History Main / MetaphoricalMarriage

* ''Theatre/WestSideStory'': Tony and Maria play-act a wedding in the backroom of the bridal shop where she works. This mirrors the scene in its source material ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', where the titular characters actually do get married.

* Lorem and [[spoiler:Zeke's]] FallingInLoveMontage in ''Manga/MusukoGaKawaikuteShikataganaiMazokuNoHahaoya'' includes a scene of him giving her a wedding ring (which she visibly wears for the entire run of the series, and she does refer to him as her husband for the few people who are in the know, but since they're keeping their relationship a secret [[spoiler:to protect their son]] there's obviously no official record of them being together. [[spoiler:While they never do have a "proper" wedding ceremony, one chapter at the tail end of the series after they're able to live together again does have them take wedding photos and they presumably sign a marriage certificate off screen.]]

* The ''Series/Merlin2008'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8458598/1/Dragonfasting Dragonfasting]]" reveals that most Dragonlords marry their chosen spouses in a dragonfasting, an ancient rite that requires a dragon to be present when the Dragonlord marries their chosen partner. When Hunith comes to Camelot and learns that Merlin has been bonded to Morgana in a dragonfasting, she reveals that Balinor told her about dragonfasting but they were never able to perform the rite themselves as there were no dragons available, although Merlin assures his mother that after his meeting with Balinor he's certain his father considered Hunith his wife even if they couldn't bond that way.

* In VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry, George and especially Shannon seem to consider Shannon accepting George's proposal (which was done privately in a gazebo on the Ushiromiyas' main estate) as good as an actual wedding. In George's case, it seems he mostly sees the wedding as just a formality of the underlying promise to each other. Shannon's reason [[spoiler:is far darker. She is terrified of admitting to George that because of an injury she suffered as a baby, she is at a minimum infertile and was likely born the opposite gender she identifies as. She also, in dealing with past heartbreaks, is either dating or in love with two of George's cousins, though not necessarily in the same guise. She ultimately wants someone to accept her as she is so she can devote herself to them, but fearing that no one will, she considers the proposal with George to be the wedding because she can't bear to have the actual wedding take place and let destiny fall where it will. Largely for this reason, after the proposal, she tries to conduct a MurderSuicide on the entire Ushiromiya family.]]

* In ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', Peeta describes to the citizens of the Capitol how he and Katniss have already tied the knot, opting for a simple home ceremony of 'toasting'. During the toasting, the couple makes their first fire together and share toast over it as they don't want to wait for the big Capitol wedding. He openly states it wasn't an official ceremony as there was no paperwork, but Katniss notes the ceremony's symbolic value, as "no one really feels married in District 12 until after the toasting". [[spoiler:Peeta's lying though because they never had any ceremony.]]

* The ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3004123/1/Dark-Legacy Dark Legacy]]" features Zorpox managing to trick Global Justice into bringing him back. He is later able to use another Attitudinator to turn Kim into her evil side (who adopts the name ‘Sheela of the Leopard People’), and the two subsequently have a wedding with Drakken as the officiator and Shego and Monkey Fist as the bridesmaid and best man (Zorpox having captured all three before the confrontation with Kim). Obviously the marriage would be completely symbolic as Drakken is unlikely to have the authority to perform weddings and Sheela and Zorpox aren’t using their legal names, [[spoiler:and it’s ultimately revealed that Kim faked the morality switch so that she could get close to Ron and turn him back to normal, hitting him with it before they can exchange ‘I dos’]].

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': Near the end of the series premiere, Lestat de Lioncourt turns Louis de Pointe du Lac into a vampire, so now they're forever linked together through a vampire bond. Their RelationshipUpgrade scene plays out like a macabre wedding. They're on the altar steps of a church with two (dead) priests present (including Father Matthias, who officiated Grace's wedding). Lestat proposes to Louis with "Be my companion, Louis. Be all the beautiful things you are, and be them without apology. For all eternity." Louis accepts and kisses Lestat. They then exchange blood in lieu of vows and rings. [[ForbiddenLove As much as two men can be in 1910]], Lestat and Louis consider themselves to be married. They later go to Lestat's townhouse (which is now also Louis' home, much like how TheEdwardianEra bride moves into the groom's residence after they tie the knot) to consummate their union, with Lestat holding Louis in his arms in a BridalCarry as he walks up the stairs.

