Promotion plans shared for Highland Council’s Registration Service

An annual update on the work of Highland Council’s Registration Service was given at last week’s meeting of the Communities and Place Committee, with plans in place to modernise and further promote the service throughout the Highlands.

Chair of the Communities and Place Committee, Councillor Graham MacKenzie, said: “Highland Council’s Registration Service provides a vital statutory role to record life events for our communities. Over 6000 entries were recorded last year which demonstrates that our professional team continue to offer a cost effective and efficient service for the public.”

A total of 6423 entries were recorded in 2024, with 1711 recorded for marriages and 46 for civil partnership ceremonies, demonstrating a slight increase on 2023’s figures. To further promote weddings and civil ceremonies, a draft marketing strategy has been agreed to raise the profile of these ceremonies which are conducted by Highland Council’s team of registrars.

Cllr MacKenzie continued: “As we continue to modernise the services we offer, it will be important to promote and better reflect our offering to the people of the Highlands and further afield. This will support our aspirations to move towards becoming a first-choice celebrant for marriages and civil partnerships, whilst raising our profile in this industry. We are blessed with many beautiful locations and venues throughout the Highlands, and I look forward to showcasing this diverse region further as the team increases visibility, engagement and bookings for Highland Council’s Registration Service.”

The strategy will focus on targeted messaging and new approaches to promote the work of the registration team including developing a social media presence and further developing website content. Work is ongoing to refine and finalise the strategy which will include the development of an action plan.

The team will also continue to attend wedding fairs and host the Highland Registrars event in Inverness to create positive working relationships with suppliers in the wedding industry whilst promoting civil ceremonies in Highland as a whole.