The Wedding Box: Promoting Marriage in Scotland

The Wedding Box is one of our pro-marriage policies. Our Wedding Box policy is designed to honour, celebrate and encourage marriage across all of society, while also supporting each couple in their relationship. We estimate the cost incurred to be about £20 million a year, but the resultant savings could far exceed that figure. A Wedding Box would be available to couples registering to get married in Scotland, with delivery well before the wedding day. Much of the content of the box could be administrated via an app, including audio and video alternatives to written material. The box would contain: 1) Anniversary Meal vouchers (£60) for restaurants in Scotland for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 10th, 20th, 30th etc anniversaries. As well as giving a boost to relationships that might be being neglected in the busyness of life, these meals would be spoken of and reported on social media as anniversary meals, thus raising the profile of marriage more widely. 2) A honeymoon hotel/accommodation voucher. For use in Scotland only, this would give £300 discount on a three-night stay from the day after the wedding date (so not for the wedding night). Couples wishing to travel outside Scotland would not benefit. The target is couples for whom the cost of a honeymoon might be prohibitive and a deterrent from marrying. This is environmentally prudent and would benefit the Scottish hospitality industry. 3) A voucher for three marriage preparation sessions with a recognised provider such as a minister of religion or relationship counsellor. Many couples embark on marriage without such an opportunity to reflect, but such deliberate consideration can help avoid problems in the future. 4) A voucher to cover the reasonable fees of a wedding celebrant. This would be conditional on using the preparation session vouchers described above. 5) A picture framing voucher for either the signed marriage vows or a wedding photograph. As well as reminding the couple of their promises, the display of such items would help promote a culture of marriage more widely. 6) Messages of congratulations and best wishes that affirm the value of marriage signed by a range of local people. These would be named and signed by hand to prevent impersonal mass production. Anyone could register to have the opportunity to send a message or card to people marrying within an area. We envisage local leaders wishing to communicate in this way, but anyone, for example a retired married couple, would be welcome to share their good wishes. 7) A marriage manual giving advice on relationships issues such as communication, forgiveness, negotiation, differences between men and women, faithfulness, commitment, responsibility, freedom and more. A section on where to seek help if required would be included. 8) A pregnancy guidebook, covering health advice from before conception to birth. As well as including useful information, this also conveys an assumption that marriage precedes childbirth. Children fare much better where parents are married before they are born. 9) A parenthood manual, giving brief common sense parenting advice from a neutral perspective, an explanation of childcare options, the school system, home education, and the law as it relates to children at different ages. 10) A guide to marriage finances, detailing the tax and benefit system, trust funds and saving accounts for children etc. Financial issues cause stress and strife in many marriages, so sound advice about prudence, budgeting and debt avoidance would be of value. 11) The box itself would be attractively decorated, featuring the couple’s names and wedding date. The suggested use of the box is as a repository for significant family items – a memory box, or family “treasure” box. Unlike the Baby Box, it is not designed for the couple to sleep in! We want as many families as possible to stay together and for as many kids as possible to be brought up by their mum and dad in the family home. A strong culture of marriage leads to strong families and flourishing men, women and children, leading to a healthy nation. Our Wedding Box could play a part in turning that vision into reality.