Wedding Decisions

You can only legally get married once so it would be a vow renewal if you are already married.

You could have a symbolic ceremony, you just can't call it a wedding. I also think it depends on your church whether or not they would even allow it.

Wedding=ceremony in which you get married (and can be at a courthouse, among other places). One in which you are already married isn't a wedding.

View Quoted Comment I know legally I can 1 time but can we go to courthouse just us two then a year later have the big wedding we desire?

I think it can be symbolic. I've friends that had a courthouse wedding and then they had a ceremony just themselves and then had a reception for everyone later on

View Quoted Comment No because it wouldn't be a wedding. Your wedding would be when you went to the court house. It would a vow renewal/symbolic ceremony. Your church may also not allow you to refer to it as a wedding as you are already legally married therefore the ceremony that you would be having isn't a wedding.

Congrats on your engagement! You can definitely get married at the courthouse and have the big reception/celebration next year. As PP's said, this wouldn't be a "wedding" as you'll already be married. But you can still have all the fun as if it were your wedding! Just communicate with invited guests that this is a vow renewal or symbolic ceremony as PP's mentioned. But aside from that, it can be as much like a typical wedding as you want it to be (white dress, bridal party, cake cutting, bouquet toss)

View Quoted Comment Thank you best answer I’ve heard

The church may view it as a vow renewal but I doubt they will reject having a wedding ceremony in the church & will treat it the same? It probably depends on the church too.

View Quoted Comment You can definitely have a second ceremony, this time though it will be a bow renewal. Have you considered the ceremony now and then just a big introduction/reception next year? That is what my FH and I are doing.

Not usually. I am getting married in a church (Catholic) and the first question they asked us was if we've been married before. They won't take you if you have. I would speak to a church now to figure it all out.

Just keep in mind, people don't view vow renewals to be as important, so attendance is often lower. If I remember correctly most of the pre-wedding parties like Bach party and bridal shower aren't done with vow renewals and gifts aren't given by a lot of guests because you're already married. So as long as you are comfortable with all that I'd say go for it! I just see a lot of people on here who try to throw a big wedding after the courthouse and are often disappointed.

Congrats Heavenly, I'm actually in a similar boat. Getting legally married in Decemeber but we want to have a public ceremony that'll take place probably April of next year (bringing our families together) so we are calling it a Marriage Celebration. It'll be a nice venue, photographer, DJ, catering & I'll have on a Gorgeous dress just not a wedding dress. P. S. We have both been married before so it's not our first rodeo..

View Quoted Comment Yea see that’s what I want to do it’s snowing where I’m at so I want to have the ceremony and reception in the summer. I think a “Wedding Celebration” is nice. Except I want to have a wedding dress, bridesmaids & reception.

Congrats on your engagement!! What's the rush on getting married next month? It sounds like you want to do the whole big wedding and ceremony, and waiting 10 months to get everything you want doesn't seem like it is that far away. I've been engaged for 13 months and I still have 11 to go before we get married!

Technically you would already be a newlywed for a year. So it’s a renewal. But I think it’s cute to have a one year anniversary renewal and invite your family and friends to celebrate.

View Quoted Comment My fiancé is becoming a Minister Dec 1 st. So we want to be legally married before he starts preaching that’s the rush.

A lot of people are doing private courthouse and then public ceremony up to a year later. Some do it on their one year anniversary. My FH and I are contemplating doing the civil option on the friday before our Saturday wedding which is the same thing my mom and stepdad did (i officiated the second one). The only issue there is which one you view as your anniversary date. It is true that the public 2nd service will not be legal but thats half the point. Doing a legal service in advance allows you to take care of the extra things like name change and paperwork. So in short, yes, its possible but make sure you brief the pastor of the church service so he/she is not expecting to be signing a legal document.

This is basically what my husband and I did!
We got legally married by an officiant at the house we were renting (it was super historic).
Now, a year later we are having a big wedding with family and friends.

I spoke to our officiant and shes going to do the whole ceremony like we were never married before. The only difference is that this time we dont have to sign the marriage certificate (although I'm sure you can pretend to if you want that as part of your ceremony). She said it's not the first time shes done that for couples. Do whatever YOU want to do!

You can, but if people know you are already married, it will take away some of the fire. While it is true that it wont be legal, I know many people who have done exactly this and both they and their loved ones were completely happy with it. You do you.