Ceremony in an outside venue

The Marriage (Scotland) Act 2002 means that you may have civil ceremony at a venue of your choice such as a hotel. Should you wish your civil ceremony to take place in a venue other than a Registration Office please contact the team at the City Chambers or refer to our website for guidance, booking forms and procedures.

For further information and booking forms please visit http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20271/marriages_and_civil_partnerships/1744/get_married_at_your_own_ venue/1

You will find access to AP1 booking forms which should be completed by the venue and yourselves then submitted to the City Chambers Office with the appropriate fee.

There is the possibility of meeting the celebrant who will be conducting your ceremony prior to the big day. This will be at a 30 minute meeting normally in the Registration Office at a time that will suit you and the celebrant. There is a fee payable for this service.

The ceremony follows much of the same pattern as a ceremony within a registration office. We encourage couples to put as much of their own input into their ceremony as possible, perhaps using our amended ceremony booklet. Any ceremony traditions you would also like to include e.g. sand blending can be added.

Our experienced Civil Ceremony Celebrant will be available at your chosen venue 30 minutes prior to the start of your ceremony and will discuss any final details with you. Our celebrants are extremely friendly, helpful and also expert at making the most nervous couple feel at ease. They will bring the Schedule with them and return it to our offices.

Music would have to be discussed with venue staff, however, the celebrant will make themselves aware of your preferences prior to starting the ceremony.

RAVELSTON HOUSE

We are a family owned and run establishment set in the picturesque town of Musselburgh offering the very best in Scottish hospitality.

We are committed to delivering the very best in customer service and welcome locals and visitors alike with a friendly greeting. Whether you are looking for a romantic setting to dine, or just to celebrate special occasions such as weddings, christening, parties or funerals - we strive to deliver everything that our guests are looking for. Recently we have added seven superb bedrooms to our hospitality offer which is some of the best accommodation available in the town.

The Ravelston House Musselburgh is ideallyThe Ravelston House Musselburgh is ideally suited for most types of functions be it a suited for most types of functions be it a wedding, conference, party, funeral or any wedding, conference, party, funeral or any other form of celebration or group gathering. other form of celebration or group gathering. We are located just five minutes from the A1We are located just five minutes from the A1 and the Edinburgh City Bypass.and the Edinburgh City Bypass.

Our Events Co-ordinator will help you plan Our Events Co-ordinator will help you plan your event and will ensure that your occasionyour event and will ensure that your occasion runs smoothly and efficiently.runs smoothly and efficiently.

We are happy to cater for functions large and We are happy to cater for functions large and small and are committed to giving you the small and are committed to giving you the best organisational planning and customer best organisational planning and customer service delivery that we can!service delivery that we can!

We have seven comfortable double bedrooms at Ravelston House, including a familyWe have seven comfortable double bedrooms at Ravelston House, including a family room and twin bedded rooms. All our rooms have been recently refurbished toroom and twin bedded rooms. All our rooms have been recently refurbished to provide stylish, warm, clean and comfortable accommodation that is now some of provide stylish, warm, clean and comfortable accommodation that is now some of the best in Musselburgh. All rooms are en-suite, with flat screen televisions, tea and the best in Musselburgh. All rooms are en-suite, with flat screen televisions, tea and coffee making facilities, excellent Wi-Fi and a superb Scottish Breakfast included coffee making facilities, excellent Wi-Fi and a superb Scottish Breakfast included in the room rate. in the room rate.

RAVELSTON HOUSE

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Civil Partnership

In the case of a registration only the couple and their witnesses will be taken into the room where the registrar will check over all the documents and the signing of the civil partnership schedule will take place.

You also have the option of including in the registration a non-statutory ceremony. We encourage couples to compose their own civil partnership ceremony. You may wish to write certain parts of the ceremony yourself or choose from the options given in the Your Civil Partnership in Edinburgh booklet issued by the registrar.

Our helpful staff would be happy to give you some guidance about what to add into your ceremony should you wish. Perhaps you would like to make some special vows to each other which can be repeated after the registrar or just on your own. The traditional exchanging of rings can be added or perhaps you would prefer to just exchange a gift.

