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Is a symbolic wedding a real wedding?You want to get married in your dream venue overseas so why is it called a destination wedding and not a marriage? Well, a marriage and a wedding are actually two different things – a symbolic wedding IS your real wedding day! What’s the difference between a marriage and a wedding?Marriage is a legal contract usually comprising 40 words plus your names and your signatures witnessed in a register. A wedding is the ceremonial celebration. The marriage and the wedding can be together, or at different times… that’s when it gets exciting!  Debbie Skyrme officiating a boho Spanish cortijo wedding A marriage is a legal contractHistorically, marriage was a record that could be used to prove amongst other things, legitimacy and inheritance. Nowadays many couples are not religious or are of mixed religions so contracting their marriage by the minister of one particular faith is not an option. In this instance they may turn to a registrar to marry them….. but what about the wedding part?! If the marriage is the legal contract, then the wedding is the ceremonial celebration. You can hold your wedding separately to the day of your marriage and you have choices as to who will lead your wedding. Photo Jack Hartley A registrar-led marriage plus wedding ceremonyThe registrar will usually offer a non-religious wedding ceremony to go with the legal marriage element and is constrained by other legal obligations. A marriage combined with a registrar-led wedding ceremony may fall far short of the ceremony of your dreams (I was a Deputy Superintendent Registrar) and most certainly will not be on a palm tree lined Mediterranean or Caribbean beach! So what are your options? A Humanist-led marriage plus wedding ceremonyInterestingly in some countries including Scotland, “Humanism” is a recognised belief system and so a Humanist wedding ceremony is also recognised as legal marriage and can include personalised vows and rituals…. but a Humanist wedding will not include religious elements either. Photo Lidia Clemente An independent Celebrant-led wedding ceremonySo for many newly engaged couples who want a wedding ceremony without anyone telling them what they can and cannot include, your most flexible wedding friend is your independent wedding Celebrant. An independent Celebrant can weave whatever you want into your wedding ceremony – traditional wording, totally off the wall unique elements, themed, with/without religion, anything goes. Take that one step further and you will find an independent destination wedding Celebrant like me here in southern Spain – offering your ideal wedding ceremony with the benefit of 320 days of warm sunshine! Photo Natasha Ince The wedding ceremony is when the memories are madeThese days, it is becoming more common to go through the quick legalities of registering your marriage in your own country (or in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar) then concentrating on creating the wedding ceremony of your dreams at your dream destination with an independent celebrant who will weave into your unique ceremony your values, your love story, your own vows and whatever rituals are important to you. Without question, the wedding ceremony is when your most beautiful memories are made. Photo Simon Duggan Your symbolic wedding ceremony is your Real Wedding DaySo yes, you can have your wedding cake and eat it too! You can combine a legal marriage in your own country then pull out the stops and have that full-blown destination wedding with an awesome, totally personalised independent Celebrant-led wedding ceremony with hand-fasting, heartfelt vows and amazing romantic photos of you walking into the sunset. There is a difference between a marriage and a wedding and if I were you I would take full advantage and totally celebrate that fact and embrace the difference! Click here to hear Debbie chatting about the difference between a marriage and a wedding Biography: Debbie Skyrme is an independent wedding Celebrant (former UK Deputy Superintendent Registrar) officiating bilingual symbolic wedding ceremonies in southern Spain. Your perfect wedding ceremony location is closer than you think! Celebrant Spain web site Follow Debbie on Facebook Follow Debbie on Instagram (c) Debbie Skyrme 2021 This content was authored by Debbie Skyrme and originally published on https://celebrantspain.es/blog/Unauthorised publishing of the text or image content in part or in full is strictly forbidden. What is the difference between traditional marriage?Traditional marriages locked the spouses into their predefined roles without any opportunity to allow for individual choice. Married women were expected to fulfill their role as homemaker and had to stifle any career ambitions or frustrations they might have had. Modern marriages allow for individual preferences.
What is a traditional marriage?a marriage according to the historical norms of a given society, usually for the primary purpose of establishing a family. Although prenuptial customs vary in different cultures, a traditional marriage generally follows a period of courtship, public announcement of wedding plans, and a wedding ceremony.
What is the difference between traditional marriage and customary marriage?Unlike civil marriages, customary unions occur gradually and are not concluded by single event such as a ceremonial signing of an official document. Thus, a marriage in terms of customary law is a familial matter which does not require the approval of an officiator in order to be regarded as valid.
What's the difference between a religious and a civil ceremony?A civil ceremony is legally binding and does not require two ceremonies. A religious ceremony, on the other hand, is not legally binding, so the couple has to obtain their marriage license to make it legal. This can happen either before or after the ceremony.
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