Getting married is all the time a special day, but planning a second wedding is something magical for thus many reasons. It’s one other lease of affection, a brand new ‘I do’, and couples often find they’re way more free to have a marriage they really want as a substitute of conforming to traditions and customs – particularly if their first weddings followed the recognised format. Now we have previously helped couples plan their second time around weddings, including Mandy and Peter and Aviva and Alan who we now need to introduce you to. Through the story of their weddings, we’ll provide you with our top suggestions for easy methods to plan a second wedding that feels every bit the celebratory ‘encore’.
Things to recollect when planning a second wedding
Before we get into our real second time around weddings and our advice for planning your personal, these are the things we all the time prefer to keep top of mind when couples come to us in this case:
- There are lots of reasons for second weddings, across an ideal spectrum of fine, bad and bittersweet. We remain completely dedicated to navigating wedding planning with you and your specific circumstances in mind, delivering our signature sparkling service with an empathetic touch.
- We love weddings, and we love love. Your second wedding is every bit as essential, special and momentous as any which have come before, and we’ll treat it as such.
- Your preferences, desires, concerns and dreams are our priority when planning your second wedding. We all know there’s no ‘one’ format that works for any celebration, so we’ll go on the planning journey together and navigate exactly the way you’d like things to look
Elegante by Michelle J’s Top Suggestions for Planning a Second Time Around Wedding
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Lean into who you might be, and discover a venue to match
Mandy and Peter were an ideal example of designing a marriage that felt really true to them – it’s grow to be a little bit of an industry cliche to say ‘your wedding, your way’, but this city celebration really embodied it and you must too. It was a second wedding for each bride and groom, and so they knew of course they desired to marry in London. They’d each been born and bred there, Mandy in Islington and Peter within the East End, and he ran a taxi garage – an actual London city couple.
We found Skinner’s Hall in the town, one among the livery halls, and it fit the transient perfectly. It wasn’t too big or grand, it was just gorgeous for his or her December wedding date (it already had a beautiful Christmas tree installed), and we knew it will work for the vibe we desired to create. A second wedding is strictly the appropriate time to book a venue you like for you, a spot that feels as comfortable and familiar as your spouse-to-be.
Aviva and Alan decided to throw an enormous, beautiful Jewish wedding in Florence. We found an actual hidden gem of a venue in the midst of the historic city for his or her welcome party, immersing their guests in the great thing about the place, after which held their wedding on the magnificent Synagogue of Florence. After the ceremony we transported guests to Villa di Maiano, which boasts impressive views over the entire city from its hilltop perch in nearby Fiesole.
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Eschew traditions if you should – keep them when you prefer
Mandy and Peter’s priority with their wedding was simply to bring everyone they loved together; an ideal party, great food and great drinks. Since it was their second wedding, we turned the normal format on its head. Peter is Jewish, but what we designed was very definitely not a Jewish wedding. They decided to walk down the aisle together, skipping the classic parade, and Mandy wore a shocking off-white dress that didn’t feel overly wedding-like.
We arranged a straightforward, civil wedding ceremony at Skinner’s Hall, followed by a drinks reception, dinner and a DJ. On the face of it this will likely sound like a conventional format, but we had a number of swaps and surprises throughout the day that ensured it felt like the right fit for Mandy and Peter, and not only a marriage from a playbook.
When planning your personal second wedding, take into consideration why you’re planning each element of the day – it’s because you’re thinking that you must or that’s the way it’s all the time done, or since you truly find it irresistible? If it looks like a ‘must’, take this as your permission slip to remove it out of your day.
Aviva and Alan’s wedding was very traditionally Jewish in format and customs, which felt like the appropriate thing for them, their families and guests.
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Rejoice along with your design and suppliers
It’s not unusual for couples to desire a second wedding that feels utterly unlike their first, which can mean a more pared back design, more flamboyant elements, different entertainment or completely different decisions throughout. Mandy and Peter actually had a good time with their design and the suppliers they booked, and we created a stunning wintry, Christmassy vibe that was totally cosy and magical.
Mandy is a creative, with floristry, interior design and jewellery making in her background, so was very involved within the design and styling of the day. Between Mandy, her daughter and I, we curated the whole lot, going to the flower wholesaler, a little-known rental company, and sourcing quite a lot of decor items to style amongst a great deal of tealights and candles. We had Christmassy elements corresponding to satsumas and nuts in bowls, and there was almost a snow machine within the courtyard on guest arrival…which Peter vetoed before we could place the order!
Take a take a look at our 5-step guide to designing your wedding, from idea to execution. Sometimes, like Mandy, I work with individuals who have a transparent vision for his or her wedding design. Other times, couples don’t know where to start. Either way, we work through this process and we’ve shared all of it with you within the linked blog.
We also arranged numerous fun entertainment, not necessarily in a conventional wedding style – that is your reminder that anything goes at your second wedding. Mandy and Peter desired to have a little bit of a celebration during dinner, something typically found at Jewish weddings on a much larger, showband-style scale. On this instance we hired a singing pianist who played throughout dinner, creating a beautiful atmosphere where guests could loaf around the piano and sing along. Mandy also surprised Peter with a violin player, who played Israeli music to backing tracks – she appeared within the dinner room and led guests through to the party room. These were lovely little nods to some Jewish wedding traditions, done completely their very own way.
Final words on planning a second wedding…
Similar to Mandy and Peter and Aviva and Alan, we encourage you to plan your second wedding with yourselves top of mind. It’s value occupied with what you probably did and didn’t love about your first weddings, and making changes this time to make it feel incredibly special. It should feel like your wedding, by which we mean the collective you as a pair, and include the whole lot you want and nothing you are feeling obligated to.
We all know family dynamics come into play too, and we’re experts at helping you navigate this while ensuring the celebration feels totally true to you.
In case you’re on the lookout for more inspiration to your second wedding, take a take a look at A&A’s Jewish celebrations in Florence – more details from this beautiful example of an encore wedding, this time in a really traditional Jewish style in one among our favourite destinations. Don’t hesitate to get in contact to begin planning your personal wedding, second time around – we’re as excited as you might be.
