Compromise for mention of God in ceremony?

Maybe the officiant has some suggestions about this, unless you're his first non-religious couple? If he wants to talk about a higher power, maybe he can put it in terms of blessings (of marriage, of your love for each other, etc.)? It kind of implies a higher power without using a specific name for it.

You may want to ask him what he means by "some mention." If he wants to say something like, "May this union be blessed by The Spirit," and then there are no other mentions, that might work for you guys. But if he means a lot more than that, then you'll need to find another officiant. It's up to him to decline to perform your ceremony, but it's up to you whether or not a higher power who you don't believe in should have a place in said ceremony. Basically, your officiant shouldn't have a say in how religious or not-religious you want your ceremony.

This is part of the reason why we wrote our entire ceremony... honestly, if an officiant told me they "required" a mention of god, i simply would not hire them. it is not their ceremony. there are plenty of officiants that will work with you and construct a beautiful, meaningful ceremony that is respectful to both of you.

There is no requirement of a mention of God unless this person is ordained by a brick and mortar denomination (like the Presbyterians,for example) that has a prescribed order of service for weddings/christenings and the like. It sounds like it's more HIS requirement, and honestly, your ceremony is yours, not his. While I occasionally have couples who want a mention of God, a vast majority of them do not. It doesn't make their ceremonies any less inspiring or meaningful; it just makes them appropriate for them. Why would someone want you to mention God if you don't use that terminology to describe your beliefs? Sounds weird to me.

Check out Celebrant USA (I believe they are listed here). They train non denominational officiants all over the country.

My goodness, I hope my cousin doesn't pull this on me. Can you not ask him to not let his personal believes interfere with YOUR wedding?

And as always... CELIA for the WINNNNN..... )

Would your officiant consider a 'blessing of the rings' a strong enough mention of God. I do not feel comfortable performing a ceremony if I am not able to give a prayer of blessing on the couple marriage. If you really want this person to marry you, then you will need to get more info from him about options. Or you may need to find a different officiant that will allow you to have the ceremony exactly the way you want.

I too became ordained after the person officiating our wedding gave me instruction on how my vows should go. I believe a couple should have exactly what they want, not what I want or the guest. Your officiant needs to allow you to have the ceremony you want, or bow out and you should look for someone who is willing to be open to your vision. Good luck.