| dc.description.abstract | In almost every culture throughout the world, marriage is major milestone. Marriage ceremonies vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to: religious affiliation, geographical region, personal preferences, and cultural traditions. This study focuses on Harris County, Texas, home of the fourth largest city in the United States: Houston. Specifically, this study explores the most densely populated religious groups in Harris County, which include the Catholic, Protestant Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Jewish, and Hindu faiths for the reason of analyzing the marriage traditions associated with the religious affiliation. The study also describes the different traditions included within civil ceremonies, those with no religious affiliation, and traditions that are widely practiced. The origins of all these traditions and their evolution are also reviewed. Wedding professionals in the Houston area would greatly benefit from understanding the basic customs of the different groups in order to offer more comprehensive and thorough services. The study resulted in the creation of sample mood boards for each religious wedding type to demonstrate the use and application of the study for wedding professionals, specifically wedding planners, who will be involved in the planning and execution of similar ceremonies. | en_US |
