Many couples never had the ceremony they wanted due to COVID-19 restrictions so the wedding industry has a new category of bridal couple, “married but no wedding”.
Married but no wedding
A “marriage” is a legal contract and can be officiated with little or no ceremony.
A “wedding” is the ceremonial celebration of the marriage.
The ceremonial aspect can be religious or non-religious.
With recent restrictions due to the pandemic, many couples had a legal marriage but their wedding ceremony was constrained by limits on numbers attending the wedding. The bridal couple never had the wedding ceremony that they wanted.
According to the 2021 wedding report from Bridebook , 82% of small wedding couples with 15 or less guests plan another celebration later – so the bride gets to wear her dress twice!
What do you call a second wedding ceremony?
As many couples never had the wedding they wanted, they are choosing to say their vows again with a second ceremony.
A second ceremony can be called a symbolic wedding, a wedding blessing, a commitment ceremony, an affirmation of vows, a vow renewal, it doesn’t matter.
What matters is that couples enjoy their special day in the spotlight to affirm their marriage vows in front of the people who love them most in this world. The people they have missed. The people they want to celebrate their marriage with. The people they want to party with.
Stress free commitment ceremonies
Saying “I do” without the stress of having to include the legal declaration and contracting words is so much more romantic!
Most couples saying their vows to each other again, choose to write their own words of commitment.
Making personal promises out loud to the person they want to share their life with creates an intensely intimate moment at the centre of their ceremony that they will want to imprint to their memory for the rest of their life.
You can have your wedding ceremony in the Spanish sunshine.
You can say “Si, yo quiero” again.
You can renew your vows.
Read more:
…and Let’s Do it!
Wedding photo courtesy of MichalCarbol.com at FincaYantar.com planned by Llevenes Events with flowers by Ana Mena ArteFloral
Author bio: Debbie Skyrme is "Celebrant Spain". Award winning bilingual destination wedding celebrant officiating elopements, vow renewals and wedding ceremonies in the Spanish sunshine.
