Weddings

Make your special day one to remember

Choosing a Caledonian Humanist Association wedding gives you the freedom to put your personal stamp on one of the biggest days of your life.

Humanist weddings have been legal in Scotland (and have had legal status everywhere else in the world) since 2005 and have grown in popularity ever since.

Our Celebrants are authorised by the Registrar General to conduct legal weddings and civil partnerships. They would also be delighted to conduct a non-legal Wedding Celebration for couples who for example, married abroad and now want to have a ceremony that includes their family and friends. Similarly many couples who have been happily married for some time can celebrate the strength of their union with a Renewal of Vows ceremony.

If you have never attended a Humanist wedding ceremony then you may find the following useful before you make your own decision.

In keeping with the Humanist ethos, a Humanist wedding is not a religious ceremony and is ideal for couples who are not themselves of a particular faith.

"What can we say your service was second to none. Everybody was talking about it last night so thanks for all your hard work it's very much appreciated from Mr & Mrs Robinson"

At the same time, because the ceremony is based on you and your relationship, there is nothing in it that will make those of any religious faith feel uncomfortable.

While we are not religious, respect for others and their beliefs is at the heart of everything that we do. As such this type of ceremony is warm, inclusive and welcoming so is a popular choice where each member of the couple is from a different faith and some form of compromise is in order.

There’s no such thing as a typical ceremony as truly each one is unique and because it’s a creative process each Celebrant has their own style. We embrace this diversity as it means there is something to suit everyone!

No matter the content, the overall effect is shaped by you and your choices, working closely with your celebrant. They will guide you through the process of creating a ceremony that is just right for you. Some couples choose a ceremony that is very relaxed and informal. Others prefer a more formal approach. Most are a balance of the two. It’s up to you.

The best way to find out more is to contact our Celebrants for an informal no-obligation chat about how they work and how to proceed.

The formal stuff

What you need to know before your big day

A CHA Celebrant is authorised by the Registrar General to conduct your ceremony anywhere that your Celebrant considers to be "safe and dignified". This gives you great freedom in your choice of location and venue.

Similarly, you have much greater freedom when deciding the time of your ceremony. What this means is if you want a ceremony in your back garden at the stroke of midnight, we can make this happen!

Whatever time or place you and your Celebrant agree on, your ceremony is legal and has exactly the same status as a wedding or civil partnership carried out by a Registrar or religious Celebrant.

All CHA Celebrants are trained, regulated, insured and agree to adhere to a code of conduct.

This ensures that your experience will be of the high standard required by a professional organisation.

The fee for a CHA wedding is:

• 2024 - £450

The wedding fee includes an allowance up to 50 miles of travel. Beyond that travel is charged at 50p per mile but check with your Celebrant.

Please note that for a legal marriage the Registrars also charge an administration fee (payable to the Registrars) for processing your M10 forms. 

For more information about getting married in Scotland, click here

If you want more information about civil partnerships, click here

 

Membership

There is NO requirement to join the CHA in order to obtain the services of one of our Celebrants.

If you want to be put on our mailing list then please email us on info@cha.scot we will only bother you with:

• A newsletter when we have something to share and get round to writing it up.
• A very respectful request for any fundraising that we decide to do. We won’t fall out with you if you decide not to get involved!
• Notification of any campaigns we feel are worthy of your attention and how you can help. Again, it’s your choice whether or not you get involved.

 

Here's how to get started

To check what Celebrants are available simply fill out the "Contact Us" form below and we will be in touch. Alternatively return to the home page to browse our Celebrant profiles and contact a Celebrant directly