Non-Traditional Weddings - Let's Talk About Double Ceremonies
by Ron X. KingA wedding is a ceremony that celebrates the beginning of a marriage or civil union between two people; many changes to the service have occurred in recent years. While the ceremony may occur in a church or other religious place the marriage is not recognized until the legal duties are performed; it is not recognized as complete until the marriage license is signed. The man getting married is called the groom or bridegroom to give him his full title and the woman the bride; after the ceremony they become a wife and a husband, respectively.
Weddings in a Church
Other wedding traditions vary according to the religion, race, ethnic group and even class the couple may belong too. Many people, whether religious or not, still prefer to have a traditional ceremony performed by a recognized religious minister in a Church of their choice. These ceremonies are usually referred to as white weddings and are considered formal or semi-formal in the United Kingdom, Ireland and United States, as well as some other Commonwealth countries.
Twin Ceremonies
Double marriages are quite rare as they usually entail getting two couples to marry at the same time and same place; related people are the most likely to try for this type of service.
Marriages in Another Country
A destination wedding is where the engaged couple and often guests travel to attend the ceremony; as a wedding option it can work out considerably less expensive this way.
Themed Weddings
While it is quite normal for the Irish to have three day weddings, more couples are taking the hint and having theirs over a weekend which gives them more time to enjoy the occasion. Those with a themed element can also be very successful and the activity can be either built into the day or over the course of a weekend. Lodging is usually at the same facility and couples often host a Sunday brunch for the weekend's finale.
Online Ceremonies
Although it has not really caught on yet, a few bold and different people have decided to tie the knot online but it may be sometime before this style of wedding really becomes more popular; planning is made easy however, with online guides that list reliable and friendly vendors. This can prove a useful tool where relatives and friends from around the world can see an online wedding take place in real time without actually being there!
Town Hall Weddings
Local civil authority services are called civil weddings as they do not take place in a church and must be performed by a locally elected or appointed official. These ceremonies do not normally make any reference to God as they are a legal ceremony only. These services often take place in city halls, courthouses and other designated areas of town.
This brief article mainly discusses weddings based around Christian beliefs but the number of religions and cultures around the world means there is much more to learn about this subject.