From the Atlantic–marriage adapts to changing norms:
These individualized wedding rituals come along with a collective shrugging off of certain traditions, including religious ceremonies. The number of American adults not affiliating with any religion is on the rise, and young adults are less likely to attend church than older adults (though most Americans still believe in some kind of higher power, if not in the context of a formal religion).
When I got married, we hired a priest who left the Roman Catholic Church but essentially presented himself as “Father Chris.” He wore the kit and read scripture, but he wasn’t a priest. It was a novel way to solve the problem: a nod towards respecting the old ways but knowing inside that I wasn’t religious anymore myself. It’s fascinating to see our culture adapt without throwing in the towel on such norms, customs, and institutions.