This week Year 1 found out how different faiths celebrate marriage.

First, the children shared their thoughts about some weddings that they had been to.

Then, we found out that not all wedding ceremonies are the same. People make choices about the type of wedding they have depending on what they believe in and what is important to them.

Christians believe that marriage is one of God’s gifts. Weddings usually take place in a church but can take place anywhere nowadays. The bride and groom exchange rings which show their eternal love.

The Muslim ceremony is called a Nikah. It usually takes place in a mosque.​ The husband sometimes pays a money gift to the bride called a mahr and this ​payment is for the bride to keep and use as she wishes. Most of the time, the bride and groom have a Walimah, which is a large feast where the couple announce their marriage publicly. ​

Sikh weddings usually take place in a gurdwara. On arrival at the gurdwara, an  introduction is carried out between the two families. The main ceremony is very simple and includes hymns, readings and music. After the ceremony, a reading is given and a sweet pudding called karah prasad​ is passed out to all guests. 

After that, the children took part in acting out a traditional Christian wedding ceremony.