NationStates Jolt Archive

Just a question. I am Roman Catholic and we, like most other religions, have a huge ceremony for marraige. I was wondering what Atheists do.

Just a question. I am Roman Catholic and we, like most other religions, have a huge ceremony for marraige. I was wondering what Atheists do.
my mother is atheist and my father was raised Jewish but is now agnostic, so i will give you their wedding as an example.

my parents chose a secular ceremony which was held in a reserved hall. it was presided over by a justice of the peace, and my parents walked down the aisle together rather than having my mother "given" to her husband (as if that would even be possible for a woman like my mom :)), but otherwise it was probably much like any other wedding. they had friends and family present, and a few close friends or family members spoke or performed music. my parents wrote their own vows, but they exchanged them in the same sort of way that a familiar marriage ceremony would work.

they just passed their 28th wedding anniversary less than a month ago...go Mom and Dad!

I am an atheist and was married in a garden with a civil marriage celebrant in a non-religious ceremony. My wife is also an atheist.
Marriage is a bond between man and woman and even though it tends to be associated with religion it is actually not a purely religious event. Each to their own I say.

Simply put what ever we want that's legal and acceptable to the parties involved.

For example my little sister gets married in two weeks time in the grounds of a lovely hotel on an island in the middle of the Thames. They'll be 800 guests and she's been organising it for a year and a half.

At teh other extreme my best mate got married on a small island in the Caribean 2 years ago, there was me, him, her and her best friend. All organised in a week.

None of my other irreligious friends are yet married, and some of us doubt we will be.

To answer your question, solely based on my experience we get married on islands.

Oh just thought, my uncle got married at the Royal Pavillion Brighton, so it's not all just on islands.

luv ya

Depends on circumstances and taste. It also depends on just how much of an atheist you are. My sister and brother-in-law, for example, are neither of them Christian: at best they could be described as vague-hopeful agnostic (if asked whether they believe in a God or not, they'd probably say "it's a nice idea, but I don't know"). However, my sister wanted a church wedding, for the look of the thing I suppose. So she and her husband-to-be had to convince a minister to marry them. Depending on the minister, this can involve anything from asking nicely to attending church for 6 weeks before the wedding (and never going back again afterwards).

As for out-and-out atheists, I dunno: depends on taste. I've known people get married at a barbecue, having not told anyone except their families, because they didn't want any fuss. Others have gone to Vegas to get married by Elvis because they are REALLY into tat; others have a great big party after a registry office wedding. Others go to the Bahamas and get married on the beach. Lots more don't bother getting married.

My parents, who are not even really atheists, had a civil marriage with no ceremonies. They just registered their relationship in an office, got the papers about it and that was it. That was during the radical 70's in Finland.

My husband and I were married at the Texas Renaissance Festival...

It was lovely. I'd explain more, but you can go to www.DragonzLeyr.net and read the druidic/pagan handfasting we had if you want to know more.

i got married in my in-laws living room by a municipal judge

My boyfriend is an atheist and we've discussed the possiblity of getting married. His take on it is that he definitely wants some kind of ceremony - to keep the parents happy and all, but he doesn't really care what kind. Since I am Christian, I would like to be married in a church wedding, and he has no problem with that. We just have to find a church that won't try to convert him or anything.