His family is Jewish, mine are mostly atheists-or Christian. Our vows etc are not a problem, nor the reception or planning anything else.. we are stumped on how to do our ceremony! We just want to make a commitment to each other for the rest of our lives and let our families and friends experience it.
Who could we have do the ceremony and where etc? Have you known anyone in our situation?
2007-07-25 10:55:12 · 26 answers · asked by PlasticTrees 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
Look for a non-denominational minister. Most are very accommodating with your wishes. Try goggling it with the city you are located in. Also at bridal shows you can meet people who will marry you the way you would like.
We discussed this with the minister (non-denominational) who is marrying us, and he said it was our day and her wanted to accommodate our wishes.
Unless your getting married at a place of worship, there are very few rules the person marring you must follow.
Good Luck!
2007-07-25 11:40:17 · answer #1 · answered by kimandryan2008 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is pretty common, at least in Canada. I've only been to a few religious weddings and most of the weddings have been non-religious. You can get a justice of the peace in the US, or if you live in Canada or another country you can get a chancellor (someone who does marriage ceremonies for any religion or non-religion). You can also get married anywhere you want - in a hall, outside, etc. My brother's getting married in this great old restaurant (the whole thing is being rented out).
Your "problem" definitely isn't uncommon and people do it every day! There are also LOTS of ceremony readings/vows you can choose from so you don't need to do a religious one. You can find books of them at any large book store or just ask whoever is going to marry you, and they should have a bunch of them. My friend found hers online, so do a search as well.
2007-07-26 13:08:53 · answer #2 · answered by tink 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you want to have an actual ceremony that's not in a courthouse, you can ask a judge or a non-denominational priest who's licensed to marry you at any location you wish. The cost will vary, so look around and ask in your courthouse when you apply for a license. Ask your married friends- weddings like that aren't as uncommon as you think.
If you get really stuck, hire a planner to just fine a person and a place, and you can do the rest. The planner fee might be worth it, if you're really worrying about it. Even some priests are willing to make amendments and perform the ceremony if you explain the situation, but that's not as common.
2007-07-25 21:45:06 · answer #3 · answered by jimbell 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just hire a wedding Celebrant, instead of going to a church.
They have a range of different ceremonies...some including god and lots not. They will have a few for you to choose from so the ceremony will run smoothly and in order.
And by having a Celebrant, you can basically choose any where for your Wedding. A park, the beach, even your reception venue. Somewhere that is special and beautiful to the both of you.
A lot of people choose non religious ceremonies. I am getting married with a Celebrant next July. Neither my man or I are particularly religious. I feel it would be hypocritical to go to a church when we never set foot in them.
Our wedding is to be outdoors.
Good luck....Im sure it will turn out just as you want
2007-07-25 18:22:12 · answer #4 · answered by bluegirl6 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would suggest having a civil ceremony, instead of a religious one. Most reception sites give couples the option of also having their ceremony at the same location (usually for an extra $500 or so) which makes everything easier in the long run. Especially if you are having a lot of people coming in from out of town, it means they don't have to drive for the hotel to the ceremony then back to the reception, etc.
2007-07-26 10:07:34 · answer #5 · answered by VAWeddingSpecialist 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Why not just get married by the justice of the peace at the court house and then throw the reception immediately afterward. You would only be able to invite your close family and friends into the very small room most likely.
2007-07-25 17:58:39 · answer #6 · answered by Newly Eloped 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Anyone who is authorized to perform marriages in your state can marry you (it could be a minister or a justice of peace) - and you can get married in just about any location. I'm a non-believer; my ex-husband and I eloped in Vegas in a chapel - they asked us if we wanted to use a religious or a non-religious version of the vows, we chose the non-religious of course. My now-husband and I were married at an outdoor event with lots of friends and family present, and one of our friends (who is an ordained with Universal Life church) performed the ceremony. The vows were custom-written by my brilliant MOH, and were non-religious. You can get married anywhere - in a park, at the beach, at your house, at a resort, on a cruise ship, at the city hall; and the ceremony can include anything you want - it could be very short; it is all up to you. Congrats.
2007-07-25 18:45:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am in the exact same situation, neither of us go to church or are active, i have athiests in my family as do he. We are going with the Justice of the Peace.
We are having our ceremony and the reception in the same place, at a banquet hall. You do not have to be religious to get married.
The actual order of the wedding and the stuff that you physically do and say , well as long as it isnt something that is traditionally done in the church only then i think is fine, if you was to do something like unity candles, which is usually done in a church only, then that can be frowned upon as being sacreligious.
2007-07-25 18:13:55 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
You could use a Non-Denominational preacher to do your service. That is what I used when I got married. Our vows were beautiful, nothing to do with religion whatsoever.
Depending on where you live, you could have your ceremony on a beach, you could rent a rec room, or if anyone you know has a nice, large backyard.
We rented a rec room for our wedding, which was very cost efficient. I also used silk flowers instead of real ones, which enabled me to keep my bouquet. My mom made all of the food, which was our wedding gift. It was very personal, and comfortable.
Good luck!!!
2007-07-25 18:03:23 · answer #9 · answered by Shauna 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
There are plenty of examples online of how to do a secular ceremony. Most people I know who officiate can do any type of ceremony, from Christian to secular to Pagan ceremonies.
Look around for Officiants or Marriage Celebrants and talk to them about your concerns before deciding on who you want to officiate your ceremony.
2007-07-26 09:58:06 · answer #10 · answered by Terri 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