Can you create a beautiful wedding moment that represents two faiths? With a bit of patience and creativity, I think you can have a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception that celebrates both faiths. For a wedding is indeed a family affair.
Family meetings with the couple's parents is a great opportunity to find out what is everyone's desires and objectives to the wedding ceremony and reception. It is very unlikely you can accommodate every wish and desire, but I think it is better to find out early on in planning what is offensive to the other family as well as your own family.
Put Your Vision on Paper
What do you want out of your day? There are many ways to go about an interfaith wedding. You can create one ceremony and reception celebration by blending the two faiths into one. If this is not going to work for you, you can create a three-day wedding by having the bride/groom's faith ceremony the first day, and the groom/bride's faith the second day, and then a huge wedding reception the last day. I have done weddings in one day where one faith is in a place of worship (church, synagogue, temple) and the other faith is at the reception site.
Many couples can also have a wedding with very few religious references by keeping most things non-religious like the music, the readings, and the vows.
Find Someone to Officiate the Ceremony
There are three ways you can go about this one. The first way is to find someone to blend both faiths together. If the families would like to have a religious representative for both faiths, try to find two open-minded individuals for this purpose. The third way is to develop your own ceremony and ask a family friend to register to become an officiant. One place to register is through Universal Life Church.
The location for an interfaith wedding can be a huge hurdle. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to find a place for the wedding ceremony. Some religious faiths will allow you to blend both faiths together. You may consider a hotel or golf club for your big day.
There are many ways to create a beautiful interfaith ceremony. You just need an open mind to find a way to have a true family celebration.
Put Your Vision on Paper
What do you want out of your day? There are many ways to go about an interfaith wedding. You can create one ceremony and reception celebration by blending the two faiths into one. If this is not going to work for you, you can create a three-day wedding by having the bride/groom's faith ceremony the first day, and the groom/bride's faith the second day, and then a huge wedding reception the last day. I have done weddings in one day where one faith is in a place of worship (church, synagogue, temple) and the other faith is at the reception site.
Many couples can also have a wedding with very few religious references by keeping most things non-religious like the music, the readings, and the vows.
Find Someone to Officiate the Ceremony
There are three ways you can go about this one. The first way is to find someone to blend both faiths together. If the families would like to have a religious representative for both faiths, try to find two open-minded individuals for this purpose. The third way is to develop your own ceremony and ask a family friend to register to become an officiant. One place to register is through Universal Life Church.
The location for an interfaith wedding can be a huge hurdle. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to find a place for the wedding ceremony. Some religious faiths will allow you to blend both faiths together. You may consider a hotel or golf club for your big day.
There are many ways to create a beautiful interfaith ceremony. You just need an open mind to find a way to have a true family celebration.