Your wedding can be a wonderful event, one of the most magical times of your life. And for many Americans, they can find themselves planning for their wedding — a second time.
That’s far more common than you might think. Nearly half of all marriages today involve at least one person who has been married before. There’s certainly no stigma today about remarriage, but there’s also no question that people approach the planning for their second wedding much differently than the first.
What’s different from the first to the second? Having gone through the process once before, there’s still a desire within the bride to make this day as special and memorable an occasion as possible. But it’s also likely that the second marriage will be more sophisticated than the first one. Experience gives the couple the ability to know what they want to do the second time around to make it an even better celebration for themselves and their guests.
How are Second Weddings Often Different From the First?
While planning for their first wedding, few people expect that one day they’ll be organizing for the second one. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be just as high a level of excitement and enthusiasm for a second wedding if the first marriage doesn’t work. After all, the bride and groom may think of themselves as being fortunate to have found love with a new person, and they’re ready to celebrate this relationship.
There’s no reason for them not to be just as motivated about planning their second wedding to hoping to make it even better than the first one. In fact, wedding planners have noted that couples organizing their second wedding often are even more creative than the first time, desiring to make this second one better and more unique. Years ago, some second weddings were celebrated in a very low key civil ceremony, perhaps followed by a small lunch or dinner gathering. Not anymore.
So what are some ways to make your second marriage even more memorable than the first?
What Should You Do On Your Second Wedding?
In a sense, your second wedding is actually your first — as a new couple. Being older and wiser, couples often finance their second wedding themselves, unlike the first time when they were just starting out. So the decisions on what to do this second time around are entirely theirs.
Maturity means they know what they like, so their decisions on everything from the music played during the wedding to the selection of food can be more inventive, maybe even extravagant, than the first time.
There are a lot of possibilities for your second wedding, starting with a different tone. That could include shifting from the traditional white gown you wore at your first wedding to a different style gown, maybe even a pants suit — whatever it is the bride thinks will make her feel comfortable and beautiful. Other options include:
Adding Your Children
One significant change could be that this time, both the bride and groom may have children from a previous marriage. So by all means, look for interesting ways to include children in your ceremony. Couples at second weddings often find prominent roles for their children on the big day, even asking their son or daughter to be their honor attendant.
Writing New Vows
Sometimes couples don’t write their vows the first time, but with maturity, they may think differently and be ready to use their vows to acknowledge in a heartfelt way why the person they’re marrying is so special to them.
Bypassing Gifts
Accepting gifts may not be necessary for second weddings, as couples have often accumulated the things they want and need. Some couples simply put on their wedding invitation a “no gifts” request, or perhaps ask guests to donate to a charity instead. The couples’ focus becomes on keeping your guests highly entertained during the ceremony.
Enjoy Your Second Wedding with Windows on the Water
At Windows on the Water, we’re delighted to host your wedding, because we know that your wedding venue is one of the most important decisions related to your wedding and your married life. As your wedding venue, we strive to make your day unique because you deserve the wedding of your dreams.
Come visit Windows on the Water and see what makes it one of the most popular wedding venues in Central Jersey. As you tour the breathtaking grounds, you’ll see why so many brides and grooms choose us as the backdrop of their declaration of love.
Start planning your Central Jersey wedding by contacting us today at 609-208-9475 or online for our Windows Wedding Packet that includes menus, event pricing and everything in between.