What is a Civil Wedding Ceremony?
Civil marriages are contracts between two people and require actions and agreements between those people, just like a marriage performed by the clergy. A civil marriage is a ceremony presided over by a local official. They usually contain no religious elements. A celebrant marriage can be elaborate or simple. They usually take place in city halls or judge’s chambers but are not limited to just those venues.
Civil wedding ceremonies are flexible. They can incorporate aspects of any religion you wish. You can write your own vows. You can have any type of theme you would like. They can be formal or informal, sentimental or streamlined. It is up to you. Many weddings are civil now more than ever. They can be specialized to include special readings, vows, music, themes, and many more.
The civil ceremony usually consists of opening words, readings, consent, vows, ring exchange, last readings, and closing words. Many officiants have experience with writing the wedding ceremonies, but you can make it how you want to include family members and friends.
Who chooses a civil wedding ceremony?
Anyone can have a civil wedding ceremony. However, all the couples that have a civil wedding ceremony usually fall in a certain category. Here are some of the categories that couples fall into that plan civil wedding ceremonies.
- Couples those are not religious.
- Couples that have two different religions and want to incorporate both into the wedding.
- Couples that have wedding themes or ideas that can’t include in a strict religious ceremony or location.
- Couples on a budget. A civil wedding ceremony is usually way cheaper than more traditional weddings.
- Couples that are in a hurry and want to be married right away.
- Couples who love the convenience and no stress that comes with a civil wedding ceremony.
- People who are having their second or third marriage after a divorce or death.
Who Officiates?
The officiant has to be able to legally perform your marriage which means they have to be able to legally sign your marriage license. These people are the justice of the peace, a judge, magistrate, county clerk, court clerk, mayor, or notary public. A licensed member of the Ethical Humane Society can also perform your wedding and will usually be open to any readings and traditions you would like to include.
For a small fee, the local court house or city hall of the city you are getting married in can supply you with a list of people that are officiants that specialize in civil marriages and how to contact them. It is a good idea to meet with at least three or four possible officiant’s to see which ones are available on the day you want to get married. You need to feel comfortable with the civil wedding officiant and make sure they as interest in the wedding as you are.
Some important questions to ask are:
- Are you available on my wedding date and are you willing to travel to the location? If you are planning on having a private ceremony and a reception for friends and family later, ask if they can provide a place for the private ceremony.
- How long have you been conducting civil ceremonies and what is your fee? Most states will not let officiants ask for a fee if the ceremony is performed in a public building but they can ask for a traveling fee.
- Are you available for rehearsal?
- What is the standard ceremony you use and do you have a sample sheet of that ceremony? Is it OK if we add our own readings, vows, and other things to the ceremony?
- What do we have to do to get a marriage license? If you haven’t gotten one yet, you have to have one for the wedding. How to get one is discussed later, but your officiant will know the procedure you will have to follow for your city and state.
Make sure that the officiant is someone who enjoys performing weddings. Don’t expect your officiant to plan and organize your wedding unless you are having it in their courtroom or office. They probably won’t mind giving you advice but it is your wedding to plan. You can have a family member or friend preform your wedding as long as a licensed local official witnesses the wedding and fills out the legal documents.
Where does a Civil Wedding Ceremony Take Place?
Even though civil wedding ceremonies are usually performed in an office in city hall, it doesn’t mean your has to be. Pretty much any location you can think of can be a venue for a civil wedding ceremony. Some people choose an outdoor setting or their backyards. Others choose a destination wedding where their guests can spend the night in a hotel and have fun the nest day as well. Some people will mix the two and have a private ceremony of only two other people in the office to witness, and then have a reception afterwards with all their friends and family in a different location. You can have it in a hotel conference room, in a historical building, university, museum, wherever you want it.
Keep in mind that wherever you choose, you need to check on a few things of the venue. You need to make sure the parking, public transportation, and restrooms are close and can accommodate the size of your wedding. You need to find out where you will stand and whether the sun will affect the line of sight of the audience. You also need to check the weather if you decide to have it outside. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when choosing a venue and using it.
