文化对比阅读补充阅读材料-4 Marriage-6

Scottish Weddings

Traditions

Historically Scotland has always been a popular destination for those seeking a truly romantic

setting in which to make their wedding vows. Scottish weddings are by no means new, but since

Madonna got hitched in Dornoch, half the world seems to want to come and tie the knot here, a

bit like Vegas, but a lot more dramatic and cool.

As a country Scotland is famous for its beautiful and unspoilt scenery, its distinctive culture and

its

dramatic

history.

In

addition

it

is

renowned

for

the

high

standard

of

its

cuisine

and

the

quality

of

its

accommodation

which

ranges

from

bed

and

breakfasts

to

magnificent

castles.

Perhaps most importantly though, Scotland is famed for its hospitality and the genuine warmth

of its people.

So,

whether

you

are

planning

to

'run

away'

to

Gretna

for

a

small

intimate

wedding

or

to

do

something on a much larger scale, be it in a hotel or castle or even on a canal boat, Scotland

offers endless possibilities to make that special day truly memorable.

Legalities for traditional Scottish weddings

In days gone by, the law was such that in Scotland couples over the age of sixteen could marry

(without parental consent) simply by declaring themselves man and wife in front of witnesses.

However in 1940 an Act of Parliament ruled that marriages were only legal if conducted by a

Minister of Religion or an authorized registrar.

Current law

Prior residence in Scotland is not a prerequisite to marriage minimum age remains sixteen both

parties must be free to marry (i.e. any previous marriage must have been terminated by divorce,

death or annulment) they must not be related to each other in any way which may impede them

from

marrying.

Details

of

forbidden

degrees

of

relationship

are

listed

in

the

leaflet

RM1

(Marriage in Scotland) which is available from any registrar of births, deaths and marriages in

Scotland

or

from

the

Registrar

General

in

Edinburgh

both

parties

must

be

capable

of

understanding the nature of the ceremony and of giving free consent.

The Scottish Wedding Ceremony

There

are

two

types

of

wedding

ceremony

—

religious

and

civil.

A

civil

marriage,

which

is

performed

by

a

Registrar,

can

only

be

performed

in

a

registry

office.

However,

a

religious