Booking Terms & Conditions

Clear, fair and straightforward from the beginning

Weddings should be exciting, not full of paperwork! These are simply the practical terms that apply when you book me to conduct your ceremony.

They explain what you can expect from me, what I’ll need from you, and what happens in the unlikely event that plans have to change.

They’re here to make sure everything is clear from the beginning. If there’s anything you’re unsure about, just ask – I’m always happy to explain.

Key booking terms at a glance

Your booking
Your date is secured once you’ve received your Booking Confirmation and Terms & Conditions, paid the Booking Fee and I’ve confirmed your booking in writing.

Your fee
Your total fee, Booking Fee and balance will all be clearly shown in your Booking Confirmation. Once your booking is confirmed, a later change to my general prices won’t change the fee we’ve agreed.

If your plans change
Weddings don’t always go exactly to plan. If you need to change your date, time or venue, please let me know as soon as possible and I’ll do everything reasonably possible to accommodate the change.

If you need to cancel
Cancellation charges aren’t automatically applied regardless of the circumstances. Any amount due will be dealt with fairly, taking into account work already completed, costs saved and whether I’m able to replace the booking.

Your legal paperwork
For a legal marriage or civil partnership, you’re responsible for completing the required legal paperwork correctly and on time. I’ll guide you through the ceremony side and help keep you right along the way.

If something happens to me
In the very unlikely event that serious illness or an emergency means I can’t personally conduct your ceremony, I’ll let you know as soon as possible and use reasonable endeavours to help find a suitably authorised replacement.

Full Booking Terms & Conditions

Legal wedding and civil partnership ceremonies in Scotland

Version: September 2026

You can read the full terms below. Click on any section to open it. You’ll also receive a PDF copy with your personalised Booking Confirmation before you make your Booking Fee.

Your booking & fees

1. Who these Terms are between

These Booking Terms & Conditions are between Laura Gordon, trading as Caledonian Wedding Celebrant Scotland (“I”, “me” or “my”), and the person or persons named as customers in the Booking Confirmation (“you” or “the couple”).

For a legal marriage or civil partnership, I act as an authorised religious or belief celebrant through Open Beliefs Scotland, subject to the authorisation in force at the date of the ceremony and the applicable law. My statutory duties and the requirements of my authorisation cannot be varied by private agreement.

Where both partners are named as customers, both are responsible for the booking and for sums properly due under it. Routine planning instructions may be accepted from either partner unless you tell me otherwise. I may ask both partners to confirm a cancellation or other material change where reasonably necessary.

2. The documents that make up your booking

Your booking consists of:

• your Booking Confirmation, including the agreed ceremony date, time, location, service and fee;
• these Booking Terms & Conditions, in the version supplied to you before confirmation;
• any later written change expressly agreed between us; and
• for a legal ceremony, the statutory requirements and authorised form of ceremony that apply.

If there is an inconsistency, a specific later written variation takes priority for the point it changes, followed by the Booking Confirmation, then these Terms. Nothing in these Terms excludes or restricts a right that consumer law says cannot be excluded or restricted.

3. How a booking is made and accepted

I will send you a Booking Confirmation and a copy of these Terms before asking you to make the Booking Fee.

Your date is not secured until I confirm the booking in writing after the required Booking Fee has been received, unless I expressly agree another arrangement in writing.

By making the Booking Fee after receiving the Booking Confirmation and these Terms, you confirm that you wish to proceed on those terms. No handwritten signature is required for this acceptance method.

I will keep an appropriate record of the Booking Confirmation, the version of these Terms sent and the payment received. You should keep your own copies too.

4. Fees, Booking Fee and Balance

The Total Fee, Booking Fee and Balance are the amounts stated in your Booking Confirmation.

• The Booking Fee is part-payment of the Total Fee and is due when you book.
• The Balance is due 90 days before the ceremony unless your Booking Confirmation states another date.
• If you book within 90 days of the ceremony, some or all of the Total Fee may be due immediately, as stated in the Booking Confirmation.
• Once your booking is confirmed, a later general price increase will not increase your agreed Total Fee.
• An extra charge will only be payable for an additional service, material change or expense outside the agreed scope where that charge has been explained and agreed in advance, except for an urgent unavoidable expense reasonably necessary to protect the ceremony where advance agreement was genuinely impracticable.

