While we believe that love really can conquer all, there are certain factors that occasionally make the road to happiness a little bumpy.

Religion can be a contentious issue, especially within relationships. While interfaith marriages have become more common – in 2006 in Australia, 13% of couples didn’t share the same religion, while in the United States, 39% of couples between 2010 and 2015 were in interfaith relationships – there are still some difficulties that arise from having conflicting views.

The most common obstacle tends to be disapproving families, though it can also be difficult finding the right officiant to marry you, as well as inevitable questions that appear after marriage: Which faith do you raise your children? Which holidays should you celebrate?

We asked our Wedded Wonderland followers whether they were married to someone of a different faith and just how this has affected their lives, before and after marriage.

A Persian-Greek Wedding Crossing Cultures and Faiths

Maria

I’m a Catholic and my husband is Buddhist. Both of us are Indonesian and have Chinese blood. From the first time met, we were committed to respect each other’s faith. When we married, we did it in Catholic Holy Matrimony, and even now we still follow our faiths. It’s simple: respect each other and never ever say one religion is better than another.

Dilara

My partner is baptised but unfortunately not religious in the slightest. I am Muslim with two practising parents who pray five times a day. At first my dad asked me to leave him of course but once he cooled down he told me that he had raised me to know right from wrong and that the sin was mine however if he stood in the way of my happiness, it would be a sin on his shoulders. My father and husband now has an absolutely amazing relationship.

It made it easier that my husband is not religious in the sense there was no discussion of church or anything like that. It was a beautiful garden wedding without religion involved at all. It was the most beautiful moment of my whole life.

Nadia

Me and my husband are both Muslim, but are both different nationalities. I am half Lebanese, half Irish and born in Australia. My husband was also born in Australia and his ethnicity is Bangladeshi.

It didn’t affect our lives too much. We did wedding ceremonies for both cultures so the Bengali traditional wedding and also the Lebanese traditional wedding. Our lives are the same after our wedding. Also doing things with both cultures.

Kat

My husband is Coptic Orthodox, which means a lot of times during the year you can’t get married due to fasting – there are only a limited amount of weekends available free from all fasts. I’m Australian and Catholic and he is Egyptian Orthodox. I have now converted and all our religious affairs are Orthodox.

My son was baptised Orthodox and again we had to baptise him around the fasts and church events. I still celebrate my Easter and Christmas, but also the Orthodox Easter and Christmas as they’re on different dates.

Emma

My husband is Kurdish (Turkish) and I’m Lebanese (Orthodox).

Our story started over 9 years ago and the first 2-3 years were hell! There was a lot of crying and fighting with my parents. My parents didn’t want to accept the fact that I was dating a “Muslim” even though he wasn’t practising. We got married in June 2015 in our Church (he got baptised for me) and we had our first baby boy in December 2017. He will be circumcised and baptised.

Alexandra

I’m getting married in May to someone from a different faith. I am Catholic and he is Baptist Christian. We are having a pastor marry us and he will incorporate some of the Catholic traditions into the ceremony that way both our faiths are present on our special day!

Honestly, the impact it had leading up to our wedding was on choosing how and where the ceremony would take place. Neither of us wanted to impose our beliefs on the other so we decided to ask a close family member who is a pastor to marry us. That way, since he is family and knows both of us and has seen our relationship grow, it would be special and he will be incorporating some traditions of both faiths into the ceremony.

We both respect and understand each other’s faith and wanted a little of each belief present in our special day.

Natali

I’m a Catholic and my husband doesn’t believe in religion. I’m not that fond of religion either but still I have faith, so we met halfway and decided for a spiritual ceremony that involves a little bit of my beliefs. But it wasn’t a Catholic ceremony or in a church. It think it’s about finding a balance and doing something that makes both people really happy and comfortable.

Our different beliefs haven’t affected us at all, neither have they affected our future plans. It’s all about finding a balance. He knows my beliefs are stronger and a very important part of my life so if I ever feel like getting him into traditions of my religion he would never complain and would respect it. It’s more about me not wanting to force someone to believe in something if they are uncomfortable.

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A Persian-Greek Wedding Crossing Cultures and Faiths

Cover image by Aga Tomaszek