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Just Said Yes April 2026

What to call a wedding after a legal marriage

Bethany, on April 7, 2024 at 3:02 AM Posted in Planning 0 5

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Hello all,
I’m unsure how to go about my wedding invitations because I’ll already be legally married.

Me and my fiancé are currently both living and working in Japan (he’s from the U.K) and are getting married so that I can bring him to the United States.
The marriage paperwork here is just that- paperwork. There is no ceremony, no vows, no I do, it’s just a signature at city hall. Then, we don’t even get to be together afterwards because it’s going to take around a year and a half after I move back to get all the paperwork processed.
I still want to have a full wedding and it’ll be the first time we actually get to be together officially and do all of our vows and everything. However, people on here tend to get upset about these things and state that you can’t call it a wedding since you’re already married.
That’s where I’m running into issues because it’s not a vow renewal, as there were never any vows to begin with, and we basically have to do it this way in order to be together.
Any ideas on what to call this type of ceremony since it’s not a vow renewal?

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5 Comments

Latest activity by CM, on April 9, 2024 at 10:22 PM

Master October 2023
Michael · on April 7, 2024 at 10:59 AM
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Your present situation is better than courthouse marriages to call this your actual wedding. You have mostly just done the paperwork to get it started. Especially if you do this event with a minister officiating it, that officiant could say by the powers invested by God I declare you husband and wife.
As a step back from this formality, you can invite people to join with you as you share your marriage vows.
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Champion November 2054
Jacks · on April 7, 2024 at 3:38 PM
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Yep I would call it a celebration of the wedding of…. Or celebrate as you exchange your vows.

People on here really only get argumentative if the wedding couple hide the fact that they’re already married. I haven’t seen much pushback for simply having a celebration.
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Super January 2024
Andrea · on April 9, 2024 at 9:44 PM
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I’d call it a celebration of marriage or vow exchange.
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Champion December 2022
Michelle · on April 9, 2024 at 10:05 PM
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A vow renewal. Be very honest with your guests and vendors, especially officiant, that the public event is not a legal wedding. The officiant can permanently lose their ability to ever perform services on the basis of fraud if you are not honest.

As guests, we have seen other guests leave the renewal reception when they find out that the couple tells guests they are marrying that day when they are already married legally, and been told that they cut ties for being lied to, so people do take it seriously, even if online articles and social media encourages couples to be less than honest.
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CM · on April 9, 2024 at 10:22 PM
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Typically and traditionally, what you’re planning would be called a celebration of marriage. Spoken vows or not, you’ve signed and agreed to all the privileges and obligations that come with getting married.
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