The Perfect Wedding: Civil or Religious

The Perfect Wedding: Civil or Religious

The perfect wedding exists in the minds and hearts of the bride and groom. Planning a wedding, a perfect wedding requires the bride and groom to communicate their love, their expectations and the customs they want to embrace as a part of their wedding perfection. There are many twists and turns on the road to planning for that perfect wedding. It's important to understand that the style of ceremony will dictate different types of customs to be followed. There are expectations associated with each one and it's up to the bridal couple to help narrow the field down.

A religious ceremony is considered a very traditional wedding. It would take place in a house of worship such as a church or synagogue. It would be officiated by a rabbi, a minister or member of the clergy. Traditional religious ceremonies usually call for formal wear with a number of attendants and very traditional music.

Civil or non-traditional ceremonies can be held anywhere such as on board a yacht, on a cliff top, on a beach or even in a family backyard. The officiate is a Justice of the Peace (including relatives or friends who have been certified). There is no set theme for a civil or non-traditional ceremony. Bridal couples can wear beach clothing, renaissance faire garb or even get married on horseback.

The differences between the two are the rigidity of form associated with the first and the freedom with the second. The bridal couple will determine what their priorities are and the type of ceremony they want to have. Familiarity with traditional themes and ceremonies are important when dealing with religious weddings. A sense of adventure and fun can be explored in civil and non-traditional weddings.

Become aware of the wide variety of options available to couples in their wedding choices. The key to planning the perfect wedding is found in truly listening to each other. Be open to hearing each other's thoughts, their dreams and their expectations.