Unlike a Religious service which can take place just about anywhere, civil services can only take place in locations that have been specifically licensed. At Guthrie Castle we have a number of areas with such licenses; there is the “Wedding Aisle” in the walled garden, which is where the vast majority of our services take place as outdoor wedding services are becoming more popular; in the exceptional cases where we have to move inside, due to inclement weather, we can use the Great Hall or Drawing Room in the castle or we can make use of an area within our “Pavilion”.
Once you have decided upon the date you would like to get married you should contact the friendly staff at our local Registrar’s Office in Arbroath on 01241 873752 to ensure they have a celebrant available - if they don’t there is a good chance they will be able to arrange for a colleague from either the Montrose or Forfar offices to conduct your service. The office will draw up the appropriate documentation and take care of bringing the Marriage Schedule to the castle. You will be responsible for settling any fees directly with the Registrar’s office.
A civil service typically lasts about 20 minutes, it must not contain any religious references, however as well as the “official” content provided by the Registrar often there are personal readings or poems by some of the guests. Most commonly couples liaise closely with the Registrar to personalise their wedding vows before the service, tailoring them to their own unique personalities and circumstances.
Some useful places to go to for more general information on civil weddings are:
