Wedding Guide For The Encore Bride

Love deserves to be celebrated no matter how it is found.  For those who have been married before, the thought of their second wedding brings just as much excitement and anticipation as did their previous wedding, if not more!  If you are an encore bride, don’t hesitate to plan the wedding of your dreams.  The idea that a second wedding should be small and informal is a thing of the past. Your friends and family will be more than happy to join in your celebration.

Those who are getting married for the second time may have children involved in their relationship.  In such instances, it is important that the children be the first to be told o your intentions to remarry.  The conversation with children should be handled delicately, as this experience can be one that causes some stress for young ones.  They need to have the understanding that joining your lives with your soon-to-be spouse will be a good thing for them.

Not sure about registering?  Guess what; it’s a must!  There will be people who want to give gifts and they will need guidance to know what to buy.  If you are joining households and don’t need much, be creative and register for a honeymoon or family vacation.  Register for donations to a charitable organization or non-profit, or something else that is out of the box.  Family and friends will appreciate your innovative thinking if you choose not to register for things you need or feel good about vs. registering for items you simply don’t need.

A second wedding can be held in any way a fist wedding is held, just not using the same dress or held in the same location; be original.  There is no clear rule that says second weddings must be civil ceremonies, so that means if your preference is to have your encore wedding at your church, you can do it!  Having your second wedding ceremony in the church simply requires that you speak with your clergyman about your desires and inquire about any special tasks you may need to go through before they will perform a wedding.  Some churches like couples to go through pre-marital counseling before they are married in the church.  This certainly couldn’t be anything but beneficial to any new marriage.

The actual ceremony of the encore bride can be wonderfully free of traditions.  A second wedding ceremony can be formal or informal, can have a wedding party or just you and your beaming groom at the alter.  If children are involved, they can walk down the aisle with you, or stand with you at the alter.  When it comes to who walks the encore bride down the aisle, the answer is whomever she chooses.  At a second wedding, the bride may walk down the aisle on her own, with her groom, her mother, sibling or best friend.  Whatever makes you the most happy on your second wedding day is what you get to do.

After your ceremony, you can choose to send out wedding announcements to those who were not invited to your nuptials.  The wedding announcement is a simple statement such as the following:

Jane Marie Doe
and
John Stephen Doe
announce their marriage
Date, location

A second wedding is a joyous occasion that is worthy of the type of celebration that makes the bride and groom happy.  Creating a special day brings you and your new families closer together, and starts your marriage off on a high note.  All you have to do from here is keep the good times rolling.