The first principle to remember is that the ceremony should feel comfortable to you, the bride and groom. You want your marriage ceremony to exude how you feel and to be relevant to your beliefs. Then, you will want to take into consideration the religious traditions of both of your families. If the bride and the groom are of different faiths, it is wise to be inclusive and considerate of the beliefs of both sides. The core beliefs of most religions today are very similar and the areas of disagreement are relatively minor.
Out of everything that goes to making up your wedding day, it is the ceremony that you will most remember. For those couples who want their ceremonies to be expressions of the sacred reality of their love.
The Marriage Officer
As you approach your wedding day you may find yourself in one of the following positions:
• You do not belong to a Church or you have not attended for many years.
• You and your fiancé have different religious backgrounds and therefore cannot be married in either of your respective churches.
• You simply don't want to have what is considered a 'traditional' ceremony and would rather the ceremony was a personal expression of your commitment.
• You want a civil ceremony but do NOT want to be married in court.
As a Marriage Officer he / she will be happy to help you make your day exactly as you want it whether it be a large formal wedding or a small intimate one at your home, whether the ceremony is traditional or not.
There are a number of ceremony options, but if you have special requests or your own vows, we can alter the ceremony to suit your requirements. And it doesn't have to be solemn either!
There are normally no "mandatory" words in a marriage ceremony. The couple is simply required to indicate that they intend to take each other as spouses and say words to that effect.
After the ceremony is completed, the newly married couple files a marriage certificate with the proper state or local authorities and they are considered married. The person who performs the wedding frequently files this certificate for them within a few days of the wedding.
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