a Venus Wedding Plans Company

Why Scotland?

There is no where in the world quite like Scotland, a country so varied in its scenery and rich in culture and offering a wealth of wilderness and romance, history and wildlife. Mountains and glens, whisky, castles, fishing villages, rugged coastlines and some of the finest cosmopolitan cities for sightseeing and shopping. Scotland really does have it all!

The choice of unique wedding venues is endless, from grand and majestic castles such as Edinburgh or Stirling, abbies and ruins or remote highland retreats or country houses. Your dream wedding can be an adventure, an intimate holiday or a traditional family gathering.

There is no nation to compare with the Scots for offering a real highland welcome to its guests. The swirl of the tartan kilt, drams of the amber nectar and dancing to a real ceilidh band are just a part of the romantic Scottish wedding that can be yours.

General information on visiting Scotland can be found at www.visitscotland.com or www.visithighlands.com

Marriage in Scotland- how can we do it?

1. Choose the type of ceremony you want.

2. Choose the venue.

3. Submit your documents.

1. CHOOSE THE CEREMONY. There are two types of ceremonies available in Scotland, civil or religious.

CIVIL ceremonies (non religious) conducted by a Registrar can be held in a registered office (usually a council building) or a licensed civil venue of your choice, please access www.gro-scotland.gov.uk for a full list of all available places for civil venues, in Highland region access www.highland.gov.uk

RELIGIOUS ceremonies can be held anywhere within reason, a church, castle or mountain/lochside. These are conducted by a minister, usually Church of Scotland. The minister has to agree to perform the ceremony in the location of your choice and it is standard and courteous procedure to make contact and discuss the service beforehand. Some ministers may refuse to marry divorcees.

For either ceremony you will require two witnesses.

CHANGES IN THE LAW A bill has been approved in the Scottish Parliament (July 2002 ) which allows civil marriages outwith council offices. Designated venues are now licensed in some areas for registrars to perform civil weddings in castles/gardens/hotels.

A full list of civil venues and legal details can be found on http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/

2.CHOOSE THE VENUE. Selecting a venue is arguably your most important decision. If you are looking for a celtic or medieval theme you may wish to consider a ruined castle or abbey, for a traditional highland wedding one of Scotland's many castles can offer turreted splendour and plenty of room for banquets and dancing. You may be looking for a large hotel venue that can cater for your growing guest list or alternatively a small informal venue that will provide complete intimacy. Whatever you are looking for you can find it in Scotland and we can help.

Just contact info@venusweddingplans.co.uk for information, advice and venue suggestions or look at our venues page.

3.SUBMIT THE DOCUMENTS. Any two persons, regardless of where they live may marry in Scotland providing they are over 16, not related or of the same sex and are unmarried. There is no legal requirement to live in Scotland prior to the marriage. You will have to provide both original birth certificates/relevant divorce papers and complete FORMS M10 (Marriage in Scotland), these are obtainable from any Registry Office on request. These papers, along with the fees have to submitted to the registrar for the district in which the marriage is to take place at least one month prior to the wedding but not earlier than 3 months. If you are from abroad a Certificate of No Impediment (CONI) may also be required by the registrar (not all countries demand this but please check), any foreign documents will also require an English translation. The legal fee for a religious ceremony at present is £50 pounds sterling with a discretionary church donation in addition made payable to the minister. Civil fees vary according to the chosen venue and the day of the week but are more costly (POA). New licenced venues may charge an additional location fee.

For full information on documents and legalities please contact:

The General Register Office for Scotland, Marriage Section, New Register House, Edinburgh EH1 3YT. Tel: +44 (0) 131 314 4447 email:marriage@gro-scotland.gov.uk

How do we arrange it?

Here at Candacraig we are experienced in assisting with legal documents and forms and will be happy to take care of all of these details on your behalf. We can arrange all aspects of your ceremony and reception down to the smallest requests. See our wedding services page for details of our full wedding co-ordination pack.

For an individual quote please fill in our enquiry form and email to us at info@venusweddingplans.co.uk

Professional Wedding Co-ordinators, contact Amanda or Deborah on +44 (0) 1224 649955 or info@venusweddingplans.co.uk