A guide to marriage and civil partnership in Scotland

In Scotland you can be married in the following ways:

A religious or belief system ceremony which is carried out by a minister, clergyman, pastor, priest or other person entitled to do so under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977.

A civil marriage which is carried out only by a registrar or an assistant registrar who has been authorised by the Registrar General for Scotland.

A civil partnership registration only can only be carried out by a registrar or assistant registrar; however a civil partnership ceremony can be carried out by a registrar and certain appointed religious bodies and belief systems.

Should you already be in an existing civil partnership you can have the option to convert the partnership to a marriage. Please contact the registration staff for further details.

To be married or have a civil partnership in Scotland you must:

Both complete and sign the necessary forms (M10 or CP10) required for marriage/civil partnership. These can be downloaded from http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/registration/getting-married-in-scotland

If you are subject to immigration laws please consult http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/ while-in-uk/marriageandcivilpartnership/ for information on any further documentation or forms you may have to submit.

A signed M10 or CP10 form is only valid for three months. Ideally the forms should be submitted to the registrar in whose district you are having your ceremony about 8 – 10 weeks prior to your ceremony. The minimum time for lodging these forms is 29 days prior to your ceremony, but, should you be subject to immigration laws the Home Office reserve the right to extend the minimum period of notice to 70 days should they wish to investigate.

The relevant documentation includes both birth certificates, proof of termination of a previous marriage or civil partnership, passports if you were born in or after 1983, proof of address and the relevant document from your own country if you have lived in the UK for less than two years (certificate of no impediment).

The relevant fees will require to be paid at the time of lodging notice http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/ downloads/download/164/fees

You can submit your forms and documents by either posting them to the registrar’s office or you can make an appointment at a time that suits you to call in.

You will require to bring along two witnesses who are 16 years of age or over to be present at your wedding/civil partnership who must be able to understand the nature of the ceremony.

You may have many more questions regarding the legalities or the ceremony. Please do not hesitate to contact any of our helpful staff who will be happy to help.

Once you make a booking you will be forwarded an email which has links to all the information and forms that you will require.

The member of our team who takes your booking will gladly go over the documentation you will be required to submit, along with the relevant notice form for each party. This will be submitted to the office you have chosen to have your ceremony in or the city chambers office if you are having your ceremony in a venue.

There are strict timescales when the lodging of these forms must be carried out. The minimum period for lodging notice is 29 days however, due to Home Office regulations, when one or both parties are subject to Immigration laws the Home Office has the power to extend the notice period to 71 days. When booking the registrar will advise whether you will be subject to a possible extension of the notice period. The maximum period is three months beforehand.

Any original documentation you submit will be returned to you apart from Certificates of No Impediment to marry.

Your ceremony cannot go ahead unless you have lodged your notice forms and all relevant documents and fees are with the registrar within the correct timescale.

Please contact our team immediately if you are in any doubt about what is expected to be produced with your completed M10 or CP10 forms – we are here to give assistance at all times.

Practical advice

Please make sure all the forms and documents are lodged within the legal time frames. Failing to do so could mean postponement or cancellation of your ceremony. Please ensure that all fees have been paid prior to the day of the ceremony.

Please ensure that you or your guests do not arrive too early for the ceremony – our advice would be no more than 15 minutes prior to the ceremony start time. There could be another ceremony taking place before your own and therefore access to the suites may not be possible.

We cannot accommodate any more guests than already published for each room. Please do not exceed these amounts. There is no standing room.

We wish couples to have adequate time in each of the ceremony rooms before and after the wedding/ civil partnership. However, there may be a ceremony after yours, therefore the registrar will indicate when the room should be vacated. Also, please make sure that you are not late for your ceremony as there could be another scheduled to take place after yours. If you are late it could mean your ceremony having to be re-scheduled to another time or date.

There can be no smoking in any of the buildings where our ceremony suites are located. Additionally, there can be no smoking in the Quadrangle of the City Chambers.

Please contact any member of our team with any question regarding your ceremony – we are here to help.