Dreaming about marrying a stranger may feel odd or even amusing, but it can also feel uncomfortable or confusing – and you are likely to wake up wondering what this dream meant.
To help, in this post, we talk about how to interpret dreams about marrying a stranger so you can decipher what this dream means to you.
Dreams about Marrying a Stranger – How to interpret dreams
Before we start talking about dreaming about marrying a stranger, let’s start by taking a step back and thinking about how to interpret dreams in general.
When we try to understand the meaning of any dream, it’s important to realize that dreaming is an extremely personal and subjective experience, and the interpretation of a dream depends as much on the dreamer as it does on the content of a dream.
For example, for someone who wants to get married, dreaming about a wedding would usually be a positive sign. However, the same dream for someone who has no intention of getting married would have a vastly different interpretation.
This means that when we try to understand our dreams, we need to think carefully about what we saw and what we experienced in the dream but also about how we felt during the dream and how we feel about the various elements of the dream.
After that, we then need to take what happened in the dream and apply it to what we are currently experiencing in our lives.
Ask yourself questions about how the dream is connected to your life. What difficulties are you currently facing? What are your stresses and anxieties? What answers are you seeking that the dream could provide?
Then, by placing the dream in a wider context, through deep thought and reflection – and allowing your intuition to guide you – you will find you are led to the correct interpretation of the dream.
The symbolism of marriage and marrying a stranger
Next, we need to think about the symbolism of a dream about marrying a stranger and what it could mean to various people.
First of all, marriage is usually a happy occasion, and if you feel happy during the dream, it can be taken as a positive sign.
However, marrying someone you don’t know is likely to make you feel anxious or afraid, in which case, the dream might be more negative.
Marriage is about commitment, so the symbolism of the dream could represent commitment, whether to a person or something else. And the fact that the person you are marrying is a stranger could represent a certain element of risk.
On the other hand, to some people marriage could represent the loss of freedom, and if this is your feeling about marriage, you should explore this kind of symbolism instead.
Finally, marriage often involves huge changes in the lives of both partners, so the symbolism could be that of change – or alternatively, the symbolism could also be about beginning a great new adventure.
How can you interpret a dream about marrying a stranger?
Now we’ve thought about some of the things marriage can symbolize to different people, we can move on to thinking about some specific interpretations of a dream about marrying a stranger. Here are some possibilities:
1. Not happy in your current relationship
If you are married or in a relationship and you dream about marrying a stranger, one of the simplest explanations for the dream is that you are somehow unsatisfied with your relationship or you feel something is missing from it.
It could be that you and your partner are having trouble communicating, or it could be that you no longer feel as happy with your partner as you once did.
Perhaps with time, your relationship has grown stale – or it could be that it is lacking the passion it had at the beginning.
Spend time considering whether any of these could be true since even if we are unaware of these kinds of problems in our waking lives, sometimes they can begin to surface through our subconscious minds in dreams.
If you think this is the cause of the dream, you should try talking to your partner to see if you can find ways to improve your relationship and rekindle your lost flame.
2. You want to get married
If you are single – or perhaps if you are in a relationship but unmarried – this dream could be a message from your subconscious that you feel ready for marriage.
If you are already in a relationship, your mind could be telling you that you want to take the next step – although the fact that you are marrying a stranger in the dream makes this interpretation less likely.
However, if you are single, marrying a stranger could indicate your desire to find love, settle down and start a family.
3. A desire for more commitment from your partner
If you dream about marrying a stranger while you are in a relationship, another possibility is that it represents a desire for more commitment from your partner.
Perhaps you have realized that you have serious feelings for your boyfriend or girlfriend, but you also feel that they don’t see your relationship in quite the same light.
As a result, this dream could be a manifestation of your insecurities and the need for your partner to show they are more committed to you.
4. You are in the wrong relationship
For someone who is already in a relationship, an alternative and quite plausible interpretation of dreaming about marrying a stranger is that the person you are with is not the right one for you.
It could be that deep down, you know this is true, but sometimes it’s hard to find the courage to end things and move on.
What you should do about this dream is a very difficult question to answer, but if you had this dream, your subconscious mind is undoubtedly trying to tell you something.