The Booking Fee reserves capacity in my diary and also contributes towards initial administration and planning. It is not intended to operate as a penalty if you later cancel; the cancellation provisions below determine what may fairly be retained or remain payable.

5. Statutory 14-day cancellation rights

If your booking is a distance or off-premises consumer contract and the law gives you a 14-day cancellation period, that statutory right applies regardless of any other provision in these Terms. The cancellation period for a service contract normally begins when the contract is concluded.

You may cancel during a statutory cancellation period by sending any clear statement that you wish to cancel. The model cancellation form at the end of these Terms may be used, but it is not compulsory.

I will normally avoid substantive personalised work during the statutory cooling-off period unless you ask me to begin. If you expressly request that I begin providing services during that period and then cancel before it ends, the law may allow me to charge a proportionate amount for services actually supplied before cancellation. Where the law requires an express request or acknowledgement, I will obtain it separately.

Nothing in this section reduces any statutory right to cancel or obtain a refund.

6. What is included in the agreed service

Unless your Booking Confirmation says otherwise, the agreed fee covers the reasonable professional work required for the booked ceremony, including as applicable:

• booking administration and planning guidance;
• ceremony questionnaires and planning materials;
• reasonable email/message correspondence and telephone or video meetings by arrangement;
• writing and preparation of your ceremony;
• reasonable amendments made within the planning timescale;
• ordinary liaison with the venue or suppliers where reasonably required for the ceremony;
• travel within any allowance or area stated in the Booking Confirmation;
• arrival in reasonable time before the ceremony, conduct of the ceremony and completion of the agreed ceremony duties; and
• for legal ceremonies, the celebrant duties relating to the Marriage Schedule or other statutory documentation that the law requires me to perform.

7. Services or costs outside the agreed scope

The following are not automatically included unless the Booking Confirmation says otherwise: a separate in-person rehearsal, a second ceremony, extensive additional meetings, substantial rewriting after final approval, additional travel caused by a later venue change, ferries, flights, exceptional parking/tolls, or overnight accommodation.

If an additional charge becomes appropriate, I will explain what it is for and obtain your agreement before it becomes payable. I will not add undisclosed compulsory charges after you have booked.

8. Your planning information and deadlines

You agree to provide accurate information and return requested planning material within the timescales I give you. Please check names, pronunciations, relationships, dates, stories and factual details carefully.

I will make reasonable efforts to accommodate information supplied late, but I cannot guarantee substantial additions or rewrites close to the ceremony. If very late changes require material work outside the agreed service, any additional charge will be discussed and agreed before I undertake that extra work.

I may decline wording or an element that is unlawful, unsafe, seriously offensive, discriminatory, incompatible with venue rules, or inconsistent with the authorised form of ceremony or other requirements that I must follow.

9. Ceremony script and intellectual property

The ceremony written for you is created for your personal ceremony. You may keep a copy and share it privately with your wedding party, venue or suppliers where reasonably necessary for your wedding.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, I retain copyright in original wording, templates and planning materials created by me. You must not sell them, publish them commercially, license them, use them as a template for another celebrant or use them for commercial training without my written permission.

I do not claim ownership of your own facts, memories or stories, or of third-party readings, poems, music or other material supplied by you. You are responsible for obtaining any permission required for material you ask to be used.

10. Your responsibilities for a legal ceremony

For a legal marriage or civil partnership, you are responsible for completing the legal preliminaries correctly and on time and for following the instructions of the relevant registrar. This includes, where applicable:

• submitting the required notices, identity documents and supporting evidence to the correct registration office;
• paying statutory registration fees;
• providing me with accurate legal names and other information reasonably needed for my celebrant paperwork;
• collecting the original Marriage Schedule or other required legal document and ensuring it is physically available at the ceremony where the law requires it;
• providing eligible witnesses where required;
• ensuring the legal ceremony takes place on the authorised date and at the authorised place, subject to any lawful amendment approved by the registrar; and
• telling me immediately about any matter that may affect legal capacity, valid consent, documentation, witnesses, the date, the place or the ability of the legal ceremony to proceed.

