‘Loved the Wedding, Invite Me to the Marriage’: The Secularisation of Weddings in Contemporary Britain

John Walliss

Sociological Research Online, 2002, vol. 7, issue 4, 60-70

Abstract: This article explores the extent to which weddings have been secularised within contemporary Britain at both the societal/institutional (objective) and personal (subjective) levels. Firstly, I present an extremely brief historical sketch of the changing nature of weddings within Britain over the course of the last thousand years. I will also draw on statistical evidence to discuss the trends relating to weddings over the course of the last 160 years. Following on from this, I draw on interview data to explore the reasons why non-church attendees still opt for a religious marriage service. Finally, I conclude by relating both sets of material to the question of whether weddings may be seen as a site of secularisation within contemporary Britain and exploring the nature of this situation.

Keywords: Weddings; Secularisation; Tradition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2002
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socres:v:7:y:2002:i:4:p:60-70

DOI: 10.5153/sro.765

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