Wedding vs Marriage
Wedding
Wedding is the name given for the rituals, events and ceremonies that take place when two people take vows to live together for rest of their life. It is an indication of social acceptance of the relationship. Wedding is used to indicate the set of events that take place like the reception, bridal shower, wedding party, and the ceremony itself. That is why it is correct to say, “I am going for my friend’s wedding” and not friend’s marriage.
Examples:
- The wedding was arranged in a grand manner.
- Wedding planners take care of everything like food, music, decorations, rituals, etc.
- Nowadays, wedding photography shoot has become a huge trend.
- We went to the wedding in the last moment; by then most of the ceremonies were over.
The word wedding originated from the Scots word ‘wed’ meaning a pledge. In some places of the world, wedding ceremonies go on for more than a day. All the collective rituals together are termed as a wedding.
Marriage
Marriage is called as an ‘institution’ or life long union of two people that happens through a wedding ceremony. It is a formally recognized union of two people as life partners, usually a man and a woman. That is why the terms ‘marriage registration’ and ‘marriage certificate’ are used and not wedding registration or certificate!
Marriage is also used to indicate a combination of elements and can be used in different contexts unlike wedding. For example, her class is a marriage of science, math, history and literature i.e. a combination or fusion of all.
The word marriage originated from the Old French word ‘marier’ meaning marry.
Some examples of marriage:
- They decided to get married when they were drunk, so will it be considered legal?
- It is very difficult to get marriage license if you don’t have all the documents in place.
- To get the Visa, you need to show your ID proof, your spouse’s ID proof and your marriage certificate.
- They have been in this marriage since the last 30 years, no wonder they can understand what the other wants without explicitly saying it!
Although the meaning of wedding and marriage are different, we can wish someone a ‘happy wedding anniversary’ as well as a ‘happy marriage anniversary’, as both mean the same.
