If you’re marrying someone with a different religion than yours, planning an interfaith wedding can be difficult. To prevent problems and disagreements from cropping up, use these tips to create an interfaith ceremony you’ll both be happy with.
1. Be Open
Both of your religious backgrounds are critical to your marriage and your future, so it’s important to be open about discussing which religious practices you want to incorporate into your household – especially if you plan on having children. A longer engagement can help you and your soon-to-be partner discuss these important issues and figure out where both of you stand.
2. Don’t Freak On The Parents
While some parents may not bat an eye at an interfaith marriage, your parents might see things a bit differently. If either of your families are having a hard time accepting your engagement, try to relax and avoid any freak-outs. Allow them time to accept your marriage and adjust to the idea; don’t get upset if it doesn’t happen overnight.
3. Research
Since you will (ideally) be spending the rest of your life with this person, make a point to research each others religions and learn as much as you can about your differing faiths. Even if you don’t plan to convert, learning about your partner’s religion is an important step you can take to ensure a long and healthy relationship.
4. Choose an Officiant
Finding an officiant to marry an interfaith couple is an important step. You need to find one that accepts interfaith marriages and he/she must feel comfortable to BOTH of you. If all else fails, there’s nothing that says you can’t have two officiants for your big day!
5. Incorporate Both Faiths in the Wedding
Work with your partner to incorporate religious practices and traditions that are important to both of you for your wedding day. Because both of you come from different faiths, it’s expected that you might have different ideas about what a wedding ceremony is supposed to be. Spend some time planning the perfect wedding for both of you, with traditions that are meaningful to each of you; it’s all about compromise!
If you are planning an interfaith wedding, you might feel overwhelmed at the different obstacles you’ll face. However, these tips can help you plan the wedding of your dreams and have a ceremony that is special and meaningful to both of you.