11. When I cannot lawfully solemnise the marriage or civil partnership

I cannot lawfully solemnise a marriage or civil partnership if the statutory requirements are not met. This can include missing or invalid legal documentation, a legal impediment, concerns about valid consent or capacity, serious intoxication, or another circumstance in which the law prevents me from proceeding.

Where reasonably possible, I will discuss whether a lawful alternative is available, for example proceeding with a non-legal ceremony and completing the legal formalities separately where this can lawfully be arranged. I cannot guarantee that an alternative will be available or appropriate.

If the legal element cannot proceed because of a matter within your responsibility, that does not automatically cancel or erase payment for professional services already supplied. Any financial consequence will be dealt with fairly under these Terms and applicable consumer law.

12. My responsibilities as an authorised celebrant

I will perform the agreed services with reasonable care and skill, prepare appropriately, respect confidentiality and conduct the ceremony professionally in accordance with the law, my authorisation and the applicable requirements of Open Beliefs Scotland.

For a legal ceremony I will check the required legal document before solemnisation, use the authorised form of ceremony required of me, complete my duties in relation to signing accurately and comply with any legal reporting or administrative duty applying to me.

If there is a conflict between an administrative term in this document and a statutory or authorisation duty, the statutory or authorisation duty takes priority.

13. Changes to the date, time, venue or ceremony

Please tell me as soon as possible if you want to change the ceremony date, start time, venue or material nature of the ceremony. A requested change is not effective until I accept it in writing.

If I am available and the change is reasonably workable, I will normally transfer the booking. If the change causes additional travel, accommodation or another material cost, I will explain any proposed charge before you commit to the change.

If I am unavailable for a newly requested date, time or location, the booking will normally be treated as a cancellation or change requested by you, not as a cancellation by me. Any change affecting legal documentation must also be dealt with by the relevant registrar where required; my agreement alone cannot amend the Marriage Schedule.

14. Lateness and delays on the day

I understand that weddings do not always run exactly to time and I will make reasonable efforts to accommodate ordinary delays.

If a substantial delay creates a direct conflict with another unavoidable professional or legal commitment, I will discuss the practical options with you and the venue. Where reasonable, non-essential elements may be shortened or adapted. I will not abandon a legal ceremony casually, and any decision affecting solemnisation will be made lawfully and responsibly.

Any additional cost arising solely from a substantial delay will only be charged where it is reasonable, directly incurred and explained.

15. Outdoor, remote and severe-weather ceremonies

For an outdoor or remote ceremony, you are responsible for agreeing a realistic wet-weather or severe-weather alternative with the venue or landowner and for ensuring safe access for the couple, witnesses, guests and celebrant.

I am not required to work in conditions that create a material risk to health or safety, including dangerous weather, unsafe structures, inaccessible terrain, uncontrolled animals, violence or another serious hazard.

Where reasonably possible, I will work with you to delay, relocate or adapt the ceremony rather than simply cancel it.

A legal ceremony can only move to another location where the law and the legal documentation permit that change.

16. Conduct, safety and respectful treatment

I expect to be able to work without violence, threats, serious harassment, unlawful discrimination or serious abuse. I may pause or stop services where there is an immediate safety risk or serious misconduct.

Where reasonably possible, I will first seek a practical solution with you, the venue or another responsible person.

This clause is intended for serious circumstances, not ordinary wedding-day nerves, stress, disagreement or inconvenience.

17. Children, animals and ceremonial elements

You are responsible for the supervision and safety of children and animals involved in the ceremony.

Please tell me in advance about animals, open flames, alcohol used in a ritual, ceremonial blades, water, heights or any other element requiring venue permission or sensible risk management.

I may adapt or decline an element where reasonably necessary for safety, legality, venue rules or the requirements of my authorisation. Where possible, I will help agree a suitable alternative.

18. Photography, filming and publicity

Your photographer or videographer may photograph or record the ceremony subject to venue rules, legal restrictions and reasonable positioning that does not obstruct the ceremony or signing.

Booking me does not automatically give me permission to use identifiable images, video, private questionnaire answers or personal ceremony material for marketing. Any permission for my promotional use will be requested separately and will be limited to the permission actually given.

19. Venue, suppliers and other third parties

I am not responsible for the acts, omissions, quality or availability of your venue or other suppliers. I may communicate with them where reasonably necessary for your ceremony, but doing so does not make me responsible for their services.

