Interfaith Wedding

Today's culture is more inclusive than it used to be. Many more couples are marrying across boundaries of faith. While a truly loving marriage can usually cope with this (especially if one or more is not particularly observant), it is often more difficult for the families of the couple to deal with an interfaith wedding. Here are some ideas to help an interfaith wedding move a little more smoothly (although no wedding planning is ever completely perfect).

Involve Both Families

Get input from the families involved. Lovingly explain your desires, and make sure they understand that you want this to be a special occasion. You can incorporate family traditions into the ceremony rather than rely solely on faith traditions. Additionally, it is often possible to have elements of both faiths in the ceremony. Many religious traditions have similar beliefs and foundations. At the very least, love is universal, and unity in marriage is a commonly accepted ideal that can form the basis of your ceremony.

Ceremony on Neutral Ground

If families are adamant about having it in a church or a temple (Christian and Jew-many other cultures and religions do not have specific recommendations), it is possible to avoid such a location altogether. Many officiators are more than happy to perform a wedding at a reception hall, outdoor location, or at someone's home. This takes the sting out of the ceremony, and no one can accuse you of favoring the other's religion. Many Muslim clerics and imams, rabbis, and Christian priests and pastors are no longer against the idea of officiating with someone of another religion. You can have a lovely ceremony in a neutral location with two different religious leaders presiding. Additionally, having to officiators allows you to better plan out good ideas for an interfaith wedding.

Explanations

If you are incorporating aspects of different religious traditions into the ceremony, have a little program that explains the significance and origin of the tradition. This includes members of faiths that have never attended a wedding outside their own religion. It is inclusive and interesting to many guests to learn about different faith traditions.

Avoiding Religion Altogether

Some couples decide that a religious ceremony just is not that important. In such cases, they simply use a civic leader with the authority to perform weddings. This can be a good option if families just won't agree. There are many lovely vows, speeches, and sentiments that can be conveyed through entirely secular means. And you can always elope and get married on some warm beach somewhere.

The bottom line is that it is your wedding. Even though your families may be upset about an interfaith wedding, it is important that they understand that you want their support, but that you are in love and that the wedding is about building a lasting marriage, and more important than having all of the guests happy.