Comment by dctoedt
1 day ago
In the Episcopal Church (of the U.S.), and doubtless in others, my understanding has always been that wedding ceremonies are just as open to the public as any other church service. [0]
(In contrast, the reception would be a private event.)
[0] https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/celebration-and-ble...
In the UK, all legal wedding ceremonies must be public to allow objections to be raised, with notice published to a formal schedule ahead of time.
Two separate Sherlock Holmes stories have a "stranger at a public wedding ceremony" as a plot point!
My wedding was at a relatively famous shrine; I'm sure we're in a few tourists' holiday photos.
Same is true for the Catholic Church. Weddings and funerals are both open to the public if anyone in the community should wish to attend.