While elopements and micro weddings have been around for many years, they’ve become more of the norm in recent years. And it even looks like the trend is on the rise. While many couples choose to elope or host a small gathering of friends and family, some opt to throw a post-elopement or sequel wedding party to celebrate tying the knot with a reception of their larger community. Whether it’s an extravagant affair full of food and dancing, or a lowkey backyard potluck, Marco Island Florist’s team of wedding experts are here to help. Since there’s no better way to include your loved ones after saying “I do,” we wanted to share everything you need to know about planning your unique celebration.
When should you host a post-elopement or sequel wedding?
Your post-wedding celebration timeline is highly dependent on the reason why you’re having a smaller wedding in the first place. For many couples who’ve eloped, they typically host a larger celebration soon after they return from their wedding ceremony. For couples who are planning a small ceremony followed by a sequel wedding, they tend to wait until their first or second wedding anniversary to celebrate their union in a larger setting.
How to craft the perfect invitation
Nothing makes someone feel like an afterthought quicker than seeing your elopement or small wedding ceremony on social media before you tell them about it. While you don’t have to invite everyone you know to your elopement, a simple heads-up is more than enough. Make sure to write an elopement announcement followed by a round of save-the-date invitations to your post-elopement party guests. This will save you from many potentially awkward conversations.
When writing your post-elopement party save-the-date invitations, be sure to share photos and details regarding your wedding ceremony, such as the location, date, and if any close friends or family acted as witnesses. When writing invites to your micro wedding, write them as you would for a more traditional wedding. As your sequel wedding date gets closer, send out a second round of invitations to your larger guest list at least two months before the celebration. In this round, include details about the ceremony itself (i.e., vow exchange, music, etc.).
Post-elopement and sequel wedding invitation suggestions
- Let’s party!
- We just couldn’t wait
- Let’s celebrate!
- It’s been a year. Let’s do it all again!
- We’d love to celebrate our marriage with you at [location]
- We missed you at our elopement, so we wanted to celebrate with you
- We invite you to a reception celebrating the marriage of…
How to recreate your ceremony
To recreate or not, that is the question. When it comes to sequel weddings, a frequent planning challenge is whether or not you’ll recreate the ceremony you already had. While it was special for you and your family during your wedding, you can recapture the feeling by sharing a slideshow or videos of that time. Feel free to get creative with any element of the special day you wanted to replicate, whether it’s updating your vows or learning new moves for your “first dance.”
How should you plan a reception or celebration?
There is no right way to celebrate your love as long as it’s something that’s uniquely for you. The beauty of planning post-elopement and sequel wedding parties is that there are no rules. Want to plan one in a traditional wedding venue? Great! Want to camp out in your backyard and host a BBQ? Perfect! Wherever and however you host your party, it should be all about the love between you and your partner. Whatever style you choose, we recommend dedicating some time to thank your guests for attending or allow your loved ones to express their care for you with toasts.
Should there be gifts?
If there’s one element that could be omitted in your post-elopement or sequel wedding, it would be gifts. Not having gifts relieves couples from creating and updating registries and gives them more time for more important things. Gifts don’t even need to be mentioned on the invite, and if guests still bring them, make sure to open them privately and send a “thank you” afterward.
Deciding to re-wear your wedding dress or tuxedo
Your wedding dress or tuxedo doesn’t have to be a “one-hit wonder” collecting dust in the back of your closet. Post-elopement parties and sequel weddings are perfect for bringing out your original wedding attire to its renewed glory. Yet, you don’t even need to wear a dress or tuxedo at all. At every step of the planning process, it’s all about finding what makes you comfortable in your expression of love. This can look like slacks, sundresses, and sunhats. All we recommend is that you communicate the proper attire so your guests don’t feel uncomfortable or stick out like a sore thumb.
Post-elopements and sequel weddings don’t follow the same rules as traditional weddings. In fact, there aren’t any rules at all. Here at Marco Island Florist, we encourage you to get creative and focus on the most important part of this celebration: you. Our expert florists and seasoned wedding professionals look forward to bringing your event to life.
