A wedding between two people although it can be religious, is also a legal contract that both partners agree too; many changes have been made to the law surrounding a marriage in the last twenty years or so. Marriage is still a legal contract despite the religious background; the marriage certificate must be signed at the end of the service for the law to legitimize the couple's relationship. Traditionally, the woman getting married is the bride and the man the bridegroom usually abbreviated to groom; they are then referred to by the title husband and wife, once they are married. Religious Wedding Services Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Although it may seem like the world has turned away from the Christian religion generally, it has not stopped the popularity of a Church ceremony. Of course we all know and love the white wedding but this is not the generally accepted form of ceremony in every Christian country. Double Weddings A different type occasion often difficult to arrange is where two couples are married simultaneously; ceremonies such as this are usually instigated by siblings who like the idea of a simultaneous marriage. Marriages in Another Country These days it is easy for couples to arrange a wedding in another country and have the guests travel to them with the honeymoon continuing afterwards; whether this happens for an intimate beach ceremony in the Caribbean, or extravagant nuptials in Las Vegas, it will qualify as a destination wedding. Themed Weddings Whilst it is quite normal for the Irish to have three day weddings, more couples are taking the hint and having theirs over a weekend which gives them more time to enjoy the occasion. Special activities, such as spa treatments and golf tournaments, are scheduled into the itinerary for guests' enjoyment throughout the weekend. Lodging is usually at the same facility and couples often host a Sunday brunch for the weekend's finale. Occasionally, either one or both party would include criminal background check as part of the preparation. An Online Wedding Ceremony An online wedding is conducted on the internet which can resemble a normal ceremony; internet based specialists are already available to help organize your ceremony. This can prove a useful tool where relatives and friends from around the world can see an online wedding take place in real time without actually being there! Civil Marriages Local civil authority services are called civil weddings as they do not take place in a church and must be performed by a locally elected or appointed official. Although it may sound clinical, civil ceremonies usually make no reference to God. Often, this type of service will take place in a judge's chambers, town or city hall or any other specially designated place.The information here is to help give people who live primarily in the Western world, a better comprehension of just what a wedding really is.