There is no fee as such for the use of any of the churches (St Andrews’, St Laurence’s, or St Palladius’). Instead, we ask that wedding couples make an appropriate donation to the continuation of ministry in the area. The suggested donation is in line with the cost of having a Registrar take your wedding outwith the Registry Office. For comparison, for 2026, the Registrar’s fee is £463. We do not charge for the rehearsal, nor for travel. We can supply an organist/pianist at a cost of £120. This cost is set by the Scottish Federation of Organists. For St Andrew’s, Fasque and St Laurence’s, Laurencekirk, there is an additional charge for electricity for heating and lighting.
Please pay the first £100 of your donation as soon as you arrange your wedding – this will ensure that the church is booked for you. We will email you details following confirmation of your wedding booking.
Fees and donations to be paid by BACS two weeks prior to the date of your wedding.
St Andrew’s, Fasque is held in trust by the Gladstones for the purposes of Christian services and ministry in the area. We have an agreement in place with Fasque Castle so that couples holding receptions there can have their wedding ceremonies conducted in the church if they so wish. Fasque Castle will either pass on our details to you or approach the clergy if you indicate that you would like a Christian wedding in the church. There is the possibility of having another Christian minister to take the service, but requests of this nature must come to us first.
Likewise, we have an agreement in place with Drumtochty Castle. They will pass on our details if you indicate that you would like a Christian wedding in the church.
You do not have to go through either Drumtochty or Fasque Castles to have your wedding in St Andrew’s or Palladius’ but there will be restrictions on when you can can have the service. Contact us for more information. St Laurence’s, Laurencekirk is also available for weddings.
If you are looking to have your reception at either Fasque or Drumtochty, you should have received a card with contact details and some information specific to either St Andrew’s or St Palladius’.
The clergy expect to meet with couples at least twice before the wedding rehearsal. This is a pastoral relationship between the couple and the minister. The first meeting can be over zoom, the next in person in the church, and then at the wedding rehearsal the day before the actual service.
The things that need to happen to be married legally in Scotland:
- All our churches are within Aberdeenshire, and there is more detailed information regarding the legal costs of registration on their website Marriage and civil partnership notices – Aberdeenshire Council. Aberdeen Council recommends submitting notice of your marriage 10 to 12 weeks beforehand. If you and your partner submit notices separately, the 29 day period starts when the council receive the second set of notices and payment.
- Make contact with the Registrar for the registration district in which the marriage is to take place between six to eight weeks before the date of the proposed marriage (but not earlier than three months). The Registrar will then supply the necessary forms. The local Registrar for Drumtochty, Fasque, and Laurencekirk, is in Stonehaven (Stonehaven and East Kincardine Register Office – Register Office). You will need to contact them by phone, email or post to book an appointment (Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm).
- The following documents will be required by the Registrar:
(a) Both birth certificates
(b) If one or both have been married previously, a copy of the decree of divorce or annulment.
(c) If one or both are a widow or widower, the death certificate of the former spouse. - Having submitted the necessary documents, the Registrar will inform you when to call back for the Marriage Schedule.
- This schedule must be brought to the Church on the day of the marriage and handed to the Priest before the ceremony. **Please note: the ceremony cannot begin without this piece of paper and so it is recommended that it is brought to the rehearsal and left in the church vestry until the time of the wedding.
- Within three days after the wedding ceremony, the Marriage Schedule, fully completed, must be returned to the Registrar from whom it was obtained. A Certificate of Marriage will then be issued. If this does not happen, the marriage is not legal.
- There are modifications to these arrangements if one or both of the parties are residing outwith the United Kingdom: the Registrar will advise in such cases. It should be noted that a Marriage Visa will be required and this needs to be obtained in the country in which bride or groom or both reside.
Below, there some links which might help you as you figure out what’s required:
- The schedule of The Marriage Between Persons of Different Sexes (Prescribed Bodies) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 lists the denominations that can take marriage services without the need to be registered as approved celebrants.
- The Scottish Government has an online guide to the process of getting married in Scotland: Marriage and civil partnership guide – gov.scot.
- If both you and your partner live outside Scotland but somewhere else in the UK (like England, Wales, or Northern Ireland), you can get married in Scotland. You both must give notice of the marriage to a registrar in Scotland (see below). The Citizens Advice Bureau has further information if you live outside the UK and are travelling to the UK to get married (Getting married – Citizens Advice).
- If one of the party is a non-UK national (or both), please follow this guidance: Microsoft Word – NRS Declaration of Status by Non-UK Nationals v2.0 Nov25.
- You will need a Marriage Notice Form which is available from this website: Registering a marriage or civil partnership – National Records of Scotland (NRS). The NRS page addresses both the registration process by UK nationals and non-UK nationals. The page lists what documents you need to submit in advance; the schedule that you need on the day of your wedding and when you need to submit this document with the registrar.
- You will also need to fill in the celebrant and witness details form. This should be supplied by the Registrar .
- You can obtain a passport in your married name in advance, but only valid from the date of marriage. A passport application is made in the usual way but with the submission of an additional document which needs to be signed by the clergy.