Getting married in Scotland, note the "no residency requirements"

Minimum age 16 years old. No parental consent required.
No residency requirements
By law both parties to a proposed civil or religious marriage are required to submit marriage notice forms to the registrar of the district in which the marriage is to take place informing him of their intention to marry.
Forms for giving notice can be obtained from any registrar of births, deaths and marriages in Scotland.
Notice must be given in the three-month period prior to the date of marriage and NOT LATER than 15 days before that date.

WHO CAN BE MARRIED IN SCOTLAND

Any two persons, regardless of where they live, may marry in Scotland provided that:

both persons are at least 16 years of age on the day of their marriage.
they are not related to one another in a way which would prevent their marrying.
they are unmarried (any person who has already been married must produce documentary evidence that the previous marriage has been ended by death, divorce or annulment).
they are not the same sex.
they are capable of understanding the nature of a marriage ceremony and of consenting to marriage.
the marriage would be regarded as valid in any foreign country to which either party belongs.

TYPES OF MARRIAGE

You can be married in either of two ways in Scotland - by a religious ceremony or by a civil ceremony:

A religious marriage, whether Christian or non-Christian, may be solemnised only by a minister, clergyman, pastor, priest or the other person entitled to do so under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977.
A civil marriage may be solemnised only by a registrar or an assistant registrar who has been authorised by the Registrar General for that purpose.
HOW AND WHEN TO GIVE NOTICE

You can each obtain a marriage notice form, and information about fees, from any registrar of births, deaths and marriages in Scotland. In most cases you can get the address of your local registrar from the telephone directory.

Each of you must complete and submit a marriage notice, along with the required documents and the appropriate fee, to the registrar for the district in which the marriage is to take place.
Timing is important. The notices must be submitted early enough to enable the registrar to satisfy himself that you are free to marry one another. Normally notices should be in his hands about FOUR weeks before the marriage but if either party has been married before, the notices should be with the registrar SIX weeks beforehand. The mimimum period is 15 days before the date of the proposed marriage, but if you leave things as late as this you could be faced with the need to postpone your marriage.
Only in exceptional circumstances will the Registrar General authorise a marriage to take place if 15 days' notice has not been given.
Although you need not attend personally at the registrar's office to hand in your marriage notice, at least one of the parties must attend personally before the date of your marriage. This is necessary, in the case of a religious marriage, to collect the marriage schedule or, in the case of a civil marriage, to finalise arrangements with the registrar. Personal attendance is necessary at this stage because the registrar will need further information before the marriage can proceed.
Every person giving notice is required to sign a declaration to the effect that the particulars and information given on the notice are correct. As a safeguard against bigamous marriages a subsequent check of the information is made centrally.
Persons related in any of the ways listed in the Forbidden Marriages paragraph at the end of this guide will each require to sign a separate declaration form, which like the marriage notice form is obtainable from any registrar of births, deaths and marriages in Scotland.
DOCUMENTS TO BE PRODUCED

When giving or sending the marriage notice forms to the registrar each of you must supply the following:

Your birth certificate
If you have been married before the marriage was dissolved, a certificate of divorce or annulment or a certified copy decree. A decree of divorce granted outwith Scotland must be absolute or final - a decree nisi is not acceptable.
If you are a widow or widower, the death certificate of your former spouse.
If you and the person you are marrying are related in any of the ways listed in paragraph 2b, death certificates are required of the persons mentioned in footnote (b).
If your domicile is abroad, a certificate of no impediment issued by the competent authority to the effect that you are free to marry - see IF YOU ARE DOMICILED OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM.
If any of these documents is in a language other than English, a certified translation in English must also be provided.
Do not delay in giving notice simply because you are waiting for any of the documents mentioned above to come to hand. If time is getting short it is better to give notice first then pass on the documents to the registrar when they become available; but they must be made available to the registrar before the marriage. Provided the documents are in order the marriage can proceed as arranged.
MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY

It is important to make early arrangements for the date and time of your marriage.

If you are having a religious ceremony go and see the minister or clergyman who is to take the service, before completing the notice of marriage.
For a civil marriage make advance arrangements with the registrar. This is particularly important in towns and cities, where large numbers of people want to be married at certain times of the year.
Arrange for two persons, aged 16 years or over, to be present at your marriage to act as witnesses. They are required whether it is a religious or civil ceremony.
Be sure to let the clergyman or the registrar know if you change your plans or decide to postpone your marriage.

