Secular and civil wedding traditions

A secular or civil wedding is one conducted by the state or a celebrant rather than a religious body.

A secular or civil wedding is one conducted by the state or a celebrant rather than a religious body. It can be a five minute visit to a registry office or a long and personal ceremony in a garden, and it is now the most common form in many countries.

What the law requires

Most countries require a declaration of consent, witnesses and a record. In France and Germany a civil wedding at the mairie or the Standesamt is the only legally binding act, and a religious one may come after. In England and Wales a civil ceremony may be held in any licensed venue. In the United States the officiant may be a judge, a clerk or an ordained friend. In Scandinavia, Humanists and the state church both conduct marriages.

Humanist and celebrant weddings

Humanist and independent celebrant ceremonies have grown fast. They may be written entirely by the couple, with readings, music, a unity ritual such as sand or tree planting, and no religious content. In Scotland, Humanist weddings were legalised in 2005 and have since become very popular, and in Ireland they were recognised in 2012.

Why it matters

Civil marriage opens a wedding to people who are excluded or unwelcome in religious ones: interfaith couples, same-sex couples, divorcees and the unbelieving. It also protects spouses by giving legal rights, which a purely religious wedding may not do. Many couples choose a civil wedding for law and add a cultural one for family.

About this page

Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Secular and civil (faith). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreGimmal ring A betrothal ring with separate hoops that join to form the wedding band.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal 🇬🇷 GreeceTsamikoΤσάμικος A traditional Greek folk dance performed at weddings and festivals, known for its slow tempo and acrobatic leaps.Performance · The wedding feast

🇬🇧 United KingdomQuaichcuach A shallow two-handled cup used in Scottish weddings to share a drink and symbolise union.Feast custom · The ceremony 🇺🇦 UkraineSong about the RushnykПісня про рушник (Pisnia pro rushnyk) A Ukrainian song that celebrates the embroidered cloth used in weddings and family life.Performance · The ceremony

🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreHandfastingceangal na lámh (Irish); pòsadh-bliadhna (Scottish Gaelic) A pledge ceremony where a couple joins hands to make a binding marriage contract or engagement.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇵🇱 Poland and 6 moreKolachколач (kolach), калач (kalach), kołacz, colac, kalács A braided or ring-shaped bread that marks weddings and major holidays across Eastern Europe.Feast custom · Engagement and betrothal 🇫🇮 FinlandSame-sex marriage in Finlandsukupuolineutraali avioliitto The legal recognition of same-sex unions that took effect in Finland on 1 March 2017.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMarriage bond A financial guarantee posted to prove a couple was legally free to marry before the ceremony took place.Vow · Engagement and betrothal 🇵🇹 Lisbon, PortugalSame-sex marriage in PortugalCasamento entre pessoas do mesmo sexo The legal recognition of marriage between two people of the same sex in Portugal.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before

🇺🇦 Ukraine and 4 moreKorovaiкоровай (Ukrainian), каравай (Russian), кравай (Bulgarian) A large round braided bread shared at weddings to bless the couple and unite the community.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreHumanist wedding A non-religious marriage ceremony led by a trained humanist officiant, celebrated in many countries worldwide.Rite · The ceremony 🇫🇷 FrancePosthumous marriage in France A legal union authorized by the French President when one partner dies before the wedding takes place.Vow · The weeks before

🇷🇴 Romania and 7 moreHorahora (Romanian), horo (Bulgarian), oro (Macedonian), horah (Hebrew) A circle dance held at weddings across Southeast Europe and among Jewish communities worldwide.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇮🇸 IcelandSame-sex marriage in Icelandsamkynja hjónaband The legal union of two people regardless of gender, established in Iceland in 2010.Modern · The ceremony 🇸🇪 Stockholm, SwedenSame-sex marriage in Sweden The legal union for same-sex couples that began on 1 May 2009 after the Riksdag passed a gender-neutral law.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreBedding ceremony The public ritual of placing the newlyweds in their marital bed to witness and seal the marriage.Rite · The ceremony

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreGroomsman A male attendant who supports the groom and assists guests at a wedding.Family role · Finding a match 🇮🇸 IcelandIcelandic weddings A blend of church ceremony and multi-day feasting that marks the union of two people in Iceland.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇷🇺 RussiaRussian wedding traditionsРусская свадьба A multi-day celebration blending Orthodox crowning, ransom games, and lively toasting in Russia.Rite · Engagement and betrothal 🇫🇷 FranceCivil solidarity pactPacte civil de solidarité (PACS) A French civil union contract that offers legal rights to couples without the full status of marriage.Vow · Engagement and betrothal

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreWhite wedding A formal Western ceremony marked by a white bridal gown and traditional Christian rituals.Attire · Engagement and betrothal 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreCivil ceremony A secular marriage rite performed by a government official at a licensed venue.Vow · The ceremony 🇲🇹 MaltaSame-sex marriage in MaltaŻwieġ bejn persuni tal-istess sess The legal recognition of same-sex marriage and civil unions in Malta.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreDower A share of the husband's property set aside to secure a woman's life if he dies first.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreWedding March (Mendelssohn) Felix Mendelssohn's C major piece from 1842, used as a recessional at Western weddings.Performance · After the wedding

