Getting a divorce or losing a beloved spouse is by no means an expected situation, but it could happen to anyone and at any time. And with the divorce rate increasing remarkably in our time, it is quite normal that second marriages come around. In deciding to remarry, there are a few things to consider; taking on the role of step-mother or –father, building a new family and most importantly, handling challenges regarding your second wedding, including choosing appropriate wedding decorations.
Second weddings are typically more relaxed and informal, unlike first marriages which are often elaborate, grand and costly too. Second marriage ceremonies rarely ever take place in churches or chapels; instead, an intimate affair shared with immediate family and a few close friends, is preferred. You may opt for a simple ceremony held in the park or have a private civil ceremony, where you can later throw a small dinner party with just your family and friends as guests. With that in mind, you’ll want to have proper decorations which will help set the theme and mood of your reception.
The notion that second marriage wedding decorations should be kept as simple and minimal as possible should be flung out the window. Even if you are planning a small wedding reception, it could still be as elegant and charming as you want it to be. Here are a few great decorative ideas you can take note of:
Candles are excellent decorative items and they’re inexpensive too. Place a fragranced pillar candle in the middle of each table and surround the candles with rose petals (or any other flower petals of your liking) to provide a warm atmosphere. You could also use clear glass bowls with floating candles in them, as centerpieces.
Chinese-styled lanterns are quite popular at weddings these days. They’re enchanting, cute and very romantic! Hang them above the reception area or dance floor, along the doorways or make them into centerpieces that will light up the tables. It’ll look absolutely gorgeous, especially if you are leaning towards an oriental theme.
Another idea is to have balloon décor at the reception. Balloons are easily available and you can purchase them in all size, shape and colours. There are several things you could do with balloons. First, tie the balloons with ribbons after filling them up with helium. Gather about 3 – 5 balloons and knot them together to form a bouquet. Attach your balloon bouquets to any heavy objects you can find – like rocks – so that they don’t float away. Now, plant the bouquets in average-sized pots and pour sand in (using coloured sand will make things more interesting). It will instantly brighten up any table! You could also tie the balloons to chairs or drape the entire reception hall with them.
Second marriage couples usually already have children from their previous marriage, so it is rather common that the children are as involved with the wedding as the bride and groom. What you could do is, have photographs taken of your new family – pictures of you, your children, your husband-to-be and his children. Frame them up and have them hung around the reception area or displayed at the gift and guest book table. Not only is this décor idea brilliant and meaningful, it will be a much cherished memory and a step towards the beginning of a blended family.
If you’re planning an outdoor dinner party, the moon wouldn’t be of enough help to light up the place. Christmas lights would, however, do the trick. You’ll need to position long posts at the corners to frame the party area (try to make sure that the venue you’ve selected has a power source you can use). Then, all you have to do is just twine the posts with the lights and string them from one post to another to create a starlit effect.
Use your imagination and go wild with your creativity. Instead of going for real flowers, which may seem too fancy, you could choose to go with artificial satin-flowers. Not a big fan of fake flowers? Well, you could still get live flowers, just not intricately arrayed ones. Order your favourite choice of flower from your local florist, and arrange them into nice, long vases (preferably 5 or less flowers in each vase). Other items such as ribbons, garlands and tulles are also great to decorate with.
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