I also posted a link of castles that host weddings and are also bed and breakfasts. Look at the pictures! How romantic. Sigh... :)

I liked the area in Fife between Edinburgh and say St. Andrews. Plenty of small little villages along the water (a great fish and chip place in Anstruther too). St. Andrews might be a good choice, as you'd be small enough to have some quaintness but there are hotels, scenery, and a nearby airport (EDI).

As for documentation it is probably up to the church you choose and your religion. You haven't told us what your citizenship is so I'm not entirely sure if you are talking about how to get it recognized back in the States, or whether you are planning to move to the UK as part of the process. I know you didn't ask for links, but there is a very very good site called 'Talk Yankee' which is for US expats in the UK. Many of the members there got married in the UK (and stayed) and are quite familiar with the processes involved.

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/

pls look here and clear ideas and doubts
How Do I Get Married in Scotland


Making Arrangements for your Marriage Ceremony - Information on getting married in Scotland



Types of Marriage

You can be married in either of two ways in Scotland - by a religious ceremony or by a civil ceremony.
· A religious marriage, whether christian or non-christian, may be solemnised only by a minister, clergyman, pastor, priest or other person entitled to do so under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977.
· A civil marriage, which may take place in a registration office or at an approved venue, may be solemnised only by a Registrar or Assistant Registrar who has been authorised by the Registrar General for the purpose.


Religious Marriage

It is important to make early arrangements for the date and time of your marriage. If a religious marriage is being planned, the bride and groom should contact the minister, priest or clergyman who is to conduct the ceremony well in advance of the proposed date of marriage.

Couples who do not wish to be married in a church, but prefer to have their wedding in another venue, e.g. an hotel, must contact the minister, priest or clergyman.

Civil Marriage

For a civil marriage, you should make advance arrangements with the Registrar. This is particularly important in some of the more popular locations where large numbers of people wish to be married at certain times of the year (seeBooking a Civil Marriage). You can also request a copy of the North Ayrshire Civil Ceremonies Guide or CD from any North Ayrshire Registration Office

The choice of venues for civil marriages is extensive. Councils have the power to approve places where civil marriages can be conducted by Registrars. This approval can be for a single occasion or for a period up to three years. For a list of the venues that have already been approved in North Ayrshire see Approved Venues for Civil Marriages or, alternatively, contact the local Registrar.

In North Ayrshire, if you wish to apply for a temporary approval for a civil marriage to be conducted at a place of your choice, you should contact staff at the District Court, Townhouse, Irvine 01294 311998 who will advise you about the application procedure and fees.

A list of approved places for Scotland can be obtained from the General Register Office for Scotland website.

Arrange for two persons, aged 16 years or over, to be present at your marriage to act as witnesses (usually referred to as bestman and bridesmaid). Download Witness Form here.

Be sure to let the clergyman/or Registrar know if you change your plans or decide to postpone your marriage.

Who Can be Married in Scotland

Any two persons, regardless or where they live, may marry in Scotland provided that -
· Both persons are at least 16 years of age on the day of their marriage.
· They are not related to one another in a way which would prevent their marrying (see Degrees of Relationship) - if in doubt please consult the local Registrar.
· They are unmarried and not in a Civil Partnership (any person who has already been married or registered as a civil partner must produce documentary evidence that the previous marriage or civil partnership registration has ended by death, divorce, annulment or dissolution).
· They are not of the same sex.
· They are capable of understanding the nature of a marriage ceremony and of consenting to the marriage.
· The marriage would be regarded as valid in any foreign country to which either party belongs.


NB - For further details please refer to the green leaflet RM1 (Marriage in Scotland) available from any Registration Office.


