Getting hitched?

Getting Hitched?

Then unless you are going for a church wedding, the chances are you may need a celebrant. Given that I am not a humanist, and am not permitted to solemnise a wedding ceremony, there are doubtless many questions you would have. So I thought I would address many of them here.

Is my Celebrant Wedding Ceremony legally binding?

No. As I have said above, I am not authorised to do this. You will need to register your marriage in a Register Office before or after your celebrant wedding ceremony in order to make your marriage legally binding.

How do I legalise my marriage?

You need to give notice at your local register office and arrange to have a statutory ceremony to legally register your marriage. This is really just ‘administration’ and does not need to be a formal occasion.

Should I be legally married before my Celebrant Wedding Ceremony?

Many couples prefer this, but it can be done afterwards too. It also does not have to be on the same day. You also don’t need to have the registrar present at the Celebrant ceremony.

Do I have to legalise our marriage?

Not at all. A Celebrant Wedding Ceremony is about celebrating your love and relationship in a way that is special to you. If you wish to confirm your commitment to each other without any legal ties, then that is fine.

So why have a Celebrant Wedding Ceremony if we are legally married in the Register Office?

Signing the register is simply the legal requirement. The most meaningful part of the wedding is the ceremony, , the dress! The kilt! Exchanging vows in front of family and friends, showing your commitment to each other is the true heart of any marriage ceremony.

Does it matter what culture, faith, religion, sexuality I am?

Absolutely not. I am not a humanist, so there are no restrictions on any kind of cultural or religious tradition. Nor does your sexuality matter- as a gay man myself I welcome wholeheartedly same sex celebrations. The more the merrier! You can also involve any symbolic ceremonies such as handfasting, sand ceremonies or tree planting. We tailor the ceremony to suit what YOU want. Pets are welcome too, if the venue allows. I may even bring my two scottie dogs to be ring bearers!

What music and readings can I have?

Anything you like. Live, recorded, religious, non-religious, it’s up to you.

Do you have any other questions to ask me? Fire away and I’ll answer as fully as I can.