Why does someone decide to have a symbolic wedding?
In the case of foreigners, it is sometimes easier if the couple arranges the “paperwork” of the wedding, i.e. documents and an official marriage at home abroad, and then have a symbolic wedding in the Czech Republic. This saves time and costs for arranging documents for a wedding in the Czech Republic.
A symbolic wedding offers freedom in choosing the venue and time of the wedding - you can have the ceremony late in the evening or at a place where the registrar or parish priest cannot come, or at a time when civil or church weddings are usually not held in the Czech Republic (at Christmas, New Year's , public holiday, etc.). You will do the official part of the wedding (i.e. signing the legally valid wedding protocol) on a different day/time at the register, by yourself with witnesses or in your country.
The wedding speech and other aspects of the ceremony are completely flexible in the case of a symbolic ceremony.
What does a symbolic wedding ceremony look like?
Actually, the way you want it. It can be short or long, the wedding ceremony can be performed by anyone /your family member, a friend or a symbolic officiant). You can decide, for example, on a ritual ceremony or any form that is close to you.
At the same time, a symbolic wedding can look the same as an official wedding - the ceremonial arrival of the bride, music, a ceremony speech, exchange of rings. kiss, symbolic certificate signatures etc. It often happens that the wedding guests, at the couple's request, do not know that it is a symbolic wedding and that the betrothed have signed the official protocol on the register the day (or months) before.