If you’re curious about what happens if someone objects at a wedding, there is nothing to worry about as it has no effect. In this article, we will go through what you can do if someone objects during the wedding ceremony, and you’ll also find out why the officiant even asked if anyone wants to speak against the unification of the couple.
Speaking of which, you can read how to ask a friend to officiate your wedding as well. You must help them prepare, including what to say, which may or may not include the line for anyone who objects at the wedding.
This Is What Happens If Someone Objects At A Wedding: Does It Matter?
What Happens If You Say I Object At A Wedding?
Nothing will happen if someone objects at your wedding. Even though it’s tradition for the officiant to mention the iconic phrase of “speak now or forever hold your peace,” anyone who wants to object to a marriage during the ceremony has no legal power to stop it simply because they want to.
No one can object to a wedding regardless of their reason. If anything, that person may just be asking for an awkward moment because of the attention they’ll get.
The phrase that allows someone to speak out to stop the wedding is no longer mentioned by officiants nowadays. After all, everything required for a marriage to be legal is handled before the ceremony.
Can a wedding go on if someone objects?
The wedding ceremony will still go on even if someone objects. However, there might be a pause or even a moment of confusion, as one would expect in an event that’s supposed to celebrate the unity of two people.
The worst that can happen is it will spark an argument between the couple, their family, and whoever objects to their marriage. It might even cause whispers and rumors among the guests, which will continue even after the wedding as curiosity and assumptions fill everyone’s minds.
What to do when someone objects to my wedding?
So if someone objects at your wedding, how will you handle it, and what can you do? First, of course, no one can expect anything to happen during the ceremony.
The officiant will likely stop the ceremony to avoid any altercations, especially if it’s a conservative wedding venue. However, the emotions might also inspire physical and vocal arguments, so the officiant must handle it before any fight escalates.
As the bride or groom, you might ask to exit and have the officiant mediate between you and whoever objected during the ceremony. Therefore, if you feel like there’s a potential for any disruption during the wedding ceremony, talk with your officiant beforehand so they can prepare.
Nonetheless, there’s nothing to worry about because the ceremony will likely continue, and the officiant will downplay the situation to avoid drawing more attention to it than needed. The wedding party might also help remove the cause of disruption as peacefully as possible.
What Happens If Someone Disagrees At A Wedding?
If anyone objects at your wedding, the officiant is likely to make light of the situation. It’s likely to be handled as discreetly as possible to avoid any conflicts that might escalate into something potentially dangerous.
It would be best for only the level-headed guests to mediate or remove the person who objected to the wedding ceremony. Ultimately, the officiant will decide if the ceremony should stop for some time or resume as if it didn’t happen.
What happens when someone objects at a wedding as a joke?
It would be distasteful to object to someone’s wedding even as a joke. Remember that it’s meant to highlight the couple’s relationship, so it would be rude to gain attention with the gist of trying to be funny.
Unless the couple was in on it, it’s their idea or has the same sense of humor; please do not object at the wedding as a joke. You don’t want other guests to get the wrong idea and feel bad, especially healthwise, since stress can cause high blood pressure.
What happens if someone objects at a Catholic wedding?
The Catholic church started the custom of soliciting objections at the wedding ceremony since, back then, there were not many bureaucratic processes to ensure that marriage was justified. As a result, some might be marrying someone despite having a spouse, the couple might be related, or other unlawful reasons.
But nowadays, any potential issues for an unlawful marriage are already uncovered before the ceremony. Remember that you will secure a marriage license beforehand, so there’s no reason for a potentially wrong wedding to go through.
Why Do They Ask For Objections At Weddings?
Back then, it was somewhat acceptable when someone objects at a wedding if the union is not eligible legally. But nowadays, the legality assessment is done before the ceremony, so no one has the power to stop marriage by speaking up that they object.
Emotional reasons are not enough to pause a ceremony or union. So to avoid potential disruption, here’s how to ask someone to be at your wedding and only have the guests you want to attend.
Conclusion
Was this guide helpful? To recap what happens if someone objects at a wedding, the officiant will likely mediate the disruption.
The ceremony will still proceed as nobody can stop marriage by saying they don’t support it.