Marriage is a union of two people that starts with a ceremony that is called a wedding; many changes have been made to the law surrounding a marriage in the last twenty years or so. Whilst the ceremony may occur in a church or other religious place the marriage is not recognized until the legal duties are performed. The law requires that the couple sign the marriage certificate in front of witnesses before the marriage can be legally accepted. A woman taking part in the ceremony is called a bride, a man called a bridegroom; the terms husband and wife are then the traditional terms to use after the ceremony.
Religious Wedding Services
Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Traditionally the church is the most popular venue, where the ceremony is presided over by a Christian priest. The traditional white wedding as we know it is really only a service that is popular in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland and some other Commonwealth countries.
Double Ceremonies
A rare type of marriage is where two separate couples decide to marry at the same time; this often happens where a person has a brother or sister that decides to tie the knot at the same time and it is not unheard of for two brothers to marry two sisters this way.
Marriages in Another Country
Marriages in foreign countries are called destination weddings where guests can arrive either just before the ceremony or actually travel with the couple; destination weddings automatically conjure up exotic countries but it could just as easily be a themed wedding in Las Vegas to qualify for that title.
Weddings over a Weekend
Two day or weekend weddings are a great way to extend the ceremony and festivities as an increasing number of people are finding out. 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. For many people that have outdoor interests this can be a lot of fun and the guests can stay for the weekend with them to extend the occasion.
Ceremonies Online
Still in the early stages of evolution is the internet wedding where the couple is married online; 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!
City Hall Marriages
Despite the term civil wedding, most services that take place outside of a Church, wherever that may be, are civil weddings which have to be carried out by appointed or elected judges, mayors or a justice of the peace. Religion doesn’t normally play a part in these ceremonies because they are purely a legal requirement. Many civil ceremonies take place in local town or city halls or courthouses in judge’s chambers.
The information here is to help give people who live primarily in the Western world, a better comprehension of just what a wedding really is. But in reality, when you take in to consideration that there are many foreign types of wedding ceremonies, you’ll understand we hardly scratched the surface here.