Abstract: In cross-cultural communication, due to the differences of cultural and historical  background, there are several differences in expressions of wedding ceremony between English and Chinese. This paper aims to discuss the different expressions of wedding ceremony in English and Chinese and differences in terms of marriage media, freedom of choice of the person to marry, the status of husband and wife in the marriage and the purpose of marriage which are reflected in the differences in expressions of wedding ceremony between English and Chinese. Meanwhile, the paper explores the differences from some aspects such as religion, cultural origins and geographies.

Key Words: expressions for wedding ceremony; concept of marriage; freedom in marriage; purpose of marriage; roots of differences

摘要: 在跨文化交际中，由于文化和历史背景的不同，婚礼仪式用语也存在许多不同。本文讨论中英婚礼仪式用语的差异，以及这些差异反映的中英婚姻在婚姻的媒介、婚姻中的自由度、权利平等与否、婚姻的目的等习俗和观念方面的差异。同时，文章从宗教、文化渊源、地理环境等不同方面对探讨了形成这些差异的原因。

关键词: 婚礼仪式用语；婚姻观念；婚姻自由；婚姻目的；差异根源