Marriage ceremony
Prescribed[edit]
Planning[edit]
Wedding Plans Should Be Left Entirely in the Hands of the Bride and Groom[edit]
"An Assembly has the overriding duty to protect the good name of the Faith in relation to any activity of the friends, but it should always exercise great care not to restrict the individual's freedom of action unnecessarily. Normally the size of the wedding celebration, the place in which it is to be held and who is to be invited are all left entirely to the discretion of the bride and groom and an Assembly should interpose an objection only if it is quite certain that the Cause will really be injured if it does not do so.
- (From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, January 20, 1966, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1292)
Marriage Ceremony for Two Non-Bahá'ís[edit]
"There is no objection to performing a Bahá'í marriage for two non-Bahá'ís, if they desire to have our simple ceremony. This, on the contrary, is yet another way of demonstrating our liberality."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 25, 1947: Bahá'í News, No. 202, December 1947, p. 2, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1290)
Marriage by Proxy not approved[edit]
"In reply to your letter of October 19th asking whether a young believer in your jurisdiction may be married by proxy; we do not approve of the proposed proxy marriage."
- (From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 26, 1967, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1286)
A marriage ceremony conducted by 'Abdu'l-Bahá[edit]
- See 'Abdu'l-Bahá, 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London, pp. 77-79
Specific conditions of marriage ceremony and afterward[edit]
- recital of marriage verse
- two witnesses
- dowry (not applicable in the West)
- consummation of marriage
- See also Marriage with non-Bahá'ís regarding requirements for other ceremonies
- See also Marriage and Bahá'í law regarding civil law requirements
