Non traditional vs traditional weddings
Have you ever attended a non traditional/non-religious wedding, if so, how was it compared to traditional weddings you have been to.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.The most non traditional wedding I ever attended was literally conducted in a library and done in 90 seconds.
When it comes to the CEREMONY of marriage, it's been my experience that they're pretty much the same, minus religious language in an atheistic ceremony.
MartinDeBourge
Level 2
Oct 12, 2017
0
I used to shoot video for weddings and although the locations vary the ceremony stays pretty much the same. A friend was an ordained minister and married his son at a park with little if no religious references. I've been to a Unitarian wedding and it had the usual bridesmaids and groomsmen but I don't recall any overtly religious references, aside from it being held in a Unitarian church. One of my own weddings we held in a museum. The room had 4 story ceilings and suspended above us was a gigantic complete skeleton of a blue wale and a 4 story all window wall onto a major river. My wife was Christian so we used the Lutheran minister from my family's church, a really nice guy. I told him I wanted the ceremony short and about love. I selected bible Bible passages from Solomon's Song of Songs like, "'Look! The winter has passed, the winter rains are over and gone. The pomegranates have appeared in the land, the time for pruning and singing has come; the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree has budded, the vines have blossomed and give off their fragrance. Arise, come away my darling; my beautiful one, come away with me!' O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places of the mountain crags, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely." And then he gave what was suppose to be a very short sermon of love but turned into 20 minutes but the religious references were few and it was still a beautiful ceremony. One of my favorite weddings was some kind of Catholic Russian Orthodox Church. The church was tiny, quaint, lit only by sunlight on the alter, and packed with standing room only. The bride and groom were donned with wreaths and circled the alter 3 times. The groom was an opera singing and sang an acapella rendition of Ave Maria that still gives me chills just thinking about it.
I have not yet but we have a secular humanist celebrant (certified by the AHA) in our group and I have heard about her service and she is very good. That would be the kind of service I would want were I to marry again. I definitely want a secular funeral or memorial service and I've told my daughters and I believe they will respect my wishes.
Oh, our celebrate, being certified, had to take a number of classes provided by the American Humanist Association in order to get her certification so she is legally allowed to marry people, officiate at baby naming ceremonies and at funerals as well as weddings. Hope this helped a little.
KLMFTFW
Level 5
Oct 12, 2017
1
This is very interesting. I am not getting married anytime soon.. 
never have been but am wondering what is out there for non religious folks that want to tie the knot and even for funerals too, who to contact & how that all works.. thanks!
Mistymoon, You are very welcome. Glad to help. I didn't know about it either until I came out of the closet and joined a local atheist group where I met this woman. I also met a man at this year's AHA conference who was in the process of becoming a celebrant. Now that you know they are out there, you should have no trouble finding one.
Personally, I have only been to two weddings, both religious, but it's mostly because people around here aren't getting married that often anymore - is there really a meaning in couples that love each other to get married?
MarcO
Level 5
Oct 12, 2017
0
I myself have only attended 3 in my life. I find it makes no sense really as this is such a barbaric way to show ownership of someone. I never took the plunge myself but I posed this question to find out if anyone out here has been to a non religious one and what they felt about it.
I've gone to a bunch of very non-traditional weddings, and most of them were a blast. My best friend growing up asked me to be his best man at a "gay?" wedding. I say gay? because his bride was trans and as far as I knew he was straight but he fell in love with her, and it's been six years of happy bliss for them.
paul1967
Level 8
Oct 12, 2017
2
I've only been to two weddings, which it was one of each. I plan on having a really unconventional wedding where everyone can have fun. Not that the traditional one wasn't fun, but they seem a lot more "stricter" than non traditional.
LadyStardust96
Level 5
Oct 12, 2017
0
When I was married we had two weddings. One was non-religious by a Justice of the Peace, and the other by a "quack" (rabbi). My wife was a Jewish doctor from Europe. We had two children and we decided to leave the marriage after almost 20 years. I can tell you the non-religious one was the better of the two. Not perfect, but better.
Penultimate
Level 6
Oct 12, 2017
0
I've never been to a non-traditional/non-religious wedding. I live in North Carolina where there are a BUNCH of religious people, so everyone I know that I've been invited to their wedding, its always been traditional with a religious element.
AccursedHalo
Level 6
Oct 12, 2017
0
The only weddings I've been to have been very traditional, married in a church, reception afterwards. My cousin and brother recently got married and it just seems like a traditional wedding is expensive, stressful, and trying to make all the guests happy just distracts from what's supposed to your big day.
JakeGronie
Level 4
Nov 2, 2017
0
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