If you want to get married, then you shouldn’t let a pandemic stop you. Friends and relatives may be skeptical about attending a big event right now; however, there are still ways to make small gatherings quite extravagant and memorable. If you’re here, then you are probably thinking that having 2 weddings is the best way to go: 1 wedding for the legal papers, and 1 for your friends and family. We’re here to say that there’s nothing wrong with this approach. In fact, it’s great for people who might want to save up before booking their party venue. This way, you can get married now, and save the fun for when you have enough cash in the bank. Here’s how to do it right.
Create Separate Guests Lists for Each Event
The goal of your first wedding is to get you married as soon as possible; therefore, you should invite the most important people in your life. For some, this is their parents, for others, it’s their siblings or 2 best friends. By all means, invite the people in the above-mentioned categories if you want them to witness this legally binding moment. Now you might be thinking that everyone on your guest list is important. While this may be true, realize that the first wedding is really meant for a small group of people. Save the elaborate celebrations for wedding #2–that’s the point of it after all!
Decide Who You Want to Marry You
Are you and your partner religious? Then the answer is probably obvious; however, if neither of you are religious, then there’s nothing wrong with having a secular person marry you. If there is someone in either of your lives that is legally allowed to marry you, then even better! Many people in recent years have had their friends and/or family members marry them. It truly provides an intimate feel that can’t be replicated by a religious official that you don’t have a personal history with.
Get a Great Photographer
Since you can’t invite everyone from your second wedding to your first, make sure that you bring a great photographer with you. Obviously, you should have a photographer at both weddings; but sharing some great moments from wedding #1 with those only at wedding #2 will surely be appreciated.
Don’t Forget About the After Party
Even though you should keep the guest list of your first wedding small, you can still have an informal after party at your house. Invite people who are close by, and make sure to adhere to group gathering laws in your state. If the after party is small enough, you could even go out to a bar that practices proper social distancing. Don’t let the pandemic prevent you from having a good time!
Make the Second Wedding Extravagant
Being forced to limit your guest list as a result of the pandemic doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Smaller numbers means you can go big on the enhancements. Consider spoiling your friends and family with top shelf liquor, such as premium wine and champagne; for dinner, you could offer decedent surf and turf, followed by a desert bar that people could be talking about for ages! This, friends, is the beauty that comes with having a luxurious micro-wedding: the guest list might be smaller, but your wedding could be as big as you always dreamed it would be!