Valentine’s day is a few weeks away, and it is the date of choice for many when having a wedding or a marriage. Associated with love, romance and gift giving, Valentine’s day weddings are very different to Valentine’s day marriage ceremonies.
Marriage or wedding ceremony?
Marriages require the two people who seek them to be legally able to marry, and to both agree to it. No love, just legal status and agreement. Most people do however marry for love.
A wedding requires those it is for to be in love, as why else would you want to have a wedding if it wasn’t for love? Unlike a marriage, a wedding is based on love; the love between those it is for, and the love they share for those they wish to include within the ceremony. It is also their love of the things used within the ceremony such as poems, readings and music. A different kind of love, but still could be seen as a love of a certain artist, song or poetic wording.
Weddings are about love
With this in mind that weddings are about love, and Valentine’s is associated with love, this is why many choose Valentine’s day to have their wedding ceremony on. With the date set, it’s time to find a desired venue. A marriage must take place in a designated venue with specific guidelines to gain a licence for marriages. Couple may request a date, but with Valentine’s day being potentially the most popular date of the year, the wait could be longer than expected, or they could only fit in a 10am wedding as they are fully booked.
A wedding can take place anywhere, and a ceremony based on love may require a different kind of venue than an office of registration, or a place or worship. Of course, there are other licensed marriage venue such as hotels and stately homes to name two, but a wedding can take place virtually anywhere.
Valentine’s day tradition
The traditional way to acknowledge Valentine’s day is to send a note to somebody whom you desire or are attracted to. Valentine’s day has grown commercially, and the giving of signed or specified cards, flowers, chocolates, jewellery, alcoholic gifts, meals out and cuddly toys have replaced the anonymously sent note from years gone by.
We now associate Valentine’s day with giving gifts and cards to those we love, and Valentine’s day wedding dates are in demand. As a celebrant training organisation, our members are busy on Valentine’s day, leading individual ceremonies and weddings for those in love. Some celebrants are booked a few years in advance due to the demand of such a prestigious date.
Celebrant weddings
Celebrant weddingsCelebrant weddings are a celebration of love and take some planning between the recipients and the celebrant. A wedding is a milestone ceremony, and unlike a marriage they aren’t a standard draft. Marriage ceremonies require the same words to be said by every couple to make it a legally recognised marriage. Wedding ceremonies require different words to be said by every couple as we recognise every couple are unique.
Unique ceremonies of love
Unique ceremonies of love in a venue or location of choice, at a time and a date of choice, or a standard ceremony of agreement in a venue licensed for legal marriage, not guaranteed to be at a time and date of choice? Using a celebrant to create and lead a wedding over a marriage is favoured by many for these reasons. The legalities can be done before or after the wedding, if at all as some do not want to legally marry.
If Valentine’s day is your date of choice to celebrate your love for each other, and your desire to be together as each other’s other half, a celebrant wedding can certainly celebrate and commemorate this.