How and When to Give Notice (Religious or Civil Marriage)

You can obtain marriage notice forms and information about fees from any Registrar of births, deaths and marriages in Scotland or
download marriage notice forms here.
· Each party to the marriage must complete and submit a marriage notice form along with the required documents and appropriate fees to the Registrar in the district in which the marriage is to take place. If the marriage is in North Ayrshire, you can submit the notice forms to any of the North Ayrshire Registration Offices.
· Timing is important. The notices must be submitted early enough to enable the Registrar to be satisfied that you are free to marry one another. Normally, notices should be submitted about four weeks before the marriage, but if either party has been married before, the notices should be with the Registrar six weeks beforehand. The minimum notice period is 14 clear days' before the proposed date of marriage, but if you leave things as late as this you could be faced with the need to postpone your marriage.
· Only in exceptional circumstances will the Registrar General authorise a marriage to take place if the minimum period of 14 clear days' notice has not been given.
· Although you need not attend personally at the registration office to hand in your marriage notices, at least one of the parties must attend personally before the date of marriage. This is necessary to collect the marriage schedule where a religious marriage is intended and to confirm arrangements where a civil marriage is planned.
· Every person giving notice is required to sign a declaration to the effect that the particulars and information given on the notice forms are correct. As a safeguard against bigamous marriages, a subsequent check of information is made by the Registrar General's Office.
· Persons related in any of the ways in the list of Degrees of Relationship will each require to sign a separate form which, like the marriage notice form, is obtainable from any Registrar of births, deaths, and marriages in Scotland.

Documents to be Produced


When giving or sending the marriage notice forms to the Registrar each person must supply -
· Your birth certificate
· If you have been married before and the marriage has been dissolved, a certificate of divorce or annulment or a certified copy decree. A decree of divorce which is granted outwith Scotland must be made absolute or final - a decree nisi is not acceptable.
· If you are a widow or widower, the death certificate of your former spouse.
· If you and the person you are marrying are related in any of the Degrees of Relationship and you meet the requirements regarding age and family circumstances you must each sign a declaration on Form DSR alternatively you may produce an extract decree of declarator from the Court of Session, that the necessary conditions have been fulfilled.
· If you live abroad it may be necessary to produce addtional documentation issued by the competent authority in that country - check with the Registrar
· If any of these documents is in a language other than English, a certified translation in English must also be provided.
· Do not delay giving notice simply because you are waiting for any of the documents mentioned above to come to hand. If time is getting short it is better to give notice first and then pass the documents to the Registrar when they become available; but they must be made available to the Registrar before the marriage. Provided the documents are in order, the marriage can proceed as arranged.
· Please note that there are some cases where we cannot accept notice forms without Home Office documents.

Visiting the Registrar
· Every person who marries in Scotland must complete and submit a marriage notice form to the Registrar for the district in which they intend to be married. Every person giving notice is required to sign a declaration to the effect that the particulars and information given on the notice are correct.
· You should provide full name and addresses of two persons (male or female) aged 16 years or over who will be present at your marriage to act as witnesses (usually referred to as bestman/bridesmaid). Download witness form here.
· Although you need not attend personally at the registration office to hand in your marriage notices, at least one of the parties must attend personally before the date of marriage. This is necessary to collect the marriage schedule where a religious marriage is intended and to confirm arrangements where a civil marriage is planned.
· The Registrar will check the marriage notice forms and accompanying documents. The Registrar will publish details on the list of intended marriages which is displayed in the Irvine Registration Office, 106 Bridgegate House Irvine.
· Only when the Registrar is satisfied that all legal requirements have been met will a marriage schedule (the document which allows a marriage to take place) be prepared and issued to the bride and groom.

The Marriage Schedule
· When the Registrar is satisfied there is no legal impediment to the marriage, a marriage schedule will be prepared from the information you have given. The marriage schedule is a very important document - no marriage can proceed without it.
· If you are having a religious marriage the Registrar will issue the marriage schedule. The Registrar cannot issue the schedule more than seven days before the date of the marriage and you will be advised when to collect it.The schedule cannot be collected on your behalf by a relative or friend - the Registrar will issue it only to the prospective bride or groom. You will be asked to sign for the marriage schedule at the time of collection.
· The marriage schedule must be produced before the marriage ceremony to the person solemnising the marriage - a celebrant cannot perform the marriage ceremony without the schedule.
· Immediately after the ceremony the schedule must be signed by the bride and groom, by the person solemnising the marriage and by the two witnesses (Witnesses must be 16 years of age or over)
· After the ceremony the marriage schedule must be returned to the Registrar (usually in the same district where you picked it up) within three days so that the marriage can be registered. The marriage schedule can be returned by a relative or friend of the bride or groom.
· If you are having a civil marriage a marriage schedule will not be issued to you. The Registrar will have it available at the marriage ceremony for signature and will subsequently register the marriage.

