First port of call is to get in touch. We will arrange a suitable time for a chat to discuss your dream day and dates.

Once your deposit is paid, we then get to work contacting your chosen suppliers to get you locked into their diaries.

Your photographer and celebrant will be in touch with you to organise your consultations.

We work towards your special day with communication open, and often.

It’s fantastic that there are so many options. It is so important to choose the Celebrant, the practice and belief system that is right for you.

The Elopement Society currently works with celebrants from several organisations with different beliefs and ethos. Please take some time to familiarise yourself with these to discover which of our celebrants would be the best fit for you and your shared beliefs and spirituality.

Our celebrants are from Agnostic Scotland, Humanist Society of Scotland, Independent Humanist Ceremonies and Fuze. We’re always growing so may have more soon too.

Our packages should be seen as a starting point for any celebration. We work with a plethora of creative suppliers we trust to ensure your day is unique to you.

Our initial chat allows us to get familiar with your story, and find out what you’re hopes are. We then introduce you to the suppliers we know will be able to make those dreams come to life.

For everything you need to know about marriage or civil partnership registration in Scotland please click here.

You are required to apply for your legal paperwork a minimum of 29 days before and a maximum of 12 weeks before the ceremony.

Special dispensation may be granted in exceptional circumstances i.e. progressive illness. To apply for a dispensation you need to contact the district registrar for the area where the marriage is to take place, who will contact the National Records of Scotland with the request.

In Scotland you can have a marriage ceremony recognised in Scots law pretty much anywhere (with permission from the landowner and with the postcode noted on your marriage documents) and at any time of day on any day of the week. And that is the case for couples of any combination of genders.

Consider any permissions in regard to land and premises required too if planning your ceremony outwith a venue. We have contact details for the outdoor spaces we recommend so can help to ensure we’ve got permission to be there on the day and will put you in touch directly with any indoor spaces we are planning to use throughout your celebrations.

For legal marriages there are short sentences of legal vows/declarations and pronouncements that must be included in your ceremony but they are beautiful and exciting. You’ll know them well. These are not required in a Civil Partnership but many choose to add their own vows and declarations.

There is also the signing of the marriage or civil partnership schedule with two witnesses over the age of 16. For elopements with no guests, your celebrant cannot officiate and be a witness but your photographer can be one and our celebrants often have trainees or friends who are happy to come along and be your second witness.

Yes and No. We recommend submitting the marriage notice earlier – at least 6 weeks before the wedding date in case of complications. You will have to enclose your Decree Absolute or certificate of death when submitting your Marriage Notices. So a little more paperwork but if you’re organised, it’s pretty straight forward.

If you are not a UK National, you will need a special Visitor Visa (Marriage or Finacé(é) to get legally wed or partnered in Scotland.

First of all have a good look through the National Records Scotland website. It tells you everything you need to know and don’t hesitate to telephone them if you need clarification.

You will need a Marriage Visitor Visa or Fiancé(e) Visitor Visa to get legally wed here in Scotland and that can be a timely procedure. Many couples from outwith Scotland choose to do the legal bit before they come and have their very own Wedding Day here with a ceremony of unity, commitment or blessing as a part of it.

For couples choosing to work with our celebrant, Andrea (Soulful Celebrant) she also is offering an additional service from 2023 where she will assist with logistics such as completing legal documentation and in communication with us, can visit your chosen location to recce and send you quick videos and further information to make sure that the process is stress-free and you feel happy, excited and at home with chosen spaces for your day.