Second weddings can be a tricky affair, especially if you are ignorant of the etiquette that needs to be followed when attending or conducting one. Ignorance of such etiquette could lead to potentially embarrassing situations and worse; result in you being unceremoniously ejected from the celebrations. Second wedding are becoming more and more common these days. In the past it was believed that a second wedding did not warrant a grand celebration or inviting too many guests. However, these days second weddings are celebrated with just as much gusto as were the first weddings. The idea is to celebrate the fact that two people have found each other despite the events of the past. There are also things that need to be kept in mind if you are the host. You can’t send out invites and have guests over the way you did the last time. There are people who you would want to exclude and those ensure that only those you invite come. All this can get messy if not handled with certain finesse.
Etiquettes For The Second Wedding
If you are the host of a second wedding then the very first thing you should be doing is to inform your kids about the wedding and make sure that they are ok with it. Once all eventualities have been taken care of, you can start planning out the wedding itself.
- If you plan to invite only adults to your wedding, then you would do well to mention it on the invitation card. To make it clear you could add a line at the bottom of the card that reads, “Adult Reception” or something to that affect.
- Earlier gifts were not a part of a second wedding since the couple didn’t need anything to start their new life together. However, these days, gifts are given even at second weddings. If you are uncomfortable with it, you could mention it to your guests in person. If anyone insists on a gift, you can get creative and ask them to contribute to any purchase you plan to make. Nonetheless, never mention it on the invitations.
- It would not be advisable to send an invitation for the wedding to a former partner as it might be insensitive and cause them unnecessary hurt.
- It would also be advisable to think of the guests financial abilities when you decide on the location of the second wedding. If you really want someone to attend the wedding, don’t set a wedding in a location that would be tough for them to reach.
- Be a little sensitive when it comes to choosing the location. Don’t choose the same place you got married last time. For that matter, it would be best if you do nothing that is reminiscent of your previous wedding.
- Make sure you involve your kids in the wedding, but be sure that they are willing to participate before you go about handing them their assignments.
- Don’t indulge in conversations that include, berate or demean your previous partners.
A second wedding is not the same as the first one and should not be dealt with the same way. Following the simple etiquettes mentioned here will make sure that you don’t cause any duress while you are in attendance at a second wedding.