| According to the Washington Post (July 2, 2006) | | | | ceremony that reflects their particular personal style as |
| "While clergy still perform most weddings, the | | | | a couple. |
| ceremonies are straying ever farther from tradition, | | | | Idea #4 There are more nondenominational officiants |
| reflecting a "do-it-yourself" attitude toward religious | | | | available who are creative, flexible, loving and spiritual. |
| nuptials". | | | | They are able and willing to think outside that proverbial |
| How true, how true. | | | | box to help design a ceremony that is fresh and |
| When I first started officiating at weddings seven | | | | exciting to the couple. They also are generally willing to |
| years ago, non-denominational weddings were starting | | | | work with people with various religious and spiritual |
| to proliferate. Now they seem to be exploding. Why do | | | | paths. |
| you think that is? I have done my best to find | | | | Idea #5 Weddings have become a business and |
| information and statistics and all that dull kind of stuff | | | | officiants are advertising and letting couples know |
| on the internet and I come up with zip to none. But I | | | | about their services. |
| have my opinions and ideas about why this is | | | | Idea #6 The internet makes it possible for everyone |
| happening. I'm going to share them with you and if you | | | | who works with weddings to make their services |
| don't like what I say, that's o.k. It's just an opinion about | | | | know through websites, blogs, directories and ads. This |
| a trend. | | | | allows people to realize they have many more options |
| Idea #1 More and more people are defining | | | | than simply a choice between a church and a civil |
| themselves as "spiritual" and "not religious" and don't | | | | ceremony. |
| have a regular church in which to be married. Most of | | | | "Nondenominational" is generally considered Christian |
| them want a wedding that includes God but some do | | | | oriented but not in a specific denomination such as |
| not. They want more than a civil ceremony and they | | | | Baptist, Catholic, Episcopal or Presbyterian. And many |
| want their own spirituality reflected. | | | | ministers who perform nondenominational weddings |
| Idea #2 Couples are realizing that they don't have to | | | | alse perform Interfaith weddings such as |
| do the "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today"... | | | | Catholic-Jewish or Budhist-Christian, generally trying to |
| and make promises to love, honor and obey. More | | | | incorporate something from each belief system. |
| couples are wanting custom weddings and wanting to | | | | A wedding is a joyful celebration in which two people |
| have a say in the structure and wording of the | | | | declare their love for each other publicly. |
| ceremony. | | | | Nondenominational weddings allow a couple to have |
| Idea #3 There are more interfaith marriages taking | | | | "their ceremony their way. |
| place and they need a neutral venue and a neutral | | | | |