How Do You Do a Wedding Sequel?

What Goes Into Making One, Though?

The idea of a "sequel wedding" is not novel. As a matter of fact, it's a reference to the already-established cultural and religious custom of a couple conducting many ceremonies.

Celebrities like Sophie Turner, Joe Jonas, Justin Bieber, and Hailey Baldwin have also been known to throw elaborate after-wedding parties.

In contrast, couples that want to create more genuine moments of celebration with their loved ones will make sequel weddings the norm in 2020 and beyond.

The celebration and bonding that occurs during a wedding is not something we will want to limit to a single day, especially after months of not seeing one other in person.

Rather, a sequel wedding will be a combination of a small ceremony followed by a quick photo session, or an elopement, and a large party. Let Cosmopolitan events Wedding Venue help you create the most magical day of your life.

Here's what you need to know about throwing a sequel wedding.

What Is a Sequel Wedding?

One can have numerous ceremonies in one wedding if there is a sequel. Even if you haven't heard of them, you may be sure that they are already very common.

The opportunity to have a small, private wedding or elope with only those closest to you is a major draw of the second wedding for many. Some people long to tie the knot, but they aren't sure if they can afford a large celebration just yet.

Numerous couples opt for a small, private ceremony followed by a massive party with all their friends and family.

In the first case, the couple is legally recognised as husband and wife or partners in a civil union after the signing of the necessary paperwork.

More people attend the second wedding because of the larger scale. Typically, the couple would invite a much larger group of friends and relatives to their celebration.

They may have a lavish celebration following a symbolic wedding ceremony presided over by a celebrant.

To put it simply, a sequel wedding is a multi-part event where the bride and groom celebrate in more than one ceremony.

The first ceremony is usually small and only includes immediate family members and close friends. The second ceremony, on the other hand, has a significantly larger guest list and is followed by a lavish celebration.

There are a variety of reasons for this, but one common scenario is to have a short ceremony at a church or registry office followed by a much larger celebration at your prefered site on a subsequent day.

With the Coronavirus epidemic behind us, we can witness an upward trend. Couples are increasingly opting to celebrate their nuptials with a smaller ceremony like a minimony, micro-wedding, or elopement on the actual wedding day or sometime later this year, followed by a much larger "sequel wedding" in the year 2021.

Confused about the differences between a minimony, micro-wedding, and elopement? For a quick review, here it is.

Minimony

Rather than waiting until the new date comes around, many couples opt to have a "minimony," or "mini wedding," on the original wedding date.

Your legal ceremony (or celebrant-led commitment ceremony) will take place in the presence of close friends and family members, either physically or virtually.

You have your first dance, hire your photographer for a few hours, exchange your vows, and cut a small version of your wedding cake on the original date.

Your wedding will be considered a minimony because of the limited number of guests you are inviting. Those who were left off the first guest list will be invited to a subsequent celebration where larger groups might gather.

There, you will have your second wedding ceremony and reception, however this time your vows will not be legally binding.

Micro Wedding 

In the wedding world, a "micro wedding" is defined as one with less than 20 guests. Unlike a minimony, you always planned on inviting a small number of people.

Most of the time, the newlyweds who opt for a "micro wedding" don't even have a reception scheduled for after the ceremony because they want to keep the day as private and special as possible for themselves and their loved ones.

It seems that after a period of lockdown, many families feel compelled to throw a lavish party in honour of the return of their loved ones.

They're skipping the ceremony in favour of a "sequel reception," which will be more of a party than a second wedding day (perhaps held in a pub or restaurant).

Elopement

An elopement often consists of the bride and groom, together with one or two witnesses, leaving on a trip to get married discreetly.

The relatives of many eloping couples are often unaware. Yet, there may be an uptick in the number of couples who only invite close relatives and friends (no more than ten) to their wedding, delaying the announcement of the happy news until after the fact.

After the ceremony, guests are invited to a party-style reception, where the happy couple can either surprise their guests with the news that they're now husband and wife, or let them in on the secret in advance.

By having a "sequel wedding," a couple can get legally married now and save the big party for when it's safe for everyone to gather.

