Could you please help me with the following questions about Buddhist Weddings?

Question

I really need the answers to the following questions, it would be very very helpful:

1) Are there any ceremonies before building up to the wedding?

2) Is there a dowry? If so, why?

3) Where do they get married? Is it considered important?

4) Is a Buddhist wedding seen more as a legal ceremony or a religious ceremony?

5) Are there any ceremonies after the wedding?

6) What happens if things go wrong? Is divorce allowed? Is remarriage allowed?

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

A lot of what you ask is country-specific. It is a religion that has different forms, has been less dogmatically codified and more open to interpretation than others, and has incorporated local elements and traditions in different cultures over centuries. My impression is that a Tibetan wedding is perfomed much differently than a Japanese Buddhist wedding. Representations of Buda and ways of worship vary immensely in different countries, and I would not know if Zen Buddhism has different marital concerns than Vajrayana Buddhism.

I suggest you look up the law and Buddhist customs of the nation you target. In the meantime, below is a resouceful website which among other things that partly answer your questions talks about the legal status of a Buddhist ceremony in the UK.

Answer 2

Contact my minister at [e-mail].
He performed one for a couple a few months back as our church deals with the Asian comunity.