“What’s the damage pal?”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you legally marry us?
That depends. Do you meet all the criteria listed here? (https://www.mygov.scot/getting-married/) Are you a humanist and want a humanist ceremony? Then, aye I can legally marry you in Scotland.
Humanist marriage ceremonies carried out in Scotland are fully legal and recognised world-wide. Even in England.
Where can we get married?
Essentially you can get married anywhere in Scotland as long as you have the land owner’s permission. If you want to get married on a moving boat you’ll need to speak nicely to the local registrar – they might sign off on it if you are staying in their jurisdiction for the length of the ceremony!
How do we book you?
You get in touch. We arrange to meet (usually via zoom). If you like the cut of my jib, we press ahead with the booking. Easy.
If you don’t like the cut of my jib when we meet; no worries. Different strokes for different folks and aw that. We have over 130 HSS celebrants dotted across the country so I can give you a steer in the direction of some of my colleagues if you decide that I’m not the celebrant for you.
What if I book you but you are sick/ injured/ abducted by aliens and can’t make it?
First things first; I’m a wee bit above my fighting weight right now so I’m quite difficult to kidnap. But if I’m ill and can’t make it then you are covered by the HSS Ceremony Promise – you can read about it here (https://www.humanism.scot/humanist-ceremonies/why-choose-us/).
Essentially we guarantee that if I couldn’t make it then another celebrant would rock up and legally marry you. I upload the ceremony that we’ve created onto our system and the new celebrant delivers it and takes care of the legal paperwork. Your ceremony just from a different – probably less hairy – celebrant. So chill out; we’ve got it covered man.
A word on funerals
I am fully registered to carry out funeral ceremonies. However, as you’ve probably already read, I also work full time and it can be difficult for me to dedicate the time required to write and deliver a fitting tribute for someone in a short space of time.
The being said, if you would like to speak to me about delivering a funeral service then please get in touch and I will do my best to help if I can.
Who are you authorised by?
I’m a proud member and celebrant for Humanist Society Scotland. We have prescribed status under the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 which essentially means that we have the same rights as religious bodies and can authorise our own celebrants.
Will you travel to…..
Probably. I’ve got a car and I’m not afraid to use it. I’m usually found cutting about the central belt; but I like an adventure so if you’ve got a really cool idea/ venue/ place just give me a shout.
It’s also worth saying that I also have a full time job alongside celebrancy and I typically can’t do midweek weddings. But I can sometimes be swayed …. so go on the charm offensive if you like. Shy weans don’t get any sweeties etc.
Much?
From August 2023 my fee is £560 for weddings. This includes a two year membership of Humanist Society Scotland which is £98; so you can feel good about knowing that you’re helping Scotland become a fairer place.
If you’re getting married way out in the back of beyond or anywhere that requires a ferry or overnight travel – we’ll have a chat about travel expenses.
You’ll also need to part with £100 and give it to the local authority where you intend to get married – and they’ll give you marriage schedule in return.
All in all, that’s £660* for a bespoke legal marriage ceremony.
*These costs might have to change at short notice if the prices of everything else in the world continue to escalate. But this is what they are as of August 2023.
Can we have some religious content in the ceremony?
If you like. But a humanist ceremony probably isn’t right for you if you do and I’m definitely not the celebrant for you.
I know you’ve got a relative that’s really religious and that you don’t want to upset them. I get it. I really do. But Humanism is non-religious so I won’t lead any act of worship.
I’m no a weirdo or anything but what do you sound like?
I’m not sure how to describe my voice to be honest. I suppose I’ve got West Coast accent. If you jump over to my blog page play the video and you’ll hear my dulcet tones in all their glory!
Have I bummed myself up enough yet?
If you have any questions or would like to arrange a chat…