Civil Marriage and Civil Partnership Ceremonies in Glasgow

Update: 19 September 2023

This service is currently receiving an exceptionally high volume of notice submissions and email enquiries, therefore response times are taking longer than usual as our team work through the extensive backlogs. Current response time for email enquires in relation to bookings or other is around 3 weeks.

Please do not email our service to check the progress of your enquiry/application, unless in the event of an emergency e.g. terminal illness or other. We work through these in date order and will respond as soon as we can.

Upon receiving marriage and civil partnership application forms, you will normally be contacted within a few days to confirm receipt of your notice forms. 

Please ensure you read all of the information below and remember to include all the necessary documents and contact details with your application as we may not be able to offer or confirm a date with you until we are in receipt of all the paperwork.  This will help avoid any unnecessary delays in processing your application.

*Please note updated civil ceremony fees will come into effect from 1 April 2024*

About us

Congratulations on choosing Glasgow as the city which will host your forthcoming marriage or civil partnership. 

At Glasgow Registrars, the experienced team will work to make sure your day is as special and memorable as possible.

The team will guide you through the process of organising your personal ceremony/day and can advise on the statutory duties/legal preliminaries which come with this, making Glasgow Registrars the ideal choice for your special day.  

The staff will be on hand from the moment you begin your journey until the moment you say, 'I do'.

What type of Ceremony can I have?

You can be married or have a civil partnership in either of two ways in Scotland - by civil ceremony (Conducted by a Registrar) or by a religious or belief ceremony:

• Civil Ceremony
  This ceremony may take place in a registration office or at any place mutually agreed between the couple and the local registration authority, other than religious premises.  The ceremony can be personalized to suit your individual tastes and needs.  Your day, your way!
   
• Religious or Belief Ceremony
  This ceremony can be solemnised only by a minister, clergyman, pastor, priest or other person entitled to do so under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004. Visit our Marriage webpage for guidance on the legal preliminaries. 

Where can my ceremony take place?

Choosing a venue for your special day will be one of the biggest decisions you need to make when organising your ceremony. 

This service will work directly with you to help arrange a ceremony venue that caters to your needs, whether this be a small and intimate room or a large and elaborate hall.

We can conduct ceremonies at different venues across the city. Or you can opt for the ceremony rooms we have available at 23 Montrose Street - The Kelvin Room and the Clyde Room or the Suites available in the City Chambers - the Banqueting Hall and the Satinwood Suite.

Please view our picture gallery, to help you choose the right ceremony room for you!

Other venues for your ceremony within Glasgow

If you have a specific venue in mind for your special day out with the Registration Office, we can accommodate this too. We will provide you with a Registrar who will conduct the ceremony at your chosen venue.

Civil ceremonies can take place almost anywhere in the city, allowing you a much wider choice of venue. You can be married in a hotel, your own home or a special place that is meaningful to you both.

We can take bookings up to two years in advance for one of our Registrars to conduct your ceremony at any location within Glasgow (so long as this has been mutually agreed by the local registration authority and the couple).
 

How much does it cost?

Costs will depend on your chosen venue, date and number of guests. Please see below for current fee lists.

From 1 April 2024:

•  Civil Ceremony Fees for 23 Montrose Street [18kb]
•  Civil Ceremony Fees for the City Chambers [17kb]
•  Civil Ceremony Fees for Outside Venues [17kb]

How can I personalize my ceremony?

Your ceremony is personal and unique to you both. Whether you want a traditional or contemporary occasion, we can help you create that special day - "Your Day, Your Way."

You may want to incorporate a symbolic gesture like Hand-Fasting, or you can opt to have a Rose, Quaich or Oathing Stone ceremony in which family and friends can participate. Please note you are required to provide any necessary items for these enhancements i.e. ribbons, stone, quaich.

To make the ceremony more personal, you can choose your own vows and promises or select readings and poetry to be recited.

Music is another way of personalising your ceremony for you and your guests. Many couples choose a song for entering the room, another for signing the schedule and a final song for exiting the venue.

For some of the most popular enhancements, poems and readings which can be included in your ceremony see below:

 Poems and Readings [106kb]

 Enhancements [231kb]

If you have any other ideas for things you would like to incorporate within your ceremony, the Registrar will be happy to discuss with you. 

How do I book?

To book your civil ceremony in Glasgow, first you need to decide on a date and choose a venue.  Once you have decided on where and when you would like to have your ceremony, you can make a booking with a Registrar.

Bookings can be made up to 2 years in advance, with the exception of the City Chambers venue which can be only be booked up to one year in advance.

Please fill out and submit one of our enquiry forms detailing your preferred location, date and time and we can check availability.

Once we have checked our availability, we will contact you to confirm your booking details. You will be asked to pay a non-refundable booking fee to secure your ceremony date and venue. Instructions on how to do this will be included in your confirmation of availability email.

Where you wish a ceremony of just the couple and two witnesses, a booking can only be made when you submit notice forms. This can be done up to a maximum of 3 months in advance.

What happens next?

When you have confirmed your booking, you will be given information which will cover the legal preliminaries and when to submit your paperwork. Once you submit your marriage/civil partnership notice forms (legal preliminaries) we will discuss your ceremony requirements for the day in more detail.

For larger ceremonies we will issue you with a ceremony planner, at the time of booking which will provide information and will offer guidance about any additions or enhancements you may want included in your ceremony.

Then simply relax and enjoy your big day when it arrives!

What paperwork do I need?

Each party to a marriage must complete and submit a NRS - M10 (Marriage Notice Form) along with the required documents and the appropriate fee, to the registrar for the district in which the marriage is to take place. For a civil partnership the same information applies but you must download a NRS- CP10 Form.

Please note that failure to submit your forms in a timely manner (8-10 weeks before your ceremony) and with the associated documents may result in your ceremony not going ahead.

Please visit our marriage page or civil partnership page for more information on the paperwork you are required to submit and the address which this must be sent to.

Testimonials

Our team here at Glasgow Registrars will do our best to assist you every step of the way. We want to make your day one to remember.

Below is a selection of comments that we have received from couples who have been married or had a civil partnership conducted by a Registrar in Glasgow.

• "Thank you so much for putting the 'special' into our day"
• "All the staff we encountered during the booking process through to the actual day were without exception polite and professional"
• "Thoughtful, kind and compassionate - you set us on our journey together"
• "Really clear information and fantastic service that was exceptional when submitting marriage notice forms"
• "Your warm and relaxed manner really helped make our ceremony very special"
• "You played a leading part in making an important event for us, a memorable one"
• "Jovial and fun loving, making such a formal occasion a very happy event"
• "It was very special for us and we enjoyed your style and humour"
• "We got great photos and will remember the day very fondly"
• "It felt so personal and warm, chilled and relaxed, just what we wanted"