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If your faith is important to you, it's silly to chafe against "archaic" rules about meeting with your spiritual leader or even attending classes before marrying, because those meetings are designed to give you some idea of what to expect in married life. Marriage was originally created with the idea of strengthening the community by joining families, so the religious community naturally expects to be a part of the wedding of its members. You may hear things that you'll take with a grain of salt, or even things you outright disagree with, but spiritual communities to provide a much-needed framework for undertaking marriage—and every bit helps! Not only that: the things that sound insane to you in pre-marital counseling sessions may sound perfectly reasonable after a few years of marriage. People change, dammit. Think of pre-marital counseling as a free service provided by the founders of your religion to you with the idea of smoothing the transition from singlehood to married life, and take advantage of the education.
If you're not big on religion, you may decide to have a Justice of the Peace marry you. There are thousands of people who are licensed to conduct legal wedding ceremonies, and you can certainly find someone who will allow you to have pretty much any wedding you choose.
If you're not getting married in the usual places (church, temple, country club), you may want to get married in an unusual place instead! How about a nearby park or beach? By a favorite river, or on a much-loved hiking trail? Depending on the level of formality, you may be able to marry for free without officials even noticing, but you should check out potential locations first by calling to ask. And don't rule out the potential contribution of friends or family members who may be blessed with rolling hillsides, flower farms, wineries or scenic backyards. Do remember if you ask to get married at someone's home, that they will incur burdens if they say yes. Offer to pay for a cleaning-crew before and after so your hosts don't have to work; work with the host or hostess to minimize damage to flower beds or household items; coordinate things like chair or tent deliveries and make sure they don't pay for anything. And remember to thank them when it's all over!
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