Marriage Certificate

After the marriage has been registered you can obtain copies of the marriage certificate from the Registrar on payment of the appropriate fee. In most cases this will have been arranged in advance. No extracts can be issued until the appropriate fee has been paid.

Fees Payable to the Registrar (reviewed annually)

Religious Marriage

Marriage Notices (£26.00 each) = £52.00
Marriage Certificate = £ 8.50

Freedom of Information
Classification : Public
Available Formats : Website
Cost of Information: Free of Charge

SOURCES:

http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/na/Registration.nsf/index/77582A089E2BCBB480257372002CCD32?OpenDocument&MenuType=Community%20and%20living-Life%20events&DocDisplay=NoDoc&DFBC=Marriage&CatLevel=2||

GENERAL REGISTRATION OFFICE FOR SCOTLAND AND DETAILS

http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/regscot/getting-married-in-scotland/i-want-to-get-married-in-scotland-how-do-i-go-about-it.html

http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/regscot/getting-married-in-scotland/index.html

I want to get married in Scotland. How do I go about it?

There is some paperwork to be completed, and you will need to book a place, date and time. You may find it useful to download the following documents about our requirements.

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Legal Requirements ----------------------------------

Both parties must be at least 16 years old and not related too closely - some of the less obvious prohibitions include aunt, uncle, niece, nephew.
They must be unmarried at the time of the wedding or produce documentary evidence that earlier marriages have ended by death, divorce or annulment.
The couple must not be of the same sex.
Check that a marriage in Scotland is valid in the country where you live. Most countries do accept Scottish marriages (including those where the parties are aged 16 or 17, even if they are not allowed in the country of domicile).
The parties must be capable of understanding the nature of a marriage ceremony and of consenting to marry.
Form M10 (see links below) giving notice of marriage, the requisite documentation (see point 7 below) and the fee must be sent to the Registrar for the district where the marriage is to take place. It is often helpful to telephone the Registrar before completing these forms. Normally the notices should be sent four weeks before the intended date (longer if checking of divorce papers etc is required). The minimum period is 15 days before the wedding but if there are any technical problems which need to be resolved, the marriage may not take place on the planned date. You cannot submit the M10 form more than three months in advance. However, most Registrars will accept a provisional booking date well ahead of the date - but the forms must still be submitted in the proper timescales.
All documentation should be submitted to the Registrar either in person or by post (not e-mail) after it has been signed by both parties. It will include original birth certificates, certificates of final divorce or previous spouse's death certificate (if applicable). If you live outside of the UK you will be required to produce a "certificate of no impediment" from a competent authority in your home country. If this document is not in English, you must supply a certified translation.

Most religions will have a standard form of wedding ceremony and vows, but many allow some latitude. There are links below to sites which give a form of wording for Scottish wedding vows (and even in Gaelic, if you know how to pronounce the words - sorry I don't!). These can be varied to suit individual taste - but the minister will literally have the final word on what he/she will accept as appropriate.

Remember that ministers are busy people so give them as much notice as possible of the intended date of marriage.

Civil Ceremonies
Currently, Registrars can only carry out marriages in designated Registrar's Offices (though the law on this is currently under review).

SOME SUGGESTIONS----------

1.http://www.weddingideas.com/mar98/scotland1.htm

2.http://scottishwedding.visitscotland.com/

3.There is some paperwork to be completed, and you will need to book a place, date and time. You may find it useful--------------------------http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/regscot/getting-married-in-scotland/i-want-to-get-married-in-scotland-how-do-i-go-about-it.html

Well, check out How to Plan a Destination Wedding.

The Knot has a good guide on Marrying in Europe: http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/destination-weddings/articles/marrying-in-europe-overview.aspx

Wow, people printed the book so I will only say, hmmm, what does an American need to know. You need to know whether or not she said Yes before you go. That could be very important. That will save you a lot of time, money, and divorce expenses later...and don't forget to apply for your passport early.

Check under the kilt at least once before you say "I do".