How to get a humanist wedding in
Scotland
From the wild majesty of the Highlands to the peaceful shores of our lochs, from ancient woodlands to windswept beaches, and from dramatic island cliffs to hidden forest glens – Scotland offers a wedding backdrop like no other.
Whether you dream of exchanging vows atop a mountain, beside a mirror-like loch, within a centuries-old castle, or barefoot in the sand as the sun sets over the sea, your perfect place is waiting.
Our celebrants are here to guide you through a ceremony crafted entirely around you – your values, your story, your future. Warm, inclusive, and deeply meaningful.
Who offers a humanist wedding in Scotland?
Humanist weddings in Scotland are offered by the humanist organization Humanist Society Scotland.
Do we get to choose the humanist wedding celebrant ourselves?
Yes. Humanist Society Scotland offers such a list and allows for direct contact with individual celebrants. Click here to see the list.
Languages offered:
Humanist Society Scotland offers wedding ceremonies in English. If a couple wishes for another language, they can ask if any of their celebrants can read or speak the language.
How to book a humanist wedding in Scotland:
You can browse the celebrants at the Humanist Society Scotland website, or get a list of available celebrants emailed from Humanist Society Scotland centrally.
After you have made your choice, you should reach out to the celebrant and book an initial conversation. If you decide to go further with this celebrant, it is time to go to Humanist Society Scotland’s “Secure Your Date” system, sign up for a wedding membership and add the celebrant.
The celebrant is then notified that you wish to book them. Once confirmed by the celebrant, you will receive a final confirmation email.
If you want a legally binding wedding and are not a UK citizen, both you and your spouse need to bring proof from your home country (with an apostille-stamp) that you are not already married.
Price:
Humanist Society Scotland estimates a price of around £520 for a humanist wedding ceremony.
Is a humanist wedding in Scotland legally binding?
Humanist Society Scotland are authorised to train and register their wedding celebrants. All registered celebrants are listed on their website for you to choose from.
Humanist wedding celebrants registered with Humanist Society Scotland are acknowledged by the state to perform legally binding weddings or civil partnerships. They are permanently authorised to conduct legal humanist marriages and civil partnerships in Scotland, having been awarded prescribed status by the Scottish Parliament.
In Scotland you can have a legal ceremony outdoors or indoors, as long as it is a safe and dignified space to do so. You would also need two witnesses to be present (if you have a photographer they can often act as one if required).
To get married in Scotland you need to fill in an M10 form. This needs to be submitted to the local registrar at least 29 days before the ceremony and no longer than 3 months before. You can read more information about the required paperwork and process here.
Humanist Society Scotland celebrants can also perform non legal wedding ceremonies, for example if you are already legally married but would like a symbolic ceremony or vow renewal.
Scotland is one of the few European countries where humanist weddings are recognised as legally binding by the state and they are legally valid worldwide. Read more here about how you may bring a Scottish marriage certificate back to your home country and get it legalised there.
How to get in touch
Humanist weddings in the UK:
This page is exclusively for humanist weddings in Scotland. Click below for humanist weddings elsewhere in the UK: