Skip to main content

Post content has been hidden

To unblock this content, please click here

Michelle
Champion December 2022

What defines a wedding?

Michelle, on March 22, 2021 at 2:43 PM Posted in Community Conversations 0 11

Obviously the dictionary that most people go by says a wedding is the ceremony or act of becoming legally married. I'm so curious by many posts that say they got married but didn't have a wedding. Any legally binding ceremony is a wedding, whether it's in a national park, the courthouse, church. Do they mean they didn't have the big party and kept it simple? That's still a wedding.

11 Comments

Latest activity by Liz, on March 31, 2021 at 12:36 PM
  • Caytlyn
    Legend November 2019
    Caytlyn ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    Yep, that’s what they mean. Totally demeaning to couples who have simple courthouse ceremonies or elope.
    • Reply
  • Nicole
    Master September 2020
    Nicole ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment

    I completely agree, Caytlyn. Just because you didn't have a large party where there were tens, if not hundreds, of witnesses, doesn't mean you didn't have a wedding. It's one of my biggest vocabulary pet peeves from this past year (coming from someone who got married during COVID). Feel free to have a reception, vow renewal, party, etc. but please don't call it a wedding because that ship has sailed!

    • Reply
  • Elizabeth
    Super June 2021
    Elizabeth ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    A wedding is getting married to me! No party needed. I think they should say they didnt have a reception
    • Reply
  • M
    Expert April 2021
    Melody ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Yeah, I'm with y'all on this one. The wedding is the bit where you get married, and therefore it's not possible to be married and not have had a wedding. You can totally have a wedding but not a reception or party though.

    • Reply
  • A
    Devoted May 2021
    Ally ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    Of course thats what it means. Theres absolutely no need to have a party to accompany your marriage. Society has made us believe that people who choose not to do that are missing something. Not the case
    • Reply
  • Michelle
    Champion December 2022
    Michelle ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment

    That's what I've always thought too.

    • Reply
  • L
    Lady ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment

    Yup, this.

    • Reply
  • MK
    Expert September 2021
    MK ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    A wedding is a marriage ceremony. How you want to conduct yours is up to you.

    Some prefer a large, all-out kind of celebration, some would rather have something small. Both are weddings.

    • Reply
  • Michelle
    Champion December 2022
    Michelle ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment

    Agree with you on this

    • Reply
  • Samantha
    VIP October 2022
    Samantha ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    Language changes sometimes, and there are always regional and social differences in the way we express things.
    Most people know what someone means when they say “we didn’t have a wedding, we went to the courthouse.” They don’t mean they didn’t get married, they mean that there weren’t any associated gatherings.
    I’ve never known anyone to denigrate someone who got married at a courthouse to say their marriage is not as important. I lived a lot of my life in the military and then around academics and people often marry at the courthouse if travel plans come up, visas are an issue, or someone got tenure, or health insurance...I have seem some not nice people suggest having a wedding is a waste or silly - but there are curmudgeons everywhere. My first marriage was at a courthouse, it lasted 20 years, and halfway through we had a catholic wedding that was just us, the witness, our daughter and the priest. No big party involved (maybe we went to dinner after, I was big pregnant!) but it was in the church so wedding would probably be the right word. For this type of evolving language I try to not attribute to malice what is probably just ignorance.
    • Reply
  • Liz
    Devoted August 2021
    Liz ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    My first "marriage" we never had a wedding or went to the JP. We were common law married.
    • Reply

You voted for . Add a comment 👇

×


Related articles

WeddingWire celebrates love ...and so does everyone on our site! Learn more

Rockstars

  • D
    Getting married in 07/03/2025

Groups

WeddingWire article topics