If you have always wanted to get married in a church, you do not have a decision to make. But for many couples, choosing between a church wedding and one held outdoors is a big choice. It can come down to the style of wedding they want, whether or not they can have a religious ceremony outdoors, pleasing parents, and even their future religious plans. That is a lot to sort out! While family beliefs often play a strong part in the debate, ultimately it is two people getting married who have to agree.
The best reason to opt for a church wedding is if you want your marriage to take place inside the house of God. In some faiths, having your marriage officially recognized by your church requires that you be married in one. This is true for Catholics, because priests will not perform the sacrament of marriage outside of a church. In rare cases, it is possible to have the marriage blessed and officially recognized by the Catholic church after a non-Catholic ceremony, but it is not easy. The couple should also consider how the fact that some parishes may be concerned about baptizing their children or allowing them to be godparents if they did not show enough commitment to their Catholic faith to be married by a priest. If those matters are a concern to you, a church wedding is the way to go. Keep in mind that you can always have an outdoor reception following the ceremony.
In some religious traditions, such as many branches of Christianity and Judaism, it is possible to have a religious ceremony performed outside. In those instances, the choice is more about the style of wedding, family issues, and of course the weather. Outside ceremonies can be deemed as too non-traditional by more conservative parents sometimes. Maybe your father always imagined that he would get to walk you down the aisle of the same church in which he and your mother tied the knot while you wear her bridal jewelry. That can be a pretty hard vision to convince your father to give up. Or maybe your mother wants to see you wear the kind of ballgown, long veil, and elegant bridal jewelry which will look lovely in a church but overdone for outdoors.
Weather can also be a factor in the decision about where to wed. If you happen to get a glorious day with blue skies and low humidity, it makes a spectacular backdrop for a marriage ceremony. On the other hand, if the day is rainy and gray, much of the appeal of your outdoor site will be diminished. If you are the kind of person who has little patience for less-than-perfect weather, the church wedding will be safer. But if you never let a little rain dampen your spirits, you could be perfectly happy with an outdoor wedding.
In the end, each couple has to weigh all the different factors to determine if they should have their wedding in a church or outdoors. When you are happy about where you will be married, it will definitely make the whole wedding feel more special.
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