Religious Ceremonies in Aruba

[meghan]

Hey everyone,

I am looking to get married in Aruba, however, my fiance and I are not religious. I have noticed that the package is titled "religious ceremony"...does anyone know if you can have a religious ceremony without any mention of God?

Thanks!

Meghan

[O'Driscoll Photography]

Welcome, Meghan!

 

Tod

[Kelly C]

welcome!!!

[cantorballard]

Megan,

Check out this link -

Aruba - Marriage

 

Since the religious ceremony is not a legal one in Aruba, you can have your officiant say anything you like. The package exists because in Aruba, the law is that you must have been married in your country by government ceremony, and the religious ceremony can also be considered "spiritual", and the difference is the wording.

 

Ask your planner from your resort how much creativity and time your officiant will spend with you in creating the ceremony, and if he can specifically include or exclude certain words. Each officiant from the island works differently, and I am often hired for religious weddings in Aruba, because the officiants are not ...shall we say...creative?

 

Let me know if I can help you with any specific questions.

Cantor Debbi Ballard

[stacey]

Welcome to the forum!!

[Robyn Louise Photography]

Welcome to the forum! It's great that you have joined us! Glad to have another Canadian!!

[meghan]

Hi Debbie,

Thank you for the information. I just got an email back from weddings by riu for aruba, and I was told that if I want just a symbolic wedding with no mention of god, my only option is a civil wedding (but that can't be done on the beach).....is that a specific requirement just with the Rius?

[cantorballard]

Meghan,

Wow - I'm surprised. I have done weddings at Riu and some of the couples I have spoken with said that when they used the hotel officiants, they had an opportunity to discuss the ceremony and terminology with them.

 

Aruba does tend to get very controlling over their religious ceremonies...I would say it is all Aruba, rather than just the Riu's. Most islands I officiate on do not have the requirements that Aruba does.

 

Your specific question back to them should be: "Can I have the opportunity to meet with my officiant prior to the wedding in order to discuss the ceremony and our preferences with them?"

 

Then - perhaps, your officiant will get a better understanding of what you are looking for. Does that make sense?

 

And, so I can better help you - are you and your fiancee both Atheistic? Do you subscribe to any particular faith or religious belief? Maybe there's a way to gently adapt the verbiage where "G-d" is concerned?

 

Just trying to fish for some ideas that will help you navigate this subject..

[Kathie]

Welcome Meghan. I'm split between Aruba and Puerto Vallarta. Where in Aruba are you getting married?

[meghan]

Thank you Debbie for the Suggestions. That is good to know that they are more strict than some other places when it comes to their ceremonies, as I am not fully decided on Aruba yet. My fiance and I are not athiest...but we just don't really celebrate any particular religious beliefs. All we would request is that "God" not be said during the ceremony....other than that, we are pretty easy with any symbolic or spiritual statements, as long as they don't specifically refer to God. If we did get married in Aruba at the Riu, is it an option to have you officiate it?