Bahá’í Weddings

"...[T]he provision of guidance on administrative matters such as the laws of engagement, marriage, and divorce falls under the purview of Local and National Spiritual Assemblies...." (On behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual, September 24, 2014)

Note from Marriage Transformation: Couples are wise to communicate with or meet with the Spiritual Assembly that will officiate their Bahá’í marriage as soon as possible after the engagement begins. If one or more of the couple are Bahá’ís, they are required to have a Bahá’í ceremony. Couples who marry without following Bahá’í marriage laws may lose some of their rights of full participation in community functions. See Assemblies. For information on parental consent, see Relationships and http://www.bahaimarriage.net/resources_parentalconsent.htm. Assemblies do not charge couples a fee for assisting with wedding services.

Bahá’í Wedding/Marriage Ceremony

Guidance from the Bahá’í Writings:

“When the consent of the parents is obtained, the only other requirement for the ceremony is the recitation by both parties in the presence of two witnesses of the specifically revealed verse: ‘We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God.’ The following quotations from letters written …[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi] indicate the desirability of the Bahá’í marriage ceremony being simple:

1. ‘There is no ritual, according to the Aqdas [Kitáb-i-Aqdas], and …[Shoghi Effendi] is very anxious that none should be introduced at present and no general form accepted. He believes the ceremony should be as simple as possible....
2. The only compulsory part of a Bahá’í wedding is the pledge of marriage, the phrase to be spoken separately by the Bride and Bridegroom in turn, in the presence of Assembly witnesses.’”
(On behalf of the Universal House of Justice: Lights of Guidance, pp. 387-388)

"The witnesses can be any two trustworthy people whose testimony is acceptable to the Spiritual Assembly under whose jurisdiction the marriage is performed. This fact makes it possible for a lone pioneer in a remote post to have a Bahá’í marriage." (Universal House of Justice, August 8, 1969, to a National Spiritual Assembly)

Note: Civil laws have varying requirements, so please check with the appropriate Spiritual Assembly for guidance. Assemblies also have extensive guidance about choice of venues, when there is more than one ceremony occurring, and much more. Couples are wise to check all the guidance before planning their wedding.

Note from Marriage Transformation: Interracial and interfaith marriages are permitted for Bahá’ís. There is no conversion of faith that occurs with the saying of the Bahá’í marriage vow.

Story: An interfaith marriage between a Baptist (Christian) and a Bahá’í.

Marriages of Key People

The Bride of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (The Chosen Highway)

Shoghi Effendi's Marriage: Article on marriage that includes the announcement of his wedding (The Bahá’í World, Volume 7)

Wedding Program Ideas (There is no required format for couples to use; this information is provided for ideas only; note the above guidance about simplicity.)

Possible Quotations and Prayers from the Bahá’í Writings

Prayers for Marriage

Quotations in English and Spanish: https://bahaimarriage.net/resources_quotations.htm

The Marriage Tablet: From the Research Department of the Bahá’í World Centre about The Marriage Tablet, beginning "The bond that unites hearts most perfectly is loyalty...":

"This is not a tablet at all, but is an unauthenticated record by Ahmad Sohrab of a talk by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The friends may use it, but it should be made clear that this is not Bahá’í scripture." (American Bahá’í News, September 27, 1992)

Sample Programs:

Alexander-Farnsworth

Qualls-Kline

Barnhart-Bush

Kuves and Renu

Music and Poetry About Love and Marriage Performed by Bahá’ís

Craig Farnsworth & Judy Parsley:
The Song of Life by John Taylor (MP3)
The Song of Life by John Taylor lyrics (pdf)

Elika Mahony

Allen Tyrone Johnson - Marriage Prayer

Tahirih Vejdani: Bahá’í Marriage Prayer (video)

Poem: Blessed Joining by Susanne M. Alexander

Wedding Planning

Resource: Book on Amazon - How to Plan a Beautiful Wedding for Under $10,000 in Three Months or Less by V. Naledi Raspberry (author is a Bahá’í and examples are interfaith)

This webpage was updated on January 27, 2024

Note: All photos on this website are from Marriage Transformation workshops
or are the personal photos of Susanne M. Alexander.

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