It wasn’t that long ago that encore brides wore a pink suit and wed in the Clerk’s office at City Hall. With so many weddings taking place around the country and second or subsequent marriages, the rules for “proper” protocol have all but ended.
Trevor Booth Photography, Windsor, ON.
Second weddings are typically the opposite of the way a first marriage took place. It’s a perfect opportunity for a home or garden wedding, a destination site, or an intimate ceremony with a larger reception. Whether large or small, go ahead and host it with confidence. Take time to make it your own and put your signature style on everything you do.
Your wedding dress can be whatever you desire; a bridal gown in white, ivory or the many new soft colour tones of today. You may want to forgo the train and replace the veil with a fascinator or a sophisticated beaded hair accessory or hat.
This time around you may want your son(s) or daughter(s) as attendants and you may want to walk down the aisle alone or with your spouse-to-be. Or you may not walk to walk the aisle at all.
At the reception, there may not be a need for a receiving line; and in fact they are losing in their popularity depending on the formality of the wedding.
Re-affirmation weddings are increasing and while once reserved for 25th or 50th anniversaries, they are now taking being celebrated as early as the 5th anniversary.
At these ceremonies, may couples choose to recreate their wedding day, complete with original dress and attendants, while others opt for an officiant renewing their vows during an anniversary party.
The only thing to know, is that there are no rules for second-time or encore marriages. Good taste always is in style and your wishes can certainly be accommodated. You can have the wedding of your dreams so enjoy and have a great time with your wedding planning. Have fun, be daring and do the things that you may have wanted to do the first time around and didn’t. Like buy that beautiful pair of blues shoes!
