional fee if the registrar is asked to perform the marriage ceremony outside of normal office hours, such as a weekend, or if the registrar is required to travel to an approved place other than the Register Office.
If you wish to have your wedding ceremony in a place which is not currently approved, you will be asked to pay a fee on application for a Temporary Approval.
For further information:
General Register Office For Scotland >>
IMPORTANT
Whilst every effort to ensure that the above information is correct, it may be subject to change at any time. Please always check with the official authorities before proceeding. If you notice some outdated information please let us know.