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime:'' Aes Sedai (the female wizards of the setting) often magically bond a warder -- a big strong swordsman to watch their back. ''Officially'', the relationship is supposed to stay professional, but in practice, the empathic link created by the bond tends to lead to emotional intimacy, and they are expected to stay together until death do they part. Becoming sexually intimate or flat-out marrying for real is officially frowned upon, but not exactly uncommon (especially in the [[MilitaryMage Green Ajah]]). It's not a real marriage, but many end up acting like husband and wife, and young Aes Sendai have lots of romantic notions about it. Some of them ''do'' get legally married, although they tend to keep it on the down-low since strictly speaking it's against the White Tower's rules.

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'': When Siuan forces Moiraine to make an oath upon the Oath Rod that will bind her against returning to the White Tower, Moiraine rephrases the oath in such a way that it sounds like a wedding vow instead, though the core of the instruction remains intact. [[spoiler:This is reflective of their long-term clandestine relationship.]]

ForbiddenLove and its subtropes and related concepts may be the reason the lovers can't be together openly. Compare/contrast with MyOwnPrivateIDo, which is a trope about intimate but '''legal''' weddings. See also GrandRomanticGesture, TheyDo and RealFakeWedding, and GRatedSex, where two characters share intimacy in a family-friendly work.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': Near the end of the series premiere, Lestat de Lioncourt turns Louis de Pointe du Lac into a vampire, so now they're forever linked together through a vampire bond. Their RelationshipUpgrade scene plays out like a macabre wedding. They're on the altar steps of a church with two (dead) priests present (including Father Matthias, who officiated Grace's wedding). Lestat proposes to Louis with "Be my companion, Louis. Be all the beautiful things you are, and be them without apology. For all eternity." Louis accepts and kisses Lestat. They then exchange blood in lieu of vows and rings. As much as two men can be in 1910, Lestat and Louis consider themselves to be married. They later go to Lestat's townhouse (which is now also Louis' home) to consummate their union, with Lestat holding Louis in his arms in a BridalCarry as he walks up the stairs.

* In ''Film/TheNormalHeart'': Given that [[spoiler: Felix]] was dying of AIDS and he requests that [[spoiler: Ned]] be the executor of his will, he decides to marry [[spoiler: Ned]] with Ben and Emma as their witnesses with the latter also officiating their commitment ceremony although gay marriage wasn't legal or a possible option in the 1980s, where the movie and play are both set.

* In ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', Peeta describes to the citizens of the Capitol how he and Katniss have already tied the knot, opting for a simple home ceremony of 'toasting'. During the toasting, the couple makes their first fire together and share toast over it as they don't want to wait for the big Capitol wedding. He openly states it wasn't an official ceremony as there was no paperwork, but Katniss notes the ceremony's symbolic value, as "no one really feels married in District 12 until after the toasting". [[spoiler: Peeta's lying though because they never had any ceremony.]]

--> '''Shannon''': George-san and I swore our love to each other. As proof, I accepted the ring... With that, our eternal vows were completed! No matter how you torture us with your wicked magic and your malice, you cannot disgrace that for all eternity!

* In ''WebVideo/TheAutobiographyOfJaneEyre'', Ed Rochester wants to be with Jane forever and persuades her to have a symbolic wedding, with white dress and reception and all that stuff. Jane is thrown off balance a bit that he didn't ask her to marry for real, but she agrees to go through with it. Just before the ceremony, Jane finds out he's already married. [[spoiler: His wife has serious mental issues and he doesn't want to (or can't) get divorced. Jane decides to leave him although it breaks her heart. She is able to empathize with him to a degree though.]]

* a heterosexual couple can have a commitment ceremony if they can’t get married legally due to repercussions that would ensue (Losing an inheritance or benefits if they were to marry) but would marry under other circumstances.
* a heterosexual couple can also have a commitment ceremony if they want to pledge their love before those they care for but feel that they “don’t need a piece of paper.”

It's worth noting that in RealLife in some countries, the couple might be considered ''de facto'' married in ''some'' of these cases. It's usually referred to as CommonLawMarriage.[[note]] Also known as informal marriage, marriage by habit and repute or marriage in fact. A couple is legally considered married without them having formally registered their relation if the following requirements are met: they live together, both partners could freely consent to marriage, they must be of legal age or have parental consent, and neither can be currently married.[[/note]]

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime:'' Aes Sedai (the female wizards of the setting) often magically bond a warder -- a big strong swordsman to watch their back. ''Officially'', the relationship is supposed to stay professional, but in practice, the empathic link created by the bond tends to lead to emotional intimacy, and they are expected to stay together until death do they part. Becoming sexually intimate or flat-out marrying for real is officially frowned upon, but not exactly uncommon. It's not a real marriage, but many end up acting like husband and wife, and young Aes Sendai have lots of romantic notions about it. Some of them ''do'' get legally married, although they tend to keep it on the down-low since strictly speaking it's against the White Tower's rules.