As a result, couples can continue to enjoy the happy occasion right now while also planning for the future.

A lot of our couples are surprised by how much they like the small, private ceremony and are thankful for the variety of ways they can commemorate their union.

The Benefits of a Second Nuptial Ceremony.

To begin, we are less inclined to have lavish wedding celebrations when coronavirus season rolls around. This is due to the fact that wedding ceremonies and celebrations are restricted due to social distance limits.

In the event of a coronavirus pandemic, for example, a couple can be married today and wait to celebrate until the pandemic has passed.

And What Happens When There Isn't a Pandemic?

One-day celebrations are becoming less and less common, and many couples are opting for a second wedding instead. I'll list a handful of them below:

Second Marriages 

For their second wedding, many couples choose for a modest, personal civil ceremony at a registry office, but they still throw a big party for all their friends and family.

Destination Weddings

Many people consider a destination wedding to be their "true" wedding, but there are valid reasons to get married in Australia first, and you may still want to do something to commemorate the event.

You may also want a local celebration even if your destination wedding serves as your official wedding.

Family and Friends

Perhaps a dear friend or family member is too ill or too old to make the trip to be there for the big events in your life.

The demands of these special people who you wish to share your wedding day with can be met by planning a second ceremony.

Interfaith Relationships

Love can happen between people of different faiths. A more thoughtful approach would be to hold separate ceremonies, one for each denomination, for couples who practise different religions.

With a second ceremony, all faiths can be honoured and celebrated. Some couples opt to achieve this by conducting the legally binding wedding at a registry office and then celebrating with a symbolic ceremony lead by an independent celebrant who can make sure both religions are represented.

Visas

In order to meet the requirements for their visa, many couples who want to join their partner in another nation will have a formal ceremony.

They'll want to host a big party to honour this momentous occasion in their lives together before planning a huge wedding for all their friends and family.

Perhaps these happenings are spread out over the globe, making it impossible to have everyone in attendance at the same time.

Your Parents Don't Share Your Vision.

It's possible that your loved ones might like to help foot the bill for your wedding, but their prefered guest list size or level of formality may not mesh with your own.

In that scenario, they can be satisfied with a smaller day organised according to your subject and another day planned according to their preferences.

Just Because You Want To!

Perhaps your dream wedding is just a bit out of the ordinary! It's possible that you and your significant other would enjoy making a joint, meaningful strategy.

A sequel wedding allows you to have the wedding of your dreams regardless of your current condition.

For their nuptials in 2020 and beyond, many couples are opting for a nontraditional "more is more" approach.

They are each having a full-fledged wedding ceremony, but the number of invited guests to each is different.

As a result of the Coronavirus epidemic, 1) many couples have been separated from their loved ones, and 2) those couples would like to have a party to celebrate being reunited with their loved ones, but they don't want to put their guests at risk by planning a huge gathering at this time.

That's why having a wedding in the sequel is a great idea, and here's why it might be good for you:

Do you want your grandparents or other vulnerable family members to witness your wedding vows? By holding a minimony, you can spend the day together without worrying about them having to interact with anyone outside of their usual circle of friends.

You'll have a wonderful time remembering the occasion with them, and you won't have to worry about their safety as you would at a larger gathering.

Since many couples are moving their weddings to 2021, there is a good chance that the location or vendors you choose may already be booked.

A little wedding today, followed by a larger one when your ideal wedding party is free is possible with a "sequel wedding."

On the other hand, they might be able to accommodate a small weekday wedding, after which you and your spouse-to-be might select a different location and different vendors for the reception.

With more time on your hands, you'll be able to spend more quality time with the people that matter to you.

After being apart for such a long time, the fact that two weddings means the maximum opportunity to dance, laugh, and hug your loved ones might be enough.

You probably don't want to cancel your wedding if it's set for a very meaningful day, like your anniversary.

This calls for commemorating the event with a minimony. Even though it won't be the date of your large reception, that day will still hold a special significance as your wedding anniversary. (Just so you know, you can use this as an alibi for celebrating your anniversary twice!)