Unless the Booking Confirmation expressly says otherwise, you are responsible for venue permissions, access arrangements, parking and site-specific rules.

20. Cancellation by you after any statutory cooling-off period

If you need to cancel, please tell me in writing as soon as possible. I will confirm the effective cancellation date.

Any amount retained or remaining payable following cancellation must be fair and proportionate. I will assess my reasonable net loss caused by the cancellation, including work already carried out, non-recoverable costs and the loss of the reserved date where applicable, while taking reasonable steps to reduce that loss. Any replacement booking I reasonably obtain for the same date will be taken into account.

Indicative maximum cancellation scale

• More than 180 days before the ceremony: up to the Booking Fee.
• 180 to 91 days before the ceremony: up to the Booking Fee.
• 90 to 31 days before the ceremony: up to 75% of the Total Fee.
• 30 days or fewer before the ceremony: up to 100% of the Total Fee.

These are maximums, not automatic charges: the amount must not exceed my reasonable net loss after taking account of work saved, costs avoided and any replacement booking.

The Booking Fee is therefore not described as automatically non-refundable in every circumstance. If my reasonable net loss is less than the applicable maximum, the lower amount will be used.

If the amount already paid exceeds the sum fairly due, the excess will be refunded. If the fair amount due exceeds payments already made, the difference remains payable, but never above the Total Fee plus any separately agreed additional service or expense.

I will provide a reasonable explanation of the cancellation calculation if requested. Nothing in this section affects a stronger statutory right you may have to cancel or receive a refund.

21. Postponement and transfer to another date

A postponement is a request to move the booking rather than end it. If I am available for the new date and accept the change, payments already made will normally transfer to the new booking.

If I am not available for the proposed new date, or the proposed change is so substantial that I cannot reasonably provide the agreed service, the financial consequences will be assessed fairly in the same way as a cancellation, taking account of work already supplied, costs, savings and mitigation.

A transferred booking may require a new Booking Confirmation. A general price increase will not be applied merely because an existing booking is moved, unless the move materially changes the service/cost and an additional amount is agreed with you.

22. Cancellation, illness or inability to attend by me

If serious illness, emergency, loss or suspension of authorisation, or another substantial circumstance means I cannot personally conduct your ceremony, I will tell you as soon as reasonably possible.

For a legal ceremony I will use reasonable endeavours, where lawful and appropriate, to help identify a suitably authorised replacement through Open Beliefs Scotland or my professional network. I cannot guarantee another celebrant’s availability or that they will accept the booking.

If I cancel and no agreed replacement or equivalent service is provided, you will receive an appropriate refund for services not supplied. This does not limit any additional remedy that consumer law may give you. I will not cancel arbitrarily while retaining payment for work I have not provided.

23. Events outside reasonable control

Events such as severe weather, road closure, transport disruption, venue closure, public emergency, government restriction, widespread infrastructure failure or another circumstance outside reasonable control may affect performance.

Both sides should take reasonable steps to reduce disruption and loss. We will first consider a safe and lawful change of time, place, format or date.

If performance becomes impossible, the financial outcome will reflect services actually supplied, unavoidable costs, savings, recoveries and reasonable mitigation rather than an automatic “no refund” rule.

24. Overdue payments and debt recovery

If a payment is overdue, I will contact you and give a reasonable opportunity to correct an oversight, administrative error or banking problem.

An overdue amount that is properly due remains a debt under the booking. After reasonable written notice, I may pause non-statutory planning or writing work that has not yet been supplied while a material payment remains overdue, provided that doing so is lawful, proportionate and does not conflict with a statutory or authorisation duty.

Nothing in these Terms says that I will refuse to solemnise a lawful marriage solely as a debt-collection tactic. My statutory responsibilities and authorisation requirements will be respected separately from recovery of any unpaid fee.

If payment remains outstanding after reasonable written notice, I may seek recovery through the appropriate Scottish civil procedure. I may also ask the court for any interest, court fee or recoverable expense that the court is legally entitled to award. I will not impose an arbitrary penalty, administration fee or collection charge that is not legally recoverable.

