Buddha did not consider marriage to be a sacred ceremony. In Buddhism marriage is not a religious ceremony. The typical Buddhist marriage is a partnership of equals nad it should be based on deep mutual respect between both partners. Buddhists are allowed to marry anyone from any religion and the partnership should be an ideal balance of strenghts and weaknesses. A Buddhist marriage ceremony usually takes place in a Register Office or in a Buddhist temple which is licensed as a legal marriage venue. There is no set format for a Buddhist wedding and it usually consists of a Buddhist blessings in a temple after the civil ceremony. There are no days on which it is forbidden for Buddhists to marry and there are no forms to fill in except at the register’s office. There is no notice required for a blessing in the temple, other than to ask the temple if the proposed time is convenient. There is also no need to attend any meetings with the monks prior to a blessing. All people are welcome to attend and participate in a Buddhist blessing service, as long as they respect the traditions of the Buddhist teachings.
