Whilst there are many interpretations of a wedding, generally speaking they are still a religious or legal union between two individuals. Our concept of a marriage has seen many adjustments over the last few years. Whatever the background and history to marriage, it is still a legal union between two people; until the marriage certificate is signed by the bride, groom and witnesses, the ceremony is not finalized. The names bridegroom and bride extend around the world; after the ceremony they become a wife and a husband, respectively.
Religious Wedding Services
As soon as you look outside of your own race, religious and social group, the wedding tradition can become very complex. Although it may seem like the world has turned away from the Christian religion generally, it has not stopped the popularity of a Church ceremony. These ceremonies are usually referred to as white weddings and are considered formal or semi-formal in the United Kingdom, Ireland and United States, as well as some other Commonwealth countries.
Multiple Services
A rare type of marriage is where two separate couples decide to marry at the same time; this often happens where a person has a brother or sister that decides to tie the knot at the same time and it is not unheard of for two brothers to marry two sisters this way.
Destination Wedding Ceremonies
Marriages in foreign countries are called destination weddings where guests can arrive either just before the ceremony or actually travel with the couple; it doesn’t matter exactly where you travel to, whether it is in Egypt or just to Las Vegas it will still be considered a destination wedding.
Themed Weekend Weddings
Whilst it is quite normal for the Irish to have three day weddings, more couples are taking the hint and having theirs over a weekend which gives them more time to enjoy the occasion. To cater for this expanding market a number of companies can arrange special themed occasions that incorporate anything from golf to surfing. For many people that have outdoor interests this can be a lot of fun and the guests can stay for the entire weekend with them to extend the occasion and have a lot more fun.
Getting Married on the Internet
Although unusual, you can even get married online and it will resemble a normal wedding or you can even have characters of yourselves get married. There are even guides for information on how to go about an internet ceremony with information on people that can carry it out for you. An internet or online wedding can also refer to a situation where a couple may broadcast their marriage to friends and family in other parts of the world so they can see the wedding in real time with out actually being there.
City Hall Marriages
Elected and appointed officials can carry out a marriage ceremony which is usually called a civil wedding. Religion doesn’t normally play a part in these ceremonies because they are purely a legal requirement. These services often take place in city halls, courthouses and other designated areas of town.
If you live in a Christian country then you will recognize many of these wedding traditions but there are many more types of wedding ceremonies available around the world. Some would be considered extremely bizarre by our own practices.