Surprise!!! We are getting married …
Organising a wedding can be extremely stressful with family dynamics, cost, pre-wedding parties, gifts, clothing and more. How about a surprise wedding? Surprise weddings can be a lot of fun, and there is nothing like seeing the faces of those closest to you when you pull off the surprise and announce that you are about to get married!
Here are 8 tips to help you pull off the ultimate surprise wedding!..
Keep it a surprise! – the less people that know the better. They say that each person that knows a secret must tell 1 person, so to keep the secret you will need to tell only the people that need to know.
Clue in ALL suppliers – Celebrants, photographers, venue staff are professionals and know the value of integrity in their job.
Keep it simple! – You are arranging a surprise wedding to make it easy for yourself. Keep this in mind if plans start to get out of hand.
Have a schedule – plan for the ceremony to start approximately 1 hour after the party start time, to ensure all those late-comers arrive before the formalities start. A schedule will also help with timings for drinks, food, music and ensure you have time for other formalities like cake cutting and speeches.
Make invitations detailed – Ensure you include a clear start time for the celebrations, and a dress code. There will be loads of photos going around (these are the photos of your wedding day!), so request everyone dress up a bit!
Adapt the ceremony to suit the party – Speak to your celebrant about make your wedding ceremony interesting, and reflective of you and your personalities, and fit the atmosphere that you envision.
Consider the space – there are many amazing party venues, that aren’t quite suitable for a wedding ceremony, no matter how small! Remember, that you need a place to stand with your celebrant where your guests can see you, room for a photographer to move around, and a table or space to sign the legal paperwork. Pick a spot within the venue where the ceremony will be taking place. Also, consider having a few chairs at the front for your parents, grandparents or any older people.
Enjoy it! – usually couples make the decision to have a surprise wedding because they want to limit the amount of stress, formalities and coordination, so be sure to keep it simple, and allow yourself to enjoy the whole experience! Relax, and trust your suppliers to take care of the formalities on the day, and enjoy saying your ‘I do’s’ to the one you love!!!
