Are There Alternatives To The Traditional Wedding Ceremony?

In the UK you now have the choice to get Married or have a Civil Partnership whether you are mixed or same sex couples, both of these unions are recognised in law and have similar legal obligations with a couple of differences such as you cannot say you are married legally if you are in a Civil Partnership and whist you can dissolve your Civil Partnership in a similar way to a Marriage in a Divorce you cannot cite adultery as the reason for the demise. 

The Civil Partnership was made law originally for same sex couples before Marriage between same sex couples came into effect and in Dec 2019 there was a legal ruling for Civil Partnerships to be valid between mixed sex couples too.

Some people would argue that Marriage is outdated and that Civil Partnerships are more equal obviously this is all personal choice these days.

Once you know which type of union you’d like you should then be aware of the structure of the ceremony, there will be legal requirements for the ceremony itself including being at a licensed venue and having specific wording said during the ceremony but once this part is covered you will be able to make your ceremony more personal to you and your partner.

Some couples will be religious and have a number of religious traditions that they follow as part of their day and this may incorporate the legal requirements other individuals will chose alternative aspects to their day and chose a more non-traditional and modern approach to their special day.

There are Humanist Non-Religious Ceremonies that could be considered these are where ceremonies are conducted by a Celebrant and they can tailor the day to suit you, the celebrant would take the time to get to know the couple taking note of your history together and using this within the ceremony. Unlike the legal requirements of a Wedding there would be no restrictions on the location, day, or time when this takes place. These types of ceremonies are not legally recognised in England and Wales at the time of writing this.

Another type of ceremony that has become more popular recently is a Hand Fasting Ceremony, this is an ancient Celtic Tradition that dates back hundreds of years and is used in Wiccan or Pagan Ceremonies. In these types of ceremonies cords or ropes are wrapped or tied around the hands of the couple and this is meant to show the bond and unity of the couple. 

A Ring Ceremony is further alternative option for the Wedding day this is where the Wedding Rings are passed around the guests within the congregation and this blesses the rings before they are exchanged between the couple.

These types of ceremonies have some symbolic meaning and there are a number of other items that could be used to symbolise the union of Marriage or the Civil Partnership, for example a Wedding Sand or Water Ceremony would be where each partner takes some sand or water and pours this into a vase and then they invite all their guests to do the same, different coloured sands and waters could be used and this “mix” would create a keepsake for the couple and symbolise the unity of the families.  

You could have a completely different day with one type of alternative ceremonial activity or a mixture of more than one the choice is yours to make your day as unique as you and your partner are!