The Sequel Wedding

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continues to exercise us all – in and out of the wedding industry. We’ve already tackled aspects of the situation a couple of times on our blog in our article about changing wedding plans and a feature about creating a Covid-friendly intimate wedding set-up.  But the buzzword now, to work around the restrictions we have, is the sequel wedding. So, in this post we’ll have a look at the sequel wedding – what it is and how to do it.

Covid-Compliant Weddings

So, we have to embrace the reality of weddings with fewer than thirty guests in a Covid-compliant venue. The reality is that for the moment, no wedding can have as many as thirty guests.

Let’s examine why:

Say the capacity of the Covid compliant ceremony room is going to be around 25 people. Remove the registrars from the equation and you’re down to 23. Then there’s the photographer – now you’re at 22 people. And that number has to include the entire wedding party – bride, groom, witnesses, bridesmaids and guests. 

But there is a way to get around this problem – and that’s the sequel wedding.

What Is A Sequel wedding?

The sequel wedding simply refers to a couple hosting several sequential ceremonies/celebrations.

This isn’t a new concept however. Many other cultures and religions have had such a system since … well since for ever. But now, with our pandemic restrictions, British couples are embracing the idea. Indeed, we’re doing this very thing in our own family. My son had his marriage ceremony late August and his wedding celebrations will be at the start of September in 2021.

And that’s an important distinction to make in any event, as we wrote in this blog, Your Marriage or Your Wedding, earlier this year.

The sequel wedding concept shows every sign of being the new norm for 2020 and into 2021 too. Following so many months of being unable to see friends and relatives in person, few are now willing to limit the joy of a wedding celebration to one event.

Thus, we’re going to see more and more of what Hitched.Co.UK describe as ‘minimonies, micro weddings and elopements joining big reception celebrations for a sequel wedding.’

It’s typical then for the marriage ceremony to have only the closest of family and friends present, with a larger guest list invited to a second ceremony. And following up those two is a large reception.

Irrespective of Covid, some couples have elected to follow a pattern something like that anyway. A small church or registry office marriage followed a small gathering to mark the occasion. Then a larger party, on a different day, at a chosen venue.

And now, in the midst of Coronavirus, there’s a rising trend of couples opting to host, as described above, a minimony or micro-wedding on their original wedding date – or later this year on a re-arranged date. And then they’re planning for a bigger, sparkling, sequel wedding celebration in 2021.

The New Wedding Jargon

Now for definitions of these new wedding words – so you’re clear on what we’re talking about.

Minimony

This is a cut-down version of your postponed wedding. It’s your legal ceremony or commitment ceremony held by a celebrant your vicar, priest or registrar. You’ll have your minimony in the presence of a few loved ones – either in person or virtually. 

Everything will be as you planned it for your original date. You’ll make your vows, have your first dance, have a photographer for a few hours and even a put a knife in to a cut-down version of your wedding cake.

With a minimony your guest list has enforced and severe limitations on it. So the guests you had to cull get an invitation to a follow-up wedding when large groups can meet once more.  At the follow-up event you’ll have another ceremony, where you’ll walk down the aisle and exchange your vows, this ceremony can be conducted by a celebrant, followed by a reception.

Micro-wedding

I’ll forgive you for wondering what the difference is between this and a minimony.  Yet bear with me – there is one. 

Whereas a minimony is a Covid-compromise, a micro-wedding is a wedding with fewer than 20 guests by deliberate design.

A common feature of a micro-wedding is the absence of a reception at a later date. The couple concerned are simply choosing to have intimate wedding day in the presence of their very nearest and dearest. 

Though of course, many couples are feeling the desire to host a big party in celebration of being able to reunite. Often, they don’t have another ceremony but they do have a ‘sequel reception’ with the emphasis on ‘party’ rather than a second wedding day.

Get In Touch

Are you planning a minimony or a micro-wedding? In either event, we at Fabulous Functions UK are here to help. Why not get in touch and arrange a no-obligation consultation?

And if you want to get an idea of how we work and what we do checkout our Instragram and Facebook feeds for inspirational images.

Featured photograph curtesy of Steffen Milsom Photography

5 Wedding Toast Champagne Alternatives
The wedding toasts and speeches are an integral part of any wedding breakfast. This is one of the favourite parts! It can be totally wonderful or excruciatingly awful. In either event, it’s usually memorable.