This means you should spend time in reflection and deep thought, being as honest with yourself as possible. Sometimes in life, we have to face difficult decisions, but when we make them, things can turn out much better afterwards.
This dream doesn’t always mean you should end your relationship and leave your partner, but it could be an indication that you need to take some time to think things over – and then make the decision you feel is right for you.
5. Lack of control of events in your life
Marrying a stranger in a dream might have a symbolic meaning rather than being anything to do with marriage, and one possibility is that it represents a lack of control over the events in your life.
Marrying someone you don’t know would inevitably change your life in many ways, and it would probably be difficult for you to do anything about it.
The same may be true in other areas of your life too. What major events are currently unfolding in your life? Are you in full control of them or are things happening to you that are beyond your control?
Search within yourself and see if there are areas of your life you would rather be more in control of, and if you realize this is something that is bothering you or causing you anxiety, you should see what steps you can take to improve the situation.
6. Being bossed about in life
A similar interpretation is that you feel you are being bossed about in your life and that other people are taking decisions for you that you should really be taking for yourself.
If you were forced to marry a stranger, this would be very much how you would feel – and this dream could also represent similar feelings about other areas of your life.
Are your parents controlling your life too much and not letting you decide what you want to do for yourself? Perhaps they are forcing you into studies that don’t interest you or they are pressurizing you into a career you won’t enjoy.
Similarly, perhaps your partner is controlling your life too closely, monitoring what you wear or where you go.
In situations like these, it is important that you stand up and assert yourself – because otherwise, people will continue to push you around and you won’t be able to do the things that make you truly happy.
7. Being forced to do something against your will
It’s easy to see how a dream about marrying a stranger could represent somebody forcing you to do something against your will, and this is another possible interpretation of this dream.
Maybe you are aware that somebody is forcing you to do something or maybe you aren’t – but if you are having this dream, it means that it’s important for you and is playing on your mind.
As a result, you should consider the various things that are happening in your life at the moment, and if you realize someone is pressuring you to do something against your will, you should take a step back and consider whether you should really do it – or if you should refuse.
8. A new phase of your life is about to start
A dream about marrying someone doesn’t have to be negative, and many positive interpretations are possible too.
One way to interpret this dream is that the marriage represents a new phase in your life, and the fact that you are marrying a stranger represents the mysterious or unpredictable nature of what’s about to happen.
It could be that you’re about to start a new job but don’t know exactly what to expect – or perhaps you are moving to a new area, and you have no idea about all the new people you’re going to meet and the new friends you’re going to make.
You may feel a little trepidation about the new phase in your life, but it’s also an exciting new opportunity, so you should seize it with both hands.
9. A desire for freshness and adventure in your life
Perhaps you aren’t about to embark on a new phase in your life, but that’s exactly what your subconscious is craving.
Your mind could be telling you that your life has grown stale and dull – and that you need to look out for new opportunities to freshen things up and make your life exciting again.
Different situations that can affect the interpretation
As we mentioned above, you need to pay attention to the specific elements of the dream, including how you felt about the dream and the details of the situation you experienced.
Here are a few common variations of dreaming about marrying a stranger that may affect how you interpret the dream:
10. Marrying an older stranger
If you dream about marrying an older stranger, it may represent a desire for more stability in your relationship – or in your life in general.
11. Marrying a younger stranger
Conversely, marrying a younger stranger may represent a yearning for more spontaneity in your relationship or in your life.
12. Marrying a stranger when already in a relationship
If you are in a relationship in real life but dream about marrying a stranger, it could mean something is wrong with your relationship and that you want more – or the same could be applied to your life in general.
13. Marrying a stranger when single
Dreaming about marrying a stranger if you are single could show that you are feeling lonely and are looking for love.
14. Feeling anxious when marrying a stranger
If you marry a stranger in your dream and feel anxious about it, the dream could show that there is something new in your life that you are worried about starting.
15. Marrying a stranger in an arranged marriage
An arranged marriage in a dream can show that you are not in control of events in your life and that other people are dictating them for you.
Follow your intuition to interpret this dream
Dreaming about marrying a stranger can have several meanings, and to find out which one is relevant to you, you should consider all the elements in the dream and try to understand how they relate to your current life.
Then, through meditation and deep thought – and by following your intuition – you should be able to work out just what message this dream is trying to convey to you.