FAQs

Please have a look at the list of frequently asked questions below; if you cannot find an answer to your query then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Weddings and Affirmations

Does a Wedding ceremony conducted by the Independent Humanists have the same legal status as say, a church wedding or other humanist weddings?

Yes. We are authorised by the Registrar General for Scotland to conduct Humanist Wedding Ceremonies anywhere in Scotland.

How long before our wedding should we book?

It makes sense to book your Humanist at the same time as your venue, to get the date you want. Try to give us as much notice as possible; the week-ends in the summer are very busy. We are currently taking bookings for the next three years.

Do we need a ‘location’ licence to get married?

No, it’s the Humanist who is licensed, not the location, so there is no problem with that. You do need to complete forms with the local registrar, but we will help you with this.

We’d love to get married on our favourite beach on the West Coast, is this a suitable location as it’s pretty remote?

We have Independent Humanists available all over the country, and provided we have a vacancy on the day of your Wedding, it won’t be a problem. You should get in touch as far in advance as possible to ensure we can meet your requirements.

My six year old daughter would love to play a part in our Wedding Ceremony, she’s even written a poem for us. Will this be possible?

Absolutely, we’re very flexible regarding the content of the ceremony, simply get in touch and we can discuss your requirements.

We’d like to book you to conduct our Wedding Ceremony. Do we have to join your organisation first?

You don’t have to join us to use our services.

We are a gay couple and we’d like to be married. Is this fully legally recognised?

Yes, in December 2014, Scotland introduced equal marriage legislation. Same sex couples can now be legally married in exactly the same fashion as different sex couples, although a civil partnership is also an option. Independent Humanist Ceremonies and all of it's Celebrants are authorised to conduct fully legal ceremonies anywhere in Scotland.

Baby Namings

I want to have a Baby Naming ceremony but I have just had twins, will I need to pay double the fee because there are two?

Congratulations! Get in touch with us to discuss your requirements, our flat fee should cover it unless you are looking for something which is not included in the standard package.

We have already booked a venue to have our Baby Naming ceremony, but it’s only one month until the event. Do we have time to book an Independent Humanist Ceremony?

Please give us a call. Provided we have someone available on the day it won’t be a problem. We have Humanists available all over the country.

Funerals

I’ve just lost my husband. He wasn’t religious but he did have a favourite hymn from his childhood that he would have loved to have included in his funeral. Would this be possible since you are a humanist organisation?

We are very flexible and will consider all reasonable requests. Get in touch with us for a chat.

Ready to book?

We'd love to talk to you about your wedding day! If you'd like to check availability, or if you have any questions, please get in touch, as we have a wealth of experience and can provide answers to help plan your day.

Call us on 0800 014 8342 or Email us: ask@humanist-ceremonies.org

Or click this button to send your enquiry via our online form...

GEt in touch