Choosing a Caledonian Humanist Association wedding gives you the freedom to put your personal stamp on one of the biggest days of your life
MAKE YOUR SPECIAL DAY ONE TO REMEMBER
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.
Introduction to Humanist Weddings
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.
The ceremony is based on you and your relationship and there’s something in it for everyone!
WARM, INCLUSIVE & WELCOMING
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 £450
The wedding fee includes an allowance up to 50 miles of travel. Beyond that travel is charged at 50p per mile.
Please note that for a legal marriage the Registrar will also charge an administration fee for processing your M10 forms.
More information about getting married in Scotland
More information about civil partnerships
Rehearsals
A dry run before the main event? Generally speaking, we don’t find rehearsals to be necessary; however if you really want one, the fee is £100