Of tradition, the modern-day wedding toast is usually drunk in Champagne. Of course, you can choose an alternative libation with which to wash down the speeches at your own wedding and we’ll look at some options later.

The history of the toast

According to this article on The Feminist Bride, the story goes like this:

In days of yore, groups of people were often at war with neighbouring groups of people. Truces were often formed by marrying the offspring of respective leaders to each other. At the banquet table the bride’s father would be the first one to take a sip from a communal wine pitcher. This action sent the message to his guests that it wasn’t poisoned.

But why a toast? Well, wine was not always as sweet and smooth as it could be. To improve the situation, they’d pop a piece of burnt toast into the communal wine pitcher and that would absorb some of the acidity. And that’s how the term originated.

Choosing the tipple for your wedding toasts

As we said at the start of the blog, Champagne is the traditional choice. Then chances are it’s also the most expensive choice. That said, all our leading supermarkets do a fab job of giving you choices which includes their own label products.
This guide to what kind of champagne to serve at your wedding is worth a read if your heart is set on serving Champers.

But if your wallet simply isn’t elastic enough for Champagne, or it’s simply not to your taste, what else is appropriate for your wedding toasts? Let’s have a look at five fab alternatives to accompany your speeches.

1. Crémant

Staying with French sparkling wines consider Crémant. This article from The Guardian shows how Crémant gives you more fizz for your bucks than Champagne

2. Prosecco

Moving now to Italy there’s a sparkling wine that we’ve all become familiar with thanks to Fizz Friday: Prosecco. The success of Prosecco is something of a phenomenon that can’t be put down to its accessible price point alone. This article on the BBC website proffers reasons why that should be.
See also this blog from Born Again Swindonian on the topic of Prosecco. And, to go slightly off topic, Cava is a great fizz-alternative.
Further, as this article points out, it’s closer in taste to Champagne than is Prosecco. Not only is Cava closer in taste to Champagne than Prosecco, it’s made in the same method. But with different grapes. Find out much more about Cava on the Wine Folly website.

4. Signature cocktail

Are you planning a signature cocktail at your wedding? If so, substitute Champagne with that. Have jugs of the cocktail prepared and poured in glasses in readiness for when your guests sit down.

5. Do it with a shot

The niece of a friend of mine dis this. The half-Danish bride opted to give each guest a show glass engraved with her and her husbands initials. These were charged with snaps(it’s snaps not schnapps in Denmark) for the toasts. Skaal!
The glasses. along with a Lego mini-figure for each guest doubled as a wedding favour. Such personal touch!

Okay, so not everyone is keen on shots. But i you want to do it don’t hesitate. Your guests will only need a tiny taste. There’s also no need for them to down it in one either!

5. Go with whatever is on the tables

It’s not vital that you have a specific drink for your guests to toast with. You can simply let them toast with whatever they already have in front of them. It’s simple and if you’re on a budget it’s cost effective.

This blog should have been entitled 6 alternatives to Champagne, as your guests who choose not to share an alcoholic toast should be catered for too. There may be a variety of reason’s why they don’t drink alcohol. Including, health, they are driving, they don’t drink alcohol etc.

Raise your glasses 

While we’re on the subject of toasts and speeches, we’ll leave you with this guide of the running order of speeches. It’s good to know who speaks when.
Though don’t get bogged down in what has always been the way to do things. You can make your own traditions and way of doing things that feels right for you.

What are you planning for your wedding toasts? Champagne or something different? Let us know via our social media channels – we’d love to hear from you. Find our contact details here.

Until next time: Salute, Cin Cin, and Cheers! Oh – and not forgetting Skaal!

Our Packages

So that’s everything you need to know about drinks for the wedding toast. We hope this info had been useful and will help you choose your beverage for your wedding toast.

We have a range of venue styling packages to help you transform your venue and create a celebration space where you can live your dream wedding day. See our venue decor packages

And for wedding flower packages visit this page.

Credits

Venue for main photo : Wrag Barn

Wedding gowns : Fairytale Occasions

Suits: Fox in House

MUA:  Holly Andersen

Wedding Cupcakes : Fays Fairy Cakes

Wedding flowers and Venue styling : Fabulous Functions UK

Accessory Hire: Fabulous Functions UK