A wedding day is something many people dream of. It's a specially designed occasion to celebrate finding the love of your life and starting your happily ever after. Naturally, you'll want to share it with all of your family and friends, and sometimes that's hard to achieve due to distance or other issues. In some cases, the couple should consider having weddings in two locations. Needless to say, such a decision requires a substantial budget and preparations since planning a wedding in two different states means doubling up on everything. Still, with research and a good strategy, you can make the whole process easier.
Most common reasons for having two weddings
There are a couple of reasons for planning a wedding in two different states. The most common one is the distance between the birthplaces of the future newlyweds. Of course, both sides want their loved ones present on this special day, so you need to find ways to make it work. If your families live across the state, it can be hard to fly all of them for a reception, especially if you have in mind a big wedding. In addition, meeting halfway won't do much for either side. In such cases, opting for two weddings is the best solution.
Finding the right one to share your life with is a significant achievement. That means you're ready to accept someone's flaws, but also that you've learned to compromise and grow as people. Perhaps, you two don't care much about where and how the wedding ceremony will be performed, but your families and friends might disagree. Planning two weddings is an exhausting process. However, you get to experience the fun two times!
In the past decade, a destination wedding has become quite a thing. Let's face it; nothing beats having a romantic wedding in a tropical paradise or the city you two first met. However, having your extended family and friends there can be tricky. It's not only expensive but perhaps requires special paperwork. That's why many couples decide to have a small, romantic wedding in the place of their dreams, followed by a big wedding reception at home.
Destination weddings are a great way to combine a wedding ceremony with a honeymoon.
Photo by Asdrubal Luna via Unsplash
You'll need all the help you can get
Both of your weddings will require similar preparation, which is excellent since you'll have some experience after the first one. This will come in handy, especially if your ceremonies are not too close together date-wise. If you'll have both weddings in the same month, hiring a wedding planner and preparing a second wedding remotely is something you can't avoid.
Other than that, both preparations will go through the same process. You'll need to find perfect venues, wedding photographers, invitations, catering, rehearsals, and other things weddings shouldn't go without. Perhaps both families can assist you in executing most of the steps. According to moving and storage specialists from nycministorage.com, family help is a game-changer for finding the best local services. They've assisted many weddings by relocating the furniture, photo boots, props, and decor to venues, especially when it comes to outdoor wedding receptions. With your family's help, you can relax and focus on more important things, like spending time with your better half. Weddings can be stressful, so finding time for each other during the upcoming months is vital.
Planning a wedding in two different states is not an easy task. Your family will be happy to help you because your wedding day is a very special celebration for them too.
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Setting up a budget for the weddings
Any significant event in your life requires good preparation to minimize potential issues. The essential initial step in any wedding is being realistic about your finances. Make two budgets based on the size of the ceremonies and guest lists.
However, even with good financial planning, you can expect some unexpected costs. In such cases, you might need to improvise or ask your family to help you.
Save some money on the second wedding
Even with the assistance of a wedding planner, it is a good idea to interfere with thoughts on the decor, flowers, wedding props, or any other detail of the wedding. Perhaps you've dreamed about special lighting for your outdoor venue. Or maybe custom signs, fake flowers, torches, fireworks, and million other small things that make weddings photos dreamy.
To cut some costs, consider re-using the same decor and props, arranging it differently. You can temporarily store everything necessary until your second wedding in a self-storage unit and ship it when the time comes. This type of storage can be useful in many different ways.
With a bit of creativity, both of your wedding venues can look unique.
Photo by Asad Photo Maldives via Pexels
The benefits of having two weddings
Regardless of the extra work and money put in planning a wedding in two different states, be sure you won't regret it. Weddings create lifelong memories! You get to wear not one but two perfect dresses marrying the same person. That is something not many people are lucky enough to do! In addition, both of your weddings will be special. After you say "I do", your family will significantly extend. Your first wedding might be a bit more stressful and exciting. However, the second one will be more enjoyable and relaxed.
This is a guest post. Risa James Events has no financial relationship with any companies linked within.