Hiring a Humanist celebrant in Scotland: what to expect

From the legalities and the questions to ask, to cost, planning and what happens on the day — your complete guide to booking a humanist celebrant in Scotland.

Choosing someone to marry you

In Scotland, you can only be legally married by someone who is officially authorised by National Records of Scotland. These include registrars, religious officiants such as ministers, priests or other faith leaders affiliated with a recognised religious group, or celebrants from recognised belief bodies. Independent celebrants cannot legally marry you.

Registrars perform non-religious, civil ceremonies at registry offices or approved venues, and religious officiants at their place of worship (although some will be willing to perform a religious ceremony at your chosen venue).

With celebrant-led ceremonies, you can get married at a time and place of your choosing, and have the freedom to make the ceremony unique to you through adding personal touches. A humanist celebrant conducts non-religious ceremonies, although they should feel inclusive to all faiths and none.

You can look forward to a warm, personal ceremony that's completely centred around you as a couple.

Booking a humanist celebrant in Scotland – what to expect

So, you've decided that a humanist wedding ceremony is the right fit for you as a couple. But how do you choose the right celebrant — one that vibes with you? Make a shortlist of the ones you like the sound of and meet them, ideally face-to-face but, if that's not practical for any reason, via video call.

Questions to ask

Preparation

One of the biggest benefits of choosing a humanist celebrant is the relationship you build together. Rather than meeting the person marrying you shortly before your ceremony, you'll work together over several months to create a ceremony that's genuinely personal, meaningful and completely your own.

Your chosen celebrant will get to know you through:

Legalities

Anyone marrying in Scotland must submit Marriage Notices to the Register Office local to their venue, so that the Marriage Schedule can be drawn up. This cannot be done any sooner than 3 months prior to the wedding, with the deadline being 29 days prior. This is a legal requirement, regardless of the type of ceremony you choose (humanist, civil or religious), and it is worth bearing in mind that the Registry Office will charge a separate, statutory fee of £100 for this. Further information is available at National Records of Scotland (NRS).

Humanist marriages are legally recognised in Scotland, so there's no need for a separate registry office ceremony, provided:

Planning your ceremony

As well as the legal declarations, a humanist ceremony can include whatever is meaningful to you, including (but not limited to):

Every ceremony is written from scratch to reflect your personalities, values and relationship.

On the day

Your celebrant will:

After the big day

Your completed marriage schedule should be returned to the Register Office within 3 days of the wedding.

Cost

Peace of mind

Legally recognised celebrant organisations should provide:

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