25. Complaints and resolving a dispute

If something is wrong, please tell me promptly so that I have a reasonable opportunity to investigate and, where appropriate, put it right.

Both sides should normally try to resolve a dispute directly before court proceedings. This does not prevent either party from exercising legal rights, obtaining advice or taking urgent action where necessary.

26. Personal information and confidentiality

I will use personal information for booking administration, ceremony preparation, communication, my legal celebrant functions, record-keeping and legitimate legal obligations. Personal or sensitive material supplied for a surprise ceremony will be handled with particular care.

I will not sell your personal information. Information may be shared where reasonably necessary with the registrar, Open Beliefs Scotland, an authorised replacement celebrant, a professional adviser or insurer, a court or public authority, or where disclosure is required by law. Further information may be contained in my separate Privacy Notice.

27. Liability and your statutory rights

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where the law does not allow this, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or your statutory consumer rights.

I am responsible for loss that is a foreseeable result of my breach of the agreement or failure to use reasonable care and skill, subject to applicable law.

I am not responsible for loss caused by matters for which I am not legally responsible. As this is a consumer booking for a private ceremony, I do not accept liability for purely business or commercial losses that were not part of the purpose of the booking.

28. Communications and written notices

“In writing” includes email and other electronic messages capable of being saved or reproduced. Please use the contact details in your Booking Confirmation and keep important messages.

A cancellation or material change should not rely only on a disappearing-message function or an oral conversation.

You are responsible for telling me if your contact details change. I am responsible for telling you if my principal contact details change.

29. No waiver and severability

If either side does not enforce a right immediately, that does not mean the right has been given up.

If a court or other competent authority finds one provision unlawful or unenforceable, the remainder of the Terms will continue so far as legally possible. Any affected provision should be read only to the minimum extent necessary to make it lawful where the law permits.

30. Changes to these Terms after booking

I will not replace the Terms you accepted with a later version simply because I update my standard terms.

A material change affecting your existing booking requires written agreement unless the change is required by law and does not unfairly reduce your rights.

31. Governing law and courts

These Terms and your booking are governed by Scots law. The Scottish courts will have jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory consumer rule that gives you a right to bring proceedings in another appropriate court.

For qualifying money claims in Scotland, the court procedure available at the relevant time may include Simple Procedure. The availability, limits and rules of any court process are determined by law and court rules, not by these Terms.

32. Keeping your booking record

Please keep your Booking Confirmation, these Terms, payment records and important correspondence.

I will retain appropriate booking records for legitimate administrative, legal and evidential purposes in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements.

33. Contact details

Laura Gordon | Caledonian Wedding Celebrant Scotland

Email: laura@caledonian-celebrant.co.uk
Telephone: 07917 325995
Website: caledonian-celebrant.co.uk
Business correspondence address: as stated in your Booking Confirmation or invoice.

Acceptance wording

Before making your Booking Fee, you will receive your personalised Booking Confirmation and a copy of these Booking Terms & Conditions.

By making the Booking Fee after receiving both documents, you confirm that you wish to proceed with the booking on those terms. Your statutory cancellation and consumer rights are not affected.

Starting work during the 14-day cancellation period

I will normally avoid substantive personalised work during any statutory 14-day cancellation period.

If you would like me to begin substantive planning or celebrant work during that period, I will ask you separately to make an express request such as:

Early-start request

I expressly request that Laura Gordon begins providing the booked planning and celebrant services during my 14-day cancellation period. I understand that, if I cancel during that period, I may where the law permits have to pay a proportionate amount for services supplied before cancellation.

Model cancellation form

You only need to use this form if you wish. A clear email or other written statement is also sufficient where a statutory cancellation right applies.

To: Laura Gordon, Caledonian Wedding Celebrant Scotland
Email: laura@caledonian-celebrant.co.uk

I/We give notice that I/we cancel my/our contract for the following service:

Ceremony date: ______________________________________

Names: _____________________________________________

Date booking was made: _______________________________

Address: ____________________________________________

Date: _______________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________
(only required if this form is sent on paper)

Any questions?

I know Terms & Conditions aren’t the most exciting part of planning a wedding! They’re simply here to make sure everything is clear from the beginning.

If there’s anything you’re unsure about, or you’d like me to explain something before you book, just get in touch. I’m always happy to help.

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