Stumped for a central focus? You can host two completely different parties, each with its own distinct vibe and style thanks to the use of a fresh set of vendors, a different set of attire (if desired), and a new venue.

You might not have a say in the matter if you're keen to tie the knot right away. The government may set a maximum visitor cap of ranging from five to fifty. As a result, you might have a minimony in 2020, followed by a huge celebration in 2021, whether or not you planned it that way.

The important thing to remember is that you don't have to choose between having a large wedding and a small, personal one at a sequel wedding; you can have both! Looking for the best Wedding Photographer in Melbourne? Check out our ultimate list here.

More than that, it's a risk-free method of commemorating with loved ones, whose wellbeing is, at present, our first priority.

The Art of Planning a Second Wedding

You're probably in the clear if you've already hired a wedding coordinator and other providers.

The vast majority of wedding planners would gladly accept a wire transfer of deposits for the purpose of using the funds for a micro wedding or a subsequent wedding.

Connect With Your Vendors

To avoid losing any deposits, you should contact all of your booked vendors and enquire about their delay policies as soon as possible.

Then, you can prioritise which of the reserved services will be used for the first ceremony and which will be held in reserve for the second.

Vendors are more likely to be flexible with how you spend your money and offer better rates for the smaller event if you use them for both occasions.

Create Guest Lists for Each Event

It is important to make a firm decision on whether or not to invite the same people to both your first wedding and your subsequent wedding.

Make sure your immediate families are comfortable with the breakdown of each guest list, as families can become highly sensitive when invited to multiple parties.

Notify Your Guests

Your guests need to be informed of the adjustments, including the larger guest list for the second wedding and the smaller guest list allocated for the smaller ceremony, once you have finalised all of the vendor components.

This is true in general, but it's especially important now: guests like it when you're up up with them about your goals, expectations, and methods of communication.

Send out invitations to the original, smaller event to the intimate guest list individually, and use the wedding website to quickly interact with the wider audience.

Consider How You Want Your Sequel Wedding to Differ

It can be good to set your second wedding apart from the first when making plans.

Make sure you know if your religious ceremony will also serve as your legal marriage or if there are other steps you need to do.

The officiants you choose should have input on how to make each ceremony special in its own manner, she says.

Plan your two ceremonies separately, taking into account the things that mean the most to each of you.

Keep the emotional, teary vows for the little ceremony with your loved ones and postpone the huge dance celebration till the second wedding when you can invite more people.

It's possible that you and the happy couple decided to have a shorter ceremony at your second wedding so that everyone could get to the celebration sooner.

Commit to the Idea 

It's natural to feel nervous or uncertain about the idea of a sequel wedding if you've already gone through the stress of planning your first wedding and made changes to it.

Many of your married friends and family members probably didn't face any of the challenges you have, and that's disheartening!

Yet, once the notion of a second wedding has been conceived, planners say it's ideal for the couple to stick to it.

Find a wedding option from the sequel that makes you happy, and go with it!

Even though this isn't the conventional order of events you've been seeing in your head, it extends the party and allows for additional individual touches.

The Do's and Don'ts of Planning a Reunion Wedding

Budget for Two Weddings

The total expense of two weddings will exceed that of a single ceremony. Don't put unnecessary strain on yourself by overspending.

Leaving a sizable gap between the two may be the most practical solution, since it will offer you a few extra months in which to save money. You can save money on both of these things by.

One of your nuptial celebrations is likely to be more formal than the other.

A tiny legal ceremony in a church will be official, but an outdoor ceremony in your backyard will be informal; a lavish reception in a stately home will be formal, but in a pub, it will be more of a party.

To get the most bang for your buck, have a low-key second wedding.

If you'd rather not break the bank until your big day, have your minimony in a public place like a park or your parents' backyard, or in a private dining room at a restaurant after your registrar office ceremony.

See if the same photographer will discount their services for both events.

With such short notice and the likelihood of having the wedding during the off-season or on a weekday, you may be able to negotiate a lower rate with the photographer.

Saving money can be as simple as reusing an existing outfit from one of the occasions. Minimalism is all the rage, so if you want to stand out for your second nuptials, consider borrowing a dress from a loved one or shopping online for a cheap party dress.

