“What is a Sequel Wedding?”

A Sequel Wedding is usually the second of the couple’s marriage celebrations.

Typically, the couple would have had a small wedding, perhaps an elopement or Minimony, possibly a Microwedding, which was their legally binding wedding ceremony. In that case, their Sequel Wedding would probably be more lavish, with more guests, and held in a traditional wedding venue.

Of course, the opposite might be true: The couple might have had a social ceremony, not a lawfully-binding one, and had their Sequel Wedding be their official, legal wedding.

Maybe a couple of examples from my experience would be helpful.

One September, Tim C. and Lisa W. wanted to celebrate with their close friends in Connecticut before their forthcoming Florida wedding. They decided on a Handfasting by the pond in a local park. Their celebration in Connecticut was a Commitment Ceremony; they would be legally married in Florida with their grandparents in attendance. In Tim and Lisa’s case, their Connecticut Minimony was their first wedding celebration and their Florida legal wedding was their Sequel Wedding.

Joan and Paul eloped to Bermuda, along with a couple of friends as witnesses, to get legally married there. A few weeks after they had their Mini Moon in Bermuda, they invited friends and family in Connecticut to a Sequel Wedding in Hartford. Joan and Paul had a Connecticut baker make a wedding cake like the one that they’d had in Bermuda and everyone including the bride and groom had a very relaxed, happy celebration.

Yes! If your original date and time are available at your chosen wedding venue.

Or you could arrange to get married on your original date but at a different time.

Many couples are keeping their original wedding date and having a smaller wedding, then having a Sequel Wedding later when they can have more guests.

A Shift Wedding and a Sequel Wedding may have some elements in common, but they’re not the same.

At a Shift Wedding some guests arrive earlier for the ceremony, a light brunch, and perhaps a cocktail hour, for example, and other guests arrive later for a plated dinner and dancing. The earlier shift works very well for your family members who are mostly interested in seeing your ceremony, and for your guests with young children who tend to have short attention spans. Your guests who are more lively, want to stay longer, and dance late into the evening would appreciate being invited to the second shift reception. You could arrange a break between the first and second shift parties so that you and your new spouse could have some private time together.

Depending on your videographer and photographer, you might have video and / or still photos of your wedding ceremony projected for your second shift guests’ enjoyment.

Most wedding professionals are hired by the hour rather than by the event. For a Shift Wedding, you would need to make arrangements with your venue, videographer, photographer, and musicians or DJ. Additionally, your venue would need time to sanitize the space and reset the tables between shifts of guests.

The biggest plus of having a Shift Wedding is that you could have a larger number of guests attend your festivities without exceeding the maximum number of people allowed by your venue or health regulations.

Absolutely! Your guests, especially people who couldn’t be at your original ceremony, will love to see your photographs!

Did you have your original guests attend via Zoom or other video? It would also be appropriate and appreciated if you could have the video played at your Sequel Wedding.

How about projecting an assortment of the well-wishes that you received via email, social media, and snail mail? People love to see their own work featured.

Certainly! Your guests will be toasting you, so why not toast each other?

The two of you might think along the lines of “I loved you when we got engaged [or other event], and after we got married I learned [positive things you have learned since your first wedding celebration.]”

In general, keep your toasts light and positive, and mildly humorous if you two agree. “You snore like a buzz saw.” isn’t something to share in company!

That’s also a wonderful thing to do at your Sequel Wedding! (And you’ll be less nervous this time, too.)

As at your wedding, you will be talking directly to your spouse, not your guests. Whether your sweetheart is seated or standing, the two of you should be facing each other.

Please read your vows, don’t try to memorize them. Yes, embellishing them a little is OK, but please remember that these are your wedding vows, not comedy.