Question Posted Thursday February 27 2014, 6:29 pm
I just got engaged and I am scared about the whole church wedding thing! Is there any way to have a wedding without religious overtones, or is that the only way you can get married?
In any case the requirements for a civil ceremony differ from state to state. Check with the clerk at the license bureau as to what is required in your state. In many states the officiate can get an online degree, and then register with the state, most all of which is a monetary transaction. Once this is done that person can officiate at any wedding. If this is possible in your state you could get a good friend or even your parents as the officiate at your wedding.
If the above is not possible; you could be married by the Clerk of the courts before the wedding reception. At the reception hall you could stage a faux ceremony for friends and family to attend.
NinjaNeer answered Thursday February 27 2014, 6:37 pm: I'm a married atheist, so I feel that I can answer your question.
To get married, you need an officiant. Depending on the laws where you live, that can be pretty flexible or more difficult. In some areas, you could even have a friend get certified. It is entirely possible to hire a non-religious officiant, but the most common by far are religious leaders.
We had a priest perform our wedding ceremony, but at our request there was no religion. We had several readings and that was it. The key, if you do end up going with a religious officiant, is to find one that doesn't have issues with being flexible on the level of religion in the ceremony. Some will let you write the whole darn ceremony, like ours did. [ NinjaNeer's advice column | Ask NinjaNeer A Question ]
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