Non-Religious Wedding Ceremony

A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, and couples who are tying the knot do not mind going that extra mile to make their special day a more memorable one. Earlier, weddings were normally conducted the religious way, with the pastor or minister presiding over the ceremony, where couples exchange vows and rings in the church.

Though this is still ceremoniously being practiced, some people do opt for a non-religious wedding ceremony, which can be customized according to their wish. There are also a number of samples available online which explain wedding ceremony ideas in detail, and also assists in giving information about such wedding planners.

Getting married in the religious manner is a passé these days, and many couples are opting for a non-denominational wedding ceremony, which is sometimes referred to as a civil wedding ceremony. The only difference between the religious and non-religious wedding ceremony is that the priest or the religious head is absent.

The rest of the ceremonies are the same and the best thing about the non-religious version is you can craft your own wedding, to give it a personal touch.

One of the advantages of non religious wedding ceremony over the religious one is that, be it venue, music, readings and other things required, there are no limits, or restrictions that you have to stick to a particular frame of planning. There are also many wedding planners who provide services with regards to decoration, location and the actual ceremony.

Since it is a non religious ceremony, the location of the wedding will naturally be outside the church. So you can have a wide range of options regarding the venue for your nuptials. There is no dearth of venues for you to choose from. A romantic location like a beach, a canopy under a bridge (covered bridge). public parks can also be chosen.

If you have to take permission from the respective officials, then do so well in advance to avoid any problems on your D-day. The transport to the wedding location can be arranged, like horse-drawn carriages, to ferry the guests to and from the venue.

For a more private affair, you can hold the ceremony in the comfort of your home. You can either have it indoors or outdoors, if you have a spacious backyard that can accommodate all your guests.

Unlike the religious wedding, where a priest or religious person, presides over the wedding, right from the start to declaring the couple 'man and wife', in a non religious setting, the officiant can be a person who has the license to perform the ritual.

The person officiating the non religious wedding can be a justice of peace, notary or even a county clerk, having the special license to conduct the ceremony. A close friend or a family member can also officiate the ceremonies. You can be united in holy matrimony on a cruise, with the ship's captain acting as the officiant.

In a normal scenario readings from the Bible are taken, where one of the readings is done by either the bride or groom and the other by a family member. Instead of taking passages from the Bible, readings for a non-religious wedding ceremony can be taken from books, or a briefing about the couple and their life can be used.

For instance, the bride or groom can read a love letter written specially for his (or her) better half, proclaiming love in front of everyone. For the other reading, someone from the family, or a close friend, can be chosen. The script can be read as vows by the bride and groom, written by them.

Since it is a non religious affair, it is better to keep religious music aside. Choose love songs, or any other soothing music, to be played at the ceremony and after that. For the first dance, you can reserve the love songs. Playing the bride's and groom's favorite songs during the entire ceremony, and for the reception, is quite a pleasant idea.

It is quite trendy to create your own non-religious wedding ceremony, that allows you to make it unique, and one that stands out from the rest. You can also add your signatory touch to your wedding done in a conventional way, and cement it in your memory forever. Wishing you a happy married life!