Skip to Content

Why is a Wedding Ceremony Important?

*This post may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclaimer for additional details..

Every once in a while, we read headlines in the news about the extravagant wedding ceremonies that the royals, celebrities, or prominent figures hold to celebrate the communion between a loving couple.

But this doesn’t just happen to famous or rich people. We often receive invitations from distant relatives or old friends and colleagues that are getting hitched to the love of their lives.

And this begs a question; what is the significance of holding a wedding ceremony? To be exact, why is a wedding ceremony important?

A wedding ceremony is the first big step that newlyweds take together to start a new life. It can be perceived as a sacred transitional phase that happens between partners to commit to each other legally, possibly for a lifetime. It also involves a coming together of two different families and a ritual to honor the marriage couple’s vow.

Two rings and marriage contract. Miniature wooden wedding dresses close-up.

There are also a few other reasons to have a wedding ceremony. For instance:

It Is an Unbreakable Contract

With any relationship, there will be good times and hard times. Often, we hear someone broke up with their significant other due to commitment issues and other related problems.

And it is much easier to walk away from someone when you aren’t officially or legally bound to one another. There are no repercussions or consequences, except for heartbreaks and sleepless nights.

But when you take a marriage vow in a ceremony, in front of everyone, including your family and friends, you have witnesses and people who truly care for you.

So, no matter what happens or how big the problem is, you will do your best to fix it because marriage isn’t a one-person journey.

This isn’t about managing other people’s expectations, but it is about being an emotionally mature person who thinks responsibly for making a decision.

Of course, we all are responsible for our own happiness, but within our bliss, there is also a glimpse of other people’s joy, and indirectly, it affects our relationship with others.

wedding ceremony of the marriage of a guy and a girl against the backdrop of an arch on a forest path

It Is a Part of the Culture

All across the world, different cultures and religions celebrate marriage in different ways. Some involve small and simple ceremonies, while others celebrate in more sacred and holistic ways.

For instance, the Indian wedding ceremony requires the newlyweds to circle the fire pit seven times when exchanging marital vows, while the Arabic or Muslim wedding ceremony involves a marriage contract signed during the ritual called “nikah.”

Meanwhile, some African cultures still practice arranged marriages, and the bride is usually offered a dowry, with the approval of most people in the same tribe.

In the West, wedding ceremonies have evolved and vary from family to family.

A formal wedding usually consists of different traditions, religious rites, as well as certain commandments that must be adhered to during the ceremony.

However, in these modern days, more couples opt for a simpler ceremony that only involves family and close friends.

As long as the marriage is legally approved, people have the freedom to decide on how to throw their own ceremony.

happy wedding couple near the arch during the wedding ceremony

It Is a Symbol of Love

There is nothing that could symbolize a person’s love for their partner more than his or her decision to get married and stay together for the rest of their life. And to commemorate this union, a wedding ceremony would be the perfect choice of celebration.

With the blessings from everyone that attend the ceremony, the newlyweds take a vow together to love each other through thick and thin, through sickness and health, and to devote their whole lives to the betterment of each other.

You could say all these promises were made long before they started making a decision to be together. But officially, a ceremony would seal the deal forever.

kissing groom and bride after wedding ceremony with their parents on the background

It Unites Two Different Families

There is a saying that if you marry a person, you don’t just marry him or her; but you also marry their entire family.

Through the wedding ceremony, you will get to meet and know your partner’s family and relatives.

This will also be your best chance to make a good first impression. Who knows, you might not see them again until another family gathering.

Additionally, your family can also mingle with your partner’s family and share this intimate moment together.

Can you imagine if both families could make it and how enormous the family portrait session would be? Now that’s a story worth telling and sharing with your future children and grandkids.

Intimate wedding ceremony with limited number of guests

It Measures a Person’s Social Status

Although some people might think that playing the status game is a trap we should all avoid, there are a few others that still have to guard their reputation and influence at all costs.

People from prominent families know it best. If their daughter or son is getting married to someone with the same level of resources, the wedding ceremony could turn into a fabulous event for other important people to mingle and meet each other.

This is also where they get to network and create new contacts that can help improve their businesses or family’s name.

Sideview of bride and groom sharing wedding speech during night wedding ceremony

It Creates a Lifetime Memory

After the big day, you will start a new life with your partner. As a few years pass, you will sit back and look at the photo albums.

Can you imagine the regret if you didn’t do even a simple wedding ceremony to mark the starting point of your married life and capture all the beautiful moments together during the celebration? That’s one of the perks of having a wedding ceremony.

Nowadays, even if you’re on a tight budget and decide not to hire a professional wedding photographer, you can still ask your family or friends to take pictures using a smartphone.

There is no limit to how technology can help us in cementing our memories in life.

bride and groom running between guests lines after wedding ceremony

It Connects the Newlyweds With Their Old Friends and Colleagues

In life, we meet different people that become our friends. But due to certain circumstances, we have to go our own separate ways and carry on with our own things.

These people could be our childhood friends, college buddies, workmates at the old office, and others.

But no matter how far we go and how busy our lives get, a wedding ceremony is the only place where most of us can reconnect, exchange old memories, and reminisce about the good old times that we shared with them.

So, there is no better reason to invite people we haven’t seen for a very long time to the ceremony. And it surely is good to see many familiar faces during one of the biggest days in our lives.

Groom wearing ring to bride during wedding ceremony

It Ensures the Longevity of Wedding Traditions

Nowadays, younger generations have chosen to go with a simple yet intimate wedding ceremony that offers a lot of freedom and less hassle.

Aside from not having to break their bank account, they can skip some traditions that their parents, great grandparents, and ancestors had done in the old days.

As long as their marriage is legally approved, the ceremony doesn’t need to be as conservative and sophisticated as it used to be.

Moreover, they can just even register their marriage with a county clerk or city hall before receiving their marriage license.

But when a proper wedding ceremony is being held, there are a few traditions, if not all, that should be done to make sure that the newlyweds are being celebrated and welcomed into their new life properly.

In one way or another, as long as people still see the value in having a wedding ceremony, we can still preserve the beauty of traditions in every culture.

Final Thoughts

No matter how big, small, expensive, or budget-friendly a wedding ceremony is, it carries significant value and importance to both the newlyweds and the people around them.

If you’re planning to get married anytime soon, just remember that this will be one of the biggest days of your life.

Don’t cave into the pressure of others. Do what’s best for both you and your partner. The last thing you need is stress and debt because you need to appeal to the approval of others.

Resources