Instead of the usual sit-down meal, try something different like food trucks, afternoon tea, or a picnic.

Reduce your yearly alcohol spending. In other words, you should only have an open bar at one of the events if you really want one.

If you're hosting a minimony at your house, it makes sense to stock up on champagne and wine in quantity from the grocery store rather than use the portable bar.

Use a Spotify playlist for your first dance at your intimate wedding and hire a band or DJ for the rest of the night.

On the other hand, if you have access to a large venue with a high-quality sound system, a Spotify playlist will do just fine, and your music-savvy friend can do this for you at no cost.

Determine the top two or three spending categories for each event, and then allocate funds accordingly. The first event, for instance, may feature a beautiful live band and many flowers, while the second may feature amazing Michelin-starred restaurant meals for your 15 minimony guests.

If you save up for those first, you'll have more flexibility to pay for the other weddings.

Plan Your Guest Lists

We recommend having no more than 30 guests for a minimony, but no more than 10.

If it becomes too major, you risk losing the sense of closeness and quality time you had hoped to enjoy together. Minimize your wedding costs by inviting just close relatives and friends, and save the rest for the reception.

If you have to be harsh, just remember that everyone will eventually get an invitation, they simply won't get one to the first party.

It's possible that no one will be able to attend both ceremonies if they're being held for distinct religious or cultural reasons. Think about what would make your guests the most at ease.

In case you didn't know, you should invite the minimony attendees to both parties, but stress that they are under no need to attend either one.

Both days will be significant, but you're grateful that they chose to celebrate one with you.

Decide on Your Aesthetic

To each their own, I imagine you'd like to see something different at each of the weddings.

For a minimony, we recommend a casual, romantic garden party with a family-style dinner party meal, complete with rustic decorations like wildflowers, large serving platters, and a homemade cake.

The second wedding may take place in a trendy hotel, where guests can dance until the wee hours before retiring to their rooms, lending itself to a cool, modern aesthetic with hints of personalisation, refined floral arrangements, and bold geometric patterns.

More and more engaged couples are looking to Instagram for inspiration while planning their nuptials, but they prefer to keep some details private.

It's possible that your first wedding vows are too personal and sacred to be spoken aloud, but your second vows might fill that void.

Inform Guests There'll Be Two Weddings.

Be honest about your financial situation unless you're planning a surprise elopement.

Explain in an email and a note on your wedding website that you and your future spouse are concerned about the well-being of your guests and will be holding an intimate ceremony with only individuals in your immediate social circle.

You plan to have a bigger celebration at some point, and you can't wait to invite everyone you know.

You must think about the cost of your wedding guests! Do not expect your attendants to pay for two hotel rooms or two sets of attire if they are not able to.

Since your siblings are likely to be your maid of honour and best man, respectively, and your other friends and family will get their turn as bridesmaids and groomsmen at the second ceremony, you may choose to keep your wedding party small.

Create a One-of-a-Kind Day Every Day

We don't want your guests to feel like they're attending a second, less important wedding because of this.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not. The best way to achieve this is to spend money on one-of-a-kind decorations for each wedding.

It's foolish, sure, because you know that both days are equally significant, but everyone has that one relative who might take an invitation to the'second' day personally.

Have your second wedding's date printed on everything from signs and favours to cake toppers and service orders. Do something different with your outfit or add something old, new, borrowed, and blue to your current ensemble. Check out our Top Wedding Planners here to help make your special day as smooth as possible.

Do something different and memorable on one of the dates, whether it's choreographing your first dance or riding a tandem bike down the aisle. It will feel more like its own unique day if you give it a fresh style and fill it with lots of personalised features.

Conclusion

Sequels have been growing in popularity, and they're only likely to rise in 2021 and 2022 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. A sequel wedding combines elements of an elopement or a tiny ceremony with a larger reception. The bride and groom may choose to have multiple receptions and ceremonies to commemorate their union. In most cases, only very close relatives and friends are invited to the first ceremony. The guest list for the second ceremony is much longer and further celebratory events will follow.

