I go to the other extreme from the same basic principle - that a church wedding is normal. In fact, it is so normal, that my perspective is, if it's not in a church, what's the point? I have the same perspective on things like writing your own vows, and getting married by an internet minister or "just saying the words" and other such cliches favored by movies and TV. I find it extremely peculiar that people would go to such absurd extremes to satisfy a tradition in a non-traditional manner. If you are not going to follow through completely with a particular tradition, why pay lip service to it in the first place? For anything but the traditional route, what is wrong with just living together? Similarly when divorced couples remarry each other. You did it all once, you swore vows and so forth, and we all know how well that took! If they were not binding the first time, why should we expect them to be the second? Just move back in together and file the paperwork, and don't expect a fancy party/ego-trip/fishing-for-more-presents-expedition to make it work this time.