We are frequently asked the same questions, so we’ve compiled them for you on this FAQ page.
What is a secular wedding ceremony?
A secular wedding ceremony is a wedding ceremony that doesn’t follow any specific rules and can be organized in any way the couple imagines. A secular wedding ceremony can include the following elements:
Each wedding celebrant follows a specific structure for the ceremony while being guided by the couple’s wishes. This is all discussed during the first meeting and the following interviews. You can find more information in this article.
When a couple gets married in Europe today, they have 3 different ceremony options:
The civil ceremony is a requirement in order to be legally recognized as a married couple. However, since the registrar often does not know the couple, the speech is typically not personalized.
The religious ceremony typically involves only members of the couple’s own religious community. These ceremonies focus on the spiritual aspects of marriage, viewed through the lens of the respective faith. If the couple follows different religions, some faiths may not permit a religious marriage between them.
There are no set rules in a secular wedding ceremony. Each couple designs the ceremony with their chosen celebrant, based on their own wishes and ideas. The celebrant suggests a structure, content, and rituals, and works with the couple to coordinate everything.
The secular wedding ceremony is also ideal for:
There are various ways to design a bilingual wedding ceremony. Our preferred option is the 50%/50% option.
Let’s take a German-French ceremony as an example. In this case, the speech is given equally in both French and German.
The wedding speech is divided into different parts, and each part is first spoken in one language, then repeated in the other. The couple decides which language comes first.
There are other options that you can read about in this article.
If you include the entrance and exit of the couple, the rituals, and any other possible elements, you should expect a bilingual secular wedding ceremony to last between 45 minutes and one hour.
If that feels too long for you, we can of course discuss it and make the ceremony shorter.
Some may think that a bilingual wedding ceremony could be boring for the guests. Our experience says quite the opposite. Most guests are usually fascinated by the ceremony being in two languages, and they either understand a bit of the other language or use the time when the other language is spoken to take a short break. They are then 100% attentive again when their language is spoken.
What rituals can be included in a secular wedding ceremony?
The most popular rituals are:
Whether a ritual is right for you, and which one, we can gladly discuss during the first meeting or the following interviews.
Support: During this preparation period, we stay in contact, and you can always ask us any questions.
Yes, we will try to connect you with a celebrant.
Since it is a secular wedding and there are no rules or restrictions, you can have as many witnesses as you like.
You decide! Each couple decides for themselves whether they want a marriage certificate. If you would like one, we can send you a few templates.
If you have a designer who has already designed your invitations, we can send them the templates.
