Previous research indicated that traditional rituals, social codes, and contemporary norms strongly influence a wedding’s construction. This project aimed to understand how members from strong belief Roman Catholic communities negotiate between social influences impacting their wedding. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of eight interviews revealed how couples construct and communicate pertinent aspects of a combined self. The participants’ conception of the wedding was perceived as a representation of their ‘true’ selves and strongly informed external religious authorities. Engaging in religious practices enabled participants recreate group expectations and norms and internalize them as personal mental property. The Community’s support and acceptance of the individual stabilized and affirmed their religious-identity, causing it to be shielded from potentially conflicting out-group expectations. This allowed the individual to express their identity regardless of context. The wedding in this sense became an expression of their religious identity and reaffirmed the bond with their Roman-Catholic strong-belief group
