What Happens at a Satanic Wedding? Info for Guests & Officiants

Curious about Satantic wedding traditions & what you can expect to see at a Satanic wedding ceremony? 

 

There are two well-known religious Satanic organizations in the U.S. – The Church of Satan, which was founded in the 1960s, and The Satanic Temple, a younger and more active collection of congregations and members. These two organizations aren’t affiliated with each other and hold very different views on the tenets of Satanism. Their rituals, including those for weddings, are also different. For this article, we researched the practices and principles of The Satanic Temple. 

 

Before we dive into a few of the basics, it’s important to know that there are no standard or “official” Satanic wedding traditions – which means that each couple is free to celebrate their wedding in any way they wish. Each Satanic wedding ceremony will include different rituals and customs unique to the couple.

 

Still, couples and officiants can expect a few key ingredients when attending or officiating a Satanic wedding. 

 

No, it won't be like this...

Who Officiates a Satanic Wedding? 

 

Satanic weddings performed at a recognized Satanic Temple are officiated by a Minister of Satan. According to The Satanic Temple (TST) website, Ministers of Satan must be a “member of The Satanic Temple and an active participant” in the community in order to register for online ordination and become ordained. (See a list of local Satanic congregations here.)

 

However, any ordained wedding officiant can perform a wedding that celebrates a couple’s Satanic values if they’re comfortable doing so. Weddings need not take place at a temple, and many couples choose to hold their weddings in ‘unofficial’ venues, such as their home, a public park or graveyard, a historic landmark, or another location with personal significance. As is the case with all ceremonies, couples and their officiant should ensure that their activities are respectful of the venue (this is particularly the case with sacred ground such as graveyards). 

 

In this case, the couple might ask a friend or relative to get ordained online with another recognized church or organization (like AMM) to perform their wedding ceremony. 

 

 

It will be more like this.

 

 

Is Satan on the Guest List?

 

If you’ve been invited to a Satanic wedding, you might be wondering if you’ll be seated next to a towering statue of Satan or Baphomet, carved from brimstone and billowing sulfur-scented smoke as the couple takes their vows. Well… maybe.

 

But that’s not really the point of a Satanist wedding. The Satanic Temple and its members don’t actually worship Satan, or believe in the existence of the Devil or the supernatural… So he won’t be on the guest list.

 

• See a couple get married in front of a bronze Baphomet statue at The Satanic Temple Salem.

 

 

Detail of Satan from Hans Memling's Triptych of Earthly Vanity and Divine Salvation (c. 1485) via Wikimedia

Not on the guest list... Which makes the seating chart a lot less stressful.

 

 

So What Do Satanists Believe? 

 

If the Devil's out, what do Satanists believe? Instead of worshiping that famed horned inhabitant of Hell, Satanist values include “reason, empathy, the pursuit of knowledge,” and are aligned with social equity and community responsibility, compassion, agnosticism, scientific fact, bodily autonomy, and honesty, among other things.

 

• To see The Satanic Temple's seven guiding tenets head here. 

 

What Satanist Values are Celebrated in the Wedding Ceremony? 

 

Satanist weddings are joyful affairs! They tend to celebrate the shared values mentioned above. As such, these personalized ceremonies generally emphasize individuality, non-conforming, authenticity, equality and mutual respect between partners, compassion, honesty, and love. 

 

It’s very unlikely that these weddings will include the patriarchal traditions found in many ‘traditional’ and religious weddings, such as ‘giving away’ the bride, or vows to ‘honor and obey.' 

 

 

Your wedding should celebrate YOU! Your love, your values, and your future.

 

 

What are Some Satanic Wedding Traditions?

 

There are no established Satanic wedding traditions. Instead, couples are encouraged to incorporate rituals that are meaningful to them. This makes each Satanic wedding ceremony personal and unique to the partners being married.

 

Satanist weddings might include the exchange of joint wedding vows, handfasting rituals, candle lighting ceremonies, an exchange of swords or sword blessings, special wedding readings, or other unique rituals.

 

Learn more about each of these rituals and more by clicking the links below. 

 

• 'We do' vs 'I do' : A Modern Twist on the Declaration of Intent & Joint Wedding Vows
• Read more about Handfasting & Handfasting Knots
• How to Perform a Unity Candle Ceremony (for Wedding Officiants)
• 6 Ways to Include a Sword in Your Wedding Ceremony
• Dark Love Poems & Wedding Readings for a Goth Inspired Ceremony
• More Wedding Readings
• More Unity Ceremony Ideas

 

 

 

 

 

What Should You Wear to Attend or Officiate a Satanist Wedding? 

 

If you like dressing up, this is a great time to do it! Guests should consider gothic glam or something dark and luxurious. But above all else – wear something authentically you. Black is a great choice, but if you wouldn’t be caught dead in all black, consider adding accents of gold, silver, red, or emerald green. 

 

Wedding officiants should always dress to match the level of formality and general vibe of the couple – including at Satanic weddings. In general, something stylish and professional in a black or dark gray is a good choice, but it’s best to ask the couple if they have a specific aesthetic in mind before you commit to an outfit. 

 

• What to Wear (and Not Wear) as a Wedding Officiant

 

 

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Read Next: 

 

• When is it Ok to Wear Black to a Wedding?

 

• Feminist Wedding Vows: Creative Examples to Help You Write Your Own

 

• Dark Love Poems & Wedding Readings for a Goth Inspired Ceremony

 

 

Photo by @wildecompany photography via @til_death_do_us_part

Planning or officiating a goth wedding? Use these deliciously dark love poems and lyrics as part of a wedding reading or your personal wedding vows. Read the full article here.

 

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