What do Atheists do for their wedding ceremony?

Question

Just tryin to get some ideas.

Answer 1

Well, first we sacrifice a Christian virgin to the Dark Lord....

Just kidding. The Celtic handfasting ceremony is quite beautiful. Check it out and see if it's something you might be interested in! And congratulations!

Answer 2

My husband and I are both atheists and we were married in San Francisco's Gate Gate Park Rose Garden. Our officiants were friends who happened to be living in San Francisco at the time. I found some readings online that expressed our thoughts, and our officiants said those aloud. We wrote our own vows. We did the unity candle bit because the candles were included in the accessory collection I ordered and I found a nice reading to accompany it.

If you go online to the weddings sites, you can find a lot of good ideas there. The nice thing is that you can do it à la carte, keeping only what you like and discarding the rest.

Unforunately, my hard drive crashed about six weeks ago, so I no longer have the links I went to.

Answer 3

I really think it depends on the people involved.

My boyfriend is pagan, and so we are going to do a secular ceremony outside, being married by a dear friend of ours (rather than a religious leader of some kind). Another friend will probably perform an aria (we met in a choir and love opera) and poetry will be read. I really think that all weddings--religious or not--should buck tradition and be personal.

Answer 4

different people do different things.

my husband and i wrote our own ceremony (the entire thing, not just the vows). we put in what we felt was important and why we were getting married. we were married by a non-demoninational minister who was kind enough to do a ceremony for us that didn't involve god. we also did a roe petal ceremony where we each took different colored rose petals and put them in glass box. we now have the box with a plaque on it stting on the mantle :) my aunt did a reading for us, of a poem she picked out called "true love"

we got married in an old plantation house and had our reception in their barn (it's been remodeled, it didn't look like a barn). we had an appetizer hour while we did pictures and then the reception. we skipped the first dance thing.

what else do you wanna know, and i'll tell you. i like talking about my wedding :)

Answer 5

My friend had his ceremony and reception in the same Hotel. I was in the wedding and we took pictures before the ceremony. They had a judge officiate. it was simple, elegant, and less then 15 mins.

That meant the wedding party got to enjoy the cocktail hour whith everyone else. Where as other weddings I've been in, no cocktail hour - all pictures.

Answer 6

We had a civil service at a mountain hut ~8 miles from the nearest road. Except for the wedding party there was no dressing up and we had stream-chilled Champagne and more food than necessary. The invitations stated:
* Reception and Hike to follow. *

All ~25 stayed at the hut for 2 nights and we had another day at the best Hotel in the closest town (Lake Louise, AB.)

Answer 7

Well I can't legally get married, at least for now, but anyway I don't want a wedding ceremony. I think there a big waste of money.

Answer 8

Write your own vows. Stand in front of your guests and say those vows. A justice of the peace can perform the ceremony or you really don't need a ceremony.

Answer 9

I was married by a JP. There doesn't have to be a ceremony if you don't want one. If the JP signs the papers, you are married. If you want a ceremony, they will (in most cases) be happy to do whatever ceremony makes you happy.

Answer 10

We went the the home of the "marriage celebrant". They used to be called justice of the peace, but here it's been change to marriage celebrant. It was a lovely ceremony. She read from The Prophet. I couldn't stop smiling. It was wonderful.