It was all about love and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s family as the celebrity couple got married in a nontheistic ceremony.

On Saturday, August 23, famous celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie became husband and wife in a private ceremony at a secluded chateau in southern France. The pair has been together since 2005 and have six kids (three biological and three adopted), and were engaged in 2012. Speculation regarding when the couple would finally tie the knot has been floating around for years.

Now that it has finally happened, fans get a chance to peek into the world of the two celebrities who have generally kept their personal lives out of the spotlight. Many people are curious not just about the couple but about how the ceremony itself was conducted, as Brad and Angelina are quite open about the fact that they are not religious.

Pitt has stated on multiple occasions that he practices no faith. On one occasion, he referred to himself as “probably 20 percent atheist and 80 percent agnostic.” Some time later, he told an interviewer, “Many people find religion to be very inspiring… Myself, I found it very stifling. I grew up with Christianity and I remember questioning it greatly.” Jolie has expressed similar sentiments as well.

The private ceremony between Pitt and Jolie took place at Chateau Miraval, the couple’s home in southern France. The marriage was officiated by a judge, which is common in secular wedding ceremonies, sometimes referred to as humanist weddings. Despite shedding the religious elements, however, many atheist couples still enjoy the traditional wedding celebration as a Western cultural tradition. These ceremonies may not entirely shed the religious themes at all, still taking place in a church or being officiated by a clergy member for instance, even if the couple is non-religious.

Although nontheists, Pitt and Jolie did have their wedding ceremony in a small chapel at the chateau. Many atheist couples still desire to have a somewhat traditional Christian-style wedding, although without the religious elements and traditions that are typically involved.

These weddings typically focus on the individuals getting married and their love for each other without referencing a higher power or spirit. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s wedding also heavily involved their children. Jolie was walked down the aisle by her two oldest sons, Maddox and Pax, who also baked the cake. Younger siblings Shiloh and Knox played the part of ring-bearers, and daughters Vivienne and Zahara were flower-girls. The children, along with famous fashion designer Donatella Versace, designed Jolie’s wedding dress which is now featured on the cover of People Magazine.

Resources

• Associated Press
• Religion News Service
• Atheism.About.com
• CNN
• People

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