5 Ways I Made My Wedding Feminist

Like most feminists, I have always seen the establishment of marriage with some disbelief.  While at one stage in my life I believed I'd not get married, I changed my mind once I met my husband, Chuck.   I wanted to celebrate our love and our life along with the people we care about the maximum and honor our commitment to each other.But union will stay a tradition hauled from the patriarchy.   Creating a marriage "feminist" is really a challenging task -- almost impossible, and that I found myself needing to make concessions on the way.  As an instance, while I initially wanted to walk down the aisle , at a nod to my liberty, giving my father his second and preventing damaging his feelings was a whole lot more significant to me personally.

Fortunately, I found some methods to integrate feminist values to my marriage which made me feel comfortable.  This isn't supposed to specify for anybody else exactly what a heterosexual marriage is, and I don't assert that how I did matters is that the "correct" method to have wedding.  In fact, basically I think what finally makes a wedding is when the bride and her spouse have the liberty to produce the kind of wedding party that feels appropriate for them.

1.  We chose a progressive officiant

We had a girl Justice of the Peace conduct our service who had been on board together with the kind of wedding we wanted to possess and was prepared to use us to make a service that reflected our philosophies.  I met with her prior to the marriage and told me how significant feminism would be to me and gave her a few hints of speech I desired her to integrate in her opinions, like a reading out of bell Hooks' book, All About Love.  She also allow me to veto a number of the standard habits in marriage ceremonies -- such as when the officiant thanks the father of the bride to get "giving" away her -- a belief that suggests that the woman is a bit of property being moved from 1 person to another.  Our officiant knew what we needed and did not desire and became our partner in developing a customized service.

2.  We integrated feminist readings to the service

My husband I aren't religious in any way, so biblical readings weren't a choice for us.  But, we adore literature, so I started studying some feminist writers for inspiration.   Both readings highlighted values I think are critical to a successful marriage -- equality, equity, and respect.

3.  

Writing our own guarantees to each other was important for us.  Having the ability to stand up before our own families and friends and also read the vows we wrote for each other felt enabling.  I felt a sense of service that I believe would have been lost had we employed more conventional, generic vows.  They were words which came from our very own hearts and were composed solely for us.

4.  

When I got engaged, I envisioned I'd put on a non-white, vibrant apparel -- possibly even black!   But locating a non-white apparel was a good deal tougher than I thought, since they're still uncommon.  I finally decided on a ivory gown, which felt like a compromise.  But during the process, I knew I didn't need a veil, though my friends kept insisting I attempt one.  The lifting of the veil is just another sign of land transport -- after the groom removes it chooses "ownership" of the bride.  I felt great in my ivory dress and veil-less head, and I am glad I did not let anybody pressure me into sporting one.

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5.  

I have built a fairly good career in my 30 decades of life, and that I also have a PhD, so my name of "Dr." will always trump "Mrs." My last name signifies me and where I come out, and that I did not wish to alter it.  And what I actually did not want was released, for the first time, as Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fritch, like union erases my whole identity and subsumes it beneath my husband's.   While I respect and support the girls in my life who've taken their husband's last name, maintaining that heritage wasn't in accord with my own beliefs.  We've determined that if we have children, their names will be hyphenated to incorporate both our last names, a movement that feels right for us.

Infusing our marriage together with feminist values made the day even more special, as doing this reflected that we are as individuals and what we hope to.  Ultimately, however, what makes a union feminist isn't your wedding , however, a relationship built on equality which you create together daily.



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