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.

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Photo credits on this page

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

Same-sex marriage in Greece: Mzimu, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Marriage in Korea: Jérôme Banal ( Eden2004 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
Handfasting: Sander van der Wel, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Civil union in New Zealand: Helen Robinson, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Marriage coin charm: Scott Semans, CC BY 3.0, source
More danico: Edward Burne-Jones, Public domain, source
Dower: Pvasiliadis, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
Traditional Chinese marriage: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Gimmal ring: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Russian wedding traditions: GeorgeLouis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Kolach: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Engagement ring: Photo by Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Marriage bond: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Bridesmaid: Photographer not credited; relative or work for hire of relative., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
Weddings in Mali: HawaG, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Las Vegas weddings: Henrickson ( talk ) ( Uploads ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Child marriage in India: Baijayant, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland: Kaihsu Tai, CC BY-SA 3.0, source