Instead, many modern-day couples are choosing to have a second ceremony. They have opted to have a "sequel reception," which is more of a party atmosphere, instead of a traditional ceremony. Most times, the bride and groom will take out on a journey with just one or two witnesses in order to secretly tie the knot somewhere new. No matter what your health is like right now, you can still have the wedding of your dreams with a sequel ceremony. Some couples planning weddings for 2020 and beyond are taking an unorthodox "more is more" approach.

It's a wonderful idea to do something different for your second wedding. Having two weddings will be more expensive than just one. Individually consider what is most important to each of you as you prepare for your wedding day. It's likely that you and the bride and groom, being married for the second time, chose to cut the ceremony short. Rather than relying on the mobile bar, it is more cost-effective to stock up on champagne and wine in advance of a minimony at your home.

Minimalism is fashionable, so borrow a dress from a friend or look for a bargain at an internet store if you need a dress for a party. Wedding bells will be ringing twice this year. Send an email to visitors and post a notice on your wedding website explaining your and your fiance's worry for the safety of your guests. Instagram has become a popular source of ideas for newly engaged couples as they prepare for their wedding. On one of the dates, do something unique and unforgettable, like learning to dance together or riding a tandem bike down the aisle. Give it a new look and fill it with lots of personalised details, and it will feel more like its own special day.

Content Summary

• The coronavirus pandemic of 2021 and 2022 is expected to increase the popularity of sequel weddings, which have been popular for some time.
• Coronavirus pandemic during the past year has altered the traditional wedding scene.
• To put it simply, a sequel wedding is a multi-part event where the bride and groom celebrate in more than one ceremony.
• Couples are increasingly opting to celebrate their nuptials with a smaller ceremony like a minimony, micro-wedding, or elopement on the actual wedding day or sometime later this year, followed by a much larger "sequel wedding" in the year 2021.
• Rather than waiting until the new date comes around, many couples opt to have a "minimony," or "mini wedding," on the original wedding date.
• They're skipping the ceremony in favour of a "sequel reception," which will be more of a party than a second wedding day (perhaps held in a pub or restaurant).
• An elopement often consists of the bride and groom, together with one or two witnesses, leaving on a trip to get married discreetly.
• By having a "sequel wedding," a couple can get legally married now and save the big party for when it's safe for everyone to gather.
• One-day celebrations are becoming less and less common, and many couples are opting for a second wedding instead.
• Many people consider a destination wedding to be their "true" wedding, but there are valid reasons to get married in Australia first, and you may still want to do something to commemorate the event.
• The demands of these special people who you wish to share your wedding day with can be met by planning a second ceremony.
• With a second ceremony, all faiths can be honoured and celebrated.
• Do you want your grandparents or other vulnerable family members to witness your wedding vows?
• It is important to make a firm decision on whether or not to invite the same people to both your first wedding and your subsequent wedding.
• It's natural to feel nervous or uncertain about the idea of a sequel wedding if you've already gone through the stress of planning your first wedding and made changes to it.
• One of your nuptial celebrations is likely to be more formal than the other.
• To get the most bang for your buck, have a low-key second wedding.
• Minimize your wedding costs by inviting just close relatives and friends, and save the rest for the reception.
• It's possible that your first wedding vows are too personal and sacred to be spoken aloud, but your second vows might fill that void.
• Be honest about your financial situation unless you're planning a surprise elopement.
• Explain in an email and a note on your wedding website that you and your future spouse are concerned about the well-being of your guests and will be holding an intimate ceremony with only individuals in your immediate social circle.
• You must think about the cost of your wedding guests!
• Since your siblings are likely to be your maid of honour and best man, respectively, and your other friends and family will get their turn as bridesmaids and groomsmen at the second ceremony, you may choose to keep your wedding party small.
• We don't want your guests to feel like they're attending a second, less important wedding because of this.
• The best way to achieve this is to spend money on one-of-a-kind decorations for each wedding.
• Have your second wedding's date printed on everything from signs and favours to cake toppers and service orders.
• Do something different and memorable on one of the dates, whether it's choreographing your first dance or riding a tandem bike down the aisle.