WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF WEDDING

Determining your style/formality:

The type and style of your wedding should reflect the wishes of both you and your groom. The style you chose will be determined by your preferences, your budget, and by your tastes. The style should be similar in the ceremony and reception. Review “Wedding Style and Formality Spreadsheet” found at the end of this section to determine your style/formality as well as review your answers to the questions from “Determining your Style and Formality” as well as “Determining your likes and dislikes”.

Different Ways to Wed:

There are several different ways to wed:

·                   Honeymoon Weddings

·                   Progressive Weddings

·                   Surprise Weddings

·                   Weekend Weddings

Honeymoon Weddings:

Many couples invite their closest family and friends to a special location where everyone can celebrate the couple’s wedding and enjoy a vacation at the same time. You will need to give your guests plenty of time for making travel arrangements so send out your invitations 10 to 12 weeks before the wedding.

A typical package includes location, accommodations for the wedding night, the officiant, flowers, photographer, musicians, champagne and cake reception. Most resorts have an on-site coordinator who will handle most of the details. Make sure the coordinator has experience. This is especially important if you’re getting married outside of the country because he or she will need to know all of the requirements such as marriage licenses, medical tests, etc.

Popular destination sites include: Hawaii, Disneyland or Disney world, Jamaica, US Virgin Islands, and the Caribbean Islands.

Progressive Wedding:

A progressive wedding is a good alternative for a bride and groom who live out-of-town. Guest who would like to celebrate the affair simply cannot travel to the same location then the bride and groom travels to them. It can also be for couples that have divorced parents who don’t want to attend the same event. It would also be a good solution when the groom’s family wants to invite more guests than the bride’s family is able to accommodate.

The reception following the original ceremony may be as formal as the first reception or as informal as you’d like. Some brides choose to wear their wedding gown again and repeat their original ceremony and have a formal reception. Others choose to wear a dressy cocktail dress or an ankle length dress.

Surprise Weddings:

The surprise wedding is a new and growing trend. Its popular among couples marrying for the 2nd or 3rd time. Usually the bride and groom are in on the secret. The wedding can be as informal or formal as you would like. The couple may host the party under the pretense of a birthday or a special occasion or they may enlist the help of a friend who appears to just be having a party. Keep in mind you will still need to make prior arrangements with the officiant and obtain your marriage license.