8 Ways to Make Your Second Wedding Stand Out

Here's to your "something new"

By: Jen Glantz

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Celebrate "I Do"

When you’re in the midst of planning your second wedding, you might feel a bit of confusion over how to make this celebration different from the first time you got married. Perhaps you have a list of things you regret from your first wedding or you just want this reception to shine in a different way that’s memorable and special for you and your partner.

Either way, there are many things you can do to make your next celebration stand out and feel special. Here are 8 ways to approach wedding planning if you’re getting married for the second time.

Do the opposite of what you did the first time

If you really want to put your first marriage and wedding behind you, make this celebration different by doing everything the opposite of what you did the first time. If you had a reception with extensive decor and a large guest list, you might consider eloping or doing a destination wedding instead.

You can also switch up the theme, color-scheme, and even itinerary of the day to make it feel drastically different than your first celebration. For example, have a day-time brunch instead of a night-time reception or go with bright and bold colors, if you went with pastels the first-time around.

Create an alternative wedding registry

Perhaps for this marriage, you don’t need the same items that you had on your registry years ago. If that’s the case, skip asking for a blender or a new set of dishes and instead try an alternative registry where you can ask guests to contribute to your honeymoon, different experiences and adventures, or even gift cards to favorite stores.

Think about your reception regrets

Looking back at your previous reception, what do you regret the most? Did you feel like you didn’t have enough time on the dance floor? Did you feel like you did too many wedding traditions that didn’t mean a lot to you? Do you feel like you invited too many people?

Once you have a list of regrets, you can vow to plan this wedding celebration completely differently than the last; this time, making sure you don’t make the same mistakes again.

Wear something that’s your style

If you went with a traditional white dress for your first wedding, you might be craving a different kind of outfit for this celebration. Rather than shop at a bridal store, expand your search and instead go to local department stores, boutiques, or search online for different outfits that are more in line with what you want to wear to this celebration.

Perhaps you go with a sequined dress, a bright pantsuit, or a bold-colored dress that’s anything but white. Pick something that feels right for this celebration, whether or not it looks or feels bridal.

Skip the wedding traditions

When you think about doing another cake-cutting or bouquet toss at this wedding, you might start to feel like it’s not what you want this time around. Instead of going with all the traditional wedding rituals that you did last time, pick just a few that mean something to you or create new ones with your partner, so this celebration feels more like you two, and not like any other wedding.

Pick a wedding venue that’s not so traditional

If you’re not interested in having a traditional wedding again, make it feel different this time by picking a reception venue that’s different from the usual ones people go with. Instead of booking a hotel ballroom or a catering hall, explore local art galleries, music venues, or even outdoor spaces that can make this wedding take space in a fresh and unusual space.

Make it more intimate

If your first wedding didn’t feel as intimate as you would have wanted it, consider doing a ceremony and reception guest list split. Instead of inviting everyone to everything, invite only a small group of people to your ceremony and then welcome everyone else to come join you later on for the party. That way, your ceremony can feel intimate and special, and your party can be a celebration where everyone else is invited.

Acknowledge friends and family in a new way

Perhaps for this wedding you don’t want to have a bridal party or even family members walking you down the aisle. Instead, you can find alternative ways to acknowledge the people who mean the most to you.

Ask a few special people to read a poem or passage during the ceremony and others to speak during the reception or even rehearsal dinner.

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