Civil AND Religious Weddings – Mother of the Bride

Would you consider two wedding ceremonies? Europeans seem to have a civil ceremony on one day, and a religious one following. Here in the United States, we have just one wedding ceremony. Religious or civil, both are considered legal as long as the proper license is applied for and filed.

I was talking to a new friend about her pending wedding plans. She is getting married next summer, but has a different twist to the process. She and her fiancé are inviting only their immediate family – parents and siblings – to the wedding. Their honeymoon is up next and two weeks later, the reception. The norm, of course, is to have the reception/party immediately follow the ceremony. I think her plan is brilliant. Her nearest and dearest will be present when she and her fiancé become man and wife. They will enjoy a rare intimacy. Dinner after the wedding will be quiet and no one has to worry about small talk with people they barely know. The atmosphere will be relaxed. The honeymoon will also be stress-free, as the bride and groom will not be exhausted from a lavish affair.

Two weeks after the wedding, after a restful honeymoon, the reception will take place. I think this may become a trend. With this arrangement, the bride and groom can enjoy the entire experience. I know when my daughter was married in June, we enjoyed every aspect of the wedding and reception, but we were all tired. We may have enjoyed both ceremony and party more if we had had a break in-between. But one must not forget there are often many more people who feel they should be at both wedding AND reception. My family is the perfect example. We had several out-of-state family members who wanted to attend both events…and we all wanted them to.
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