Tips for Alternative Wedding Ceremonies

If you are getting married, the reasons why you may choose an alternative wedding over a traditional wedding are many. Perhaps you are in a mixed-religion relationship and do not want religion to be a part of your ceremony. Maybe you are eloping and want something fun and whimsical. Or maybe you are planning a same sex union and want a ceremony that is unique to your relationship. No matter why you want an alternative ceremony, there are many ways to take your ceremony off the beaten path and make it unique and special.

Planning an alternative wedding provides you with many options to select from. You may want to draw from other cultures to come up with a ceremony that means something to you. For example, maybe you want a handfasting as is done in the Wiccan tradition. This is where the bride and groom's hands are bound together with colored thread. Or, you may want to go with a secular humanist ceremony where no religion is mentioned yet the sanctity of marriage is honored. Choosing a poetry reading rather than prayer is a beautiful way to express the sacred beauty of two people joining in marriage.

Alternative settings sometimes witness alternative weddings. For example, you may be getting married on the beach or in a meadow rather than in a church. Another example would be a medieval wedding ceremony held in an ancient castle. When it comes to the officiant for an alternative ceremony, you can choose someone who is legally allowed to marry people but is not affiliated with any particular religion. Another alternative idea would be to choose two officiants, each of whom represents the religion of the bride and groom. For example you may have a rabbi and a priest for a Jewish-Catholic wedding.

Beauty and meaning can be seen in alternative wedding ceremonies just as traditional ceremonies. If you know you want something different but aren't sure what, reading some books on the subject can help you. Check out the following titles: The Alternative Wedding Book by Alternatives for Simple Living, Offbeat Bride: Taffeta-Free Alternatives for Independent Brides by Ariel Meadow Stallings and Alternative Weddings: An Essential Guide for Creating Your Own Ceremony by Jane Ross Mac-Donald.





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