🇧🇪 Kapellen, BelgiumSame-sex marriage in Belgiumhomohuwelijk / mariage homosexuel The legal union of two people of the same sex, available since June 2003.Modern · The ceremony

🇫🇷 FranceGarter toss The groom removes the bride's garter and tosses it to unmarried men at the reception.Play · Reception, dance and gifts

🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands and 5 moreSame-sex marriage The legal union of two people of the same sex or gender, recognized in dozens of countries.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 1 moreSame-sex marriage in Denmarkægteskab mellem personer af samme køn The legal recognition of same-sex unions in Denmark since 2012, following a pioneering partnership law from 1989.Modern · The ceremony

🇬🇧 London, United KingdomSame-sex marriage in the United Kingdom The legal recognition of same-sex unions across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.Modern · The ceremony

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreRing fingerdigitus annularis The fourth digit of the hand where wedding and engagement rings are traditionally worn.Attire · The ceremony

🇮🇪 Dublin, IrelandSame-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland The legal recognition of same-sex marriage following a national referendum in 2015Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇳🇱 Amsterdam, NetherlandsSame-sex marriage in the Netherlandshuwelijk tussen personen van gelijk geslacht The first national law to allow two people of the same sex to wed.Modern · The ceremony

🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreCălușariCălușarii A traditional Romanian spring dance and male society known for acrobatic leaps and ritual healing.Performance · The weeks before 🇬🇧 United KingdomSame-sex marriage in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha The legal recognition of same-sex unions across the three island groups since 2017.Modern · The ceremony 🇦🇩 AndorraSame-sex marriage in AndorraMatrimoni entre persones del mateix sexe The legal recognition of same-sex unions in the Pyrenean principality since 2023.Vow · Engagement and betrothal 🇸🇮 SloveniaSame-sex marriage in SloveniaZakonska zveza istospolnih partnerjev The legal recognition of same-sex unions that evolved from limited partnerships to full marriage rights.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇬🇷 Athens, GreeceSame-sex marriage in GreeceΟμοφυλοφιλικός γάμος (Omofylofilikos gamos) The legal recognition of marriage between two people of the same sex, effective since February 2024.Vow · Engagement and betrothal

🇪🇸 A Coruña, Spain and 2 moreFirst same-sex marriage in Spain The 1901 union of two women in Galicia that preceded legal recognition by over a centuryModern · The ceremony

🇫🇷 France and 4 moreMore danicodansk skik A Medieval Scandinavian marriage custom allowing polygyny and secular unions outside church control.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal 🇱🇻 Riga, LatviaCivil partnership in Latviacivilā partnerība The legal framework for same-sex couples in Latvia that grants most marital rights without adoption or inheritance.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇩🇰 DenmarkSame-sex marriage in the Faroe Islands The legal recognition of same-sex unions that began in 2017 after years of parliamentary debate.Modern · The ceremony 🇱🇮 Vaduz, LiechtensteinSame-sex marriage in Liechtenstein The civil union that grants equal marital rights to all couples in the Alpine principality.Modern · The ceremony 🇬🇧 United KingdomSame-sex marriage in Guernsey The legal recognition of same-sex unions across the Bailiwick of Guernsey and its dependencies.Modern · The ceremony 🇬🇧 United KingdomSame-sex marriage in Jersey The legal recognition of same-sex marriage in the Crown Dependency of Jersey since 2018.Modern · The ceremony 🇦🇹 Vienna, AustriaSame-sex marriage in Austria Civil marriage and partnership ceremonies for same-sex couples in AustriaVow · The ceremony 🇮🇪 Dublin, IrelandSchulze Registers The surviving records of secret marriages performed by a Lutheran minister in 19th century Dublin.Vow · The ceremony

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Gimmal ring: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Greece: Mzimu, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Quaich: Robin-wood, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bedding ceremony: Isaac Cruikshank, Public domain, source
Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
Dower: Pvasiliadis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
First same-sex marriage in Spain: Jglamela, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
More danico: Edward Burne-Jones, Public domain, source
Hora: Chajeshukarie ( talk ), Public domain, source
Same-sex marriage in Iceland: Stanko Gruden/STA/Predsednik Republike Slovenije, CC0, source
Same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom: blavoulondon - blavou.co, CC BY 2.0, source
Same-sex marriage in the Faroe Islands: Arne List, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Denmark: PavelStotsko, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ring finger: RAPMOODDE, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Same-sex marriage: Stefano Bolognini, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Groomsman: Jenny Mealing, CC BY 2.0, source
Bread and salt: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
Russian wedding traditions: GeorgeLouis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Handfasting: Sander van der Wel, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Kolach: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Marriage bond: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
Humanist wedding: User:m5 , Hans Bernhard ( Schnobby ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Garter toss: MorningTea, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Belgium: flamenc, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands: Jeffpw, CC BY 3.0, source
Same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland: Kaihsu Tai, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Călușari: El bes, CC BY 3.0, source