Types of Wedding Ceremonies: Unitarian

Important events in every human being's life--whether that be the birth of a child, a marriage or a death--often call for special services that traditional religions can readily provide. However, some people do not have a church affiliation, while other individuals who have connections to more than one background try to juggle the dilemma of accommodating the needs of all the traditions. Instead of foregoing a ceremony altogether or blindly accepting all the customs and formal rituals, there is an alternative provided by the Unitarian Church.

Today's Unitarian Church is a combination of the 1961 merger of the Unitarian and Universalist churches. In the United States, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were all Unitarians. Members reject the trinity concept in favor of monotheism, where God is considered one entity, hence "Unitarian."

Unitarian Universalists believe in an individual ethical value system rather than ritualistic formalities and dogma. Personal choice in spiritual matters and ceremonies being key, Unitarian ministers are free to adapt the form and content of ceremonies to incorporate words and music important to the couple getting married. Unitarian ministers regularly conduct marriage ceremonies where one or both of the parties are divorced or from mixed-faith backgrounds; commitment ceremonies are also performed for couples who are lesbian or gay. (See Same Gender.) These ministers may conduct a re-dedication of a marriage, a blessing of a same-gender union and even a ceremony to mark a separation when two people have decided to part amicably.

The minister and the couple work together to design an individualized wedding ceremony that also incorporates any legal requirement to register the heterosexual marriage. Marriage and partnership ceremonies can incorporate unique features to meet the wishes of participants, with the inclusion, for instance, of a significant quotation, poem or personal pledge. The wedding can be tailored to reflect the philosophical views of the couple. Where the law allows, the wedding service or the religious blessing of a civil marriage ceremony can take place anywhere.