This Valentine’s Day, five priests in Iceland’s unofficial northern capital, Akureyri, will be offering back-to-back weddings for couples looking for a quick and novel marriage ceremony.
Events like these have taken place across Iceland before and have been well-received among the public. So-called serial weddings often attract crowds of well-wishers, and tend to lead-in to a celebratory reception held at a more personal, familiar location.
Two of the priests involved, Sindri Geir Óskarsson and Jóhanna Gísladóttir, told Akureyri.net that they have already received plenty of applications. The other priests behind the occasion are Hildur Björk Hörpudóttir, Aðalsteinn Þorvaldsson and Hildur Eir Bolladóttir.
What is a ‘serial wedding?’
Be they bride, groom, or guest, anyone who has attended a traditional wedding has probably, at some point in the evening, wished things might hurry along…
For such people, a serial wedding is the answer—condensing a festive event down into a short, snappy, but still romantic experience.
The ceremonies—which will each take approximately fifteen minutes—will be held at Glerárkirkja church, on Hlíðarbraut in Akureyri.
The priests made clear that despite the conveyor belt structure of the event, nothing will be done to compromise its formality and solemnity.
Adding to the joyous atmosphere, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines will be served, and each couple will be provided with a small cake. There will also be a photo booth set up to capture the happy memories.
A legal ceremony, first and foremost
While the event certainly sounds like a novel way of tying the knot, it actually has far more importance than people might at first realise.
During the interview, the priests stressed the importance of making sure that participants have all the necessary legal paperwork in order before arrival. Marriage is, after all, the legally recognised union of two people.
“It’s the sheriff in the Westman Islands who issues all the legal paperwork,” Jóhanna pointed out. “And as things stand today, the electronic system is down, so it takes longer than it would otherwise.”
Sindri added; “I think it would be safest to get it done by Tuesday at the latest.”
Fast. Small. Intimate.
The applications received so far have come from a wide variety of people, including a couple who has been together for 35 years. On getting married in our modern era, Sindri also spoke about the changing nature of weddings as he has experienced it as a priest.
“People are starting to want it to be more low-key and intimate. The church is keeping up with that. It’s something societal. I’ve heard from people that they just went to the county clerk’s office to get married because they didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”
He continued; “Then I point out that they could have come to my office, that’s why, and we could have done it there. The size of the ceremony is always the decision of the bride and groom, even within the church.”
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