Religious Marriages
A religious marriage (Christian or non-Christian) can be carried out only by:
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a minister
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a member of the clergy
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a pastor
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a priest
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or other person entitled to do so under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977
It is important to make early arrangements for the date, time and place of your marriage. Remember to contact the person carrying out your wedding in advance. This should be done well before the planned date of your marriage.
Who can be married in Scotland?
Any two persons, regardless of where they live, may marry in Scotland provided that -
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Both persons are at least 16 years of age on the day of their marriage.
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They are not related to one another in a way which would prevent them marrying* - if in doubt please check with the local registrar.
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They are unmarried and not in a civil partnership (any person who has already been married or registered as a civil partner must produce certain documents (Word, 20Kb) as evidence that the previous marriage or civil partnership registration has ended by death, divorce, annulment or dissolution.
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They are not of the same sex.
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They are capable of understanding the nature of a marriage ceremony and of consenting to the marriage.
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The marriage would be regarded as valid in any foreign country to which either party belongs.
* For the degrees of relationship within which marriage is forbidden please see General Register Office Scotland website.
NB - For further details please refer to the green leaflet RM1 Marriage in Scotland available from any registration office.
How and when to give notice
You can get marriage notice forms and information about fees from any registration office in Scotland.
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The bride and groom must complete a marriage notice form and submit it with the required documents (Word 21.5Kb) and appropriate fees (Word 22Kb) to the registrar. If the marriage is in North Ayrshire you should submit the notice forms to any of our five registration offices.
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Timing is important. The notices must be submitted early enough to satisfy that you are free to marry. Notices should normally be submitted about four weeks before the wedding. If either party has been married before, the notices should be with the registrar six weeks before the wedding. The minimum notice periods is 14 clear days before the planned date of marriage. If you leave things as late as this you may need to delay your wedding.
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Only in special circumstances will the Registrar General allow a marriage to take place if the minimum period of 14 clear days notice has not been given.
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You don't have to attend the registration office to hand in your marriage notices. However at least one of the parties must attend personally before the date of marriage. It is necessary to visit the registrar to collect the marriage schedule for a religious marriage.
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Every person giving notice is required to sign a declaration stating that the information on their notice forms is correct. As a safeguard against bigamous marriages a further check is made by the Registrar General's Office.
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People related in any of the ways in the list of Degrees of Relationship (PDF 4.3Kb) will each require to sign a separate form. You can get this from any registrar of births, deaths and marriages in Scotland.
The marriage schedule
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When the registrar is satisfied the marriage can go ahead a marriage schedule will be prepared. The marriage schedule is a very important document. A marriage cannot take place without it.
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The registrar will issue the marriage schedule for a religious marriage. The registrar cannot issue the schedule more than seven days before the wedding. You will be advised when to collect it. The schedule cannot be collected by a relative or friend. the registrar will only issue it to the bride or groom. You will be asked to sign for the marriage schedule at the time of collection.
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The marriage schedule must be produced to the minister, priest or clergyman carrying out the marriage before the ceremony. Please remember the marriage cannot take place without the marriage schedule.
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Immediately after the ceremony the schedule must be signed by:
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the bride and groom
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the person carrying out the marriage
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the two witnesses aged 16 years or over
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After the ceremony the marriage schedule must be returned to the registrar within three days of the wedding. The registrar will register your marriage and post out your marriage certificate. The marriage schedule can be returned by a relative or friend of the bride or groom.
Marriage certificate
You can have as many copies of your marriage certificate as you would like. These are original documents and cost £10.00 each for up to one month from the date your marriage is registered. Thereafter the statutory fee of £15.00 for a certificate will apply.