Before we dive into all the practical tips, I want to address what we here at the podcast think is kind of an unfair stigma when it comes to this type of wedding. Which is that you can't be as excited to plan your wedding if you're closer to middle age, which honestly, what does that even mean being middle aged these days? If you are planning a second wedding or a delayed wedding, it seems like a lot of people feel like you can't be as excited or you feel weird for being super excited about your wedding and this could not be further from the truth.

So let me be the one to the record straight. Every love story is unique. Every wedding is worth celebrating whether you're planning your first wedding later in life, renewing your vows, getting married for a second or a third time, or finally getting to plan that dream wedding of yours that you have been delaying or postponing for whatever reason. Your excitement and joy are just as valid and deserving of a celebration! Love is a beautiful thing. Finding a person is so special and the decision to celebrate it should be met with enthusiasm and support no matter your circumstances.

Take for example, the many couples who got pregnant during Covid and are just now planning their weddings after they had their babies. They are faced with obviously unique challenges and delays, but that doesn't diminish the joy and excitement they feel about their big day. In fact, their journey is a testament to their resilience and love and making their wedding even more meaningful.

One of our earlier weddings way back when the company was started, they were both in their forties and had both been married previously. They were together for 10 years, but they were finally deciding to get married and had the most amazing and crazy party! It wasn't just a wedding, it was a wedding festival complete with a concert stage with lighting and the whole shebang. They had a Rolling Stones cover band from Texas and a Fleetwood Mac cover band from Philadelphia. We had a production trailer, giant lights in the fields for parking. It was basically a music festival with a wedding ceremony thrown in. They had this beautiful sunset ceremony on their dock and decided to jump into the lake after their ceremony. It was so hot that a bunch of their guests jumped in after them, but why not? It's a wedding festival, right?

So, just because you're having your wedding later in life, doesn't mean you can't have a party and you can't celebrate your wedding. I think it's time that we change the narrative on these “second chance weddings”. If you're finally going to have a wedding that you've been wanting and you've waited a while, know that your excitement is valid. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Celebrate your love story with all the joy and enthusiasm it deserves. After all, every wedding is a beautiful celebration of love and that is something that we should all always be excited about!

One thing we always emphasize is the importance of setting your priorities first and foremost, and that is also still true with this type of wetting. No matter what kind of wedding you are planning, your priorities will shape every decision you make and how you allocate your budget. For many of us, one of the top priorities is creating an unforgettable experience, and when I say experience, I mean two things, your guest's experience and your ability to remain present on your wedding day.

First, let's talk about the guest experience, whether you're having a small intimate gathering or a larger celebration with your 200 closest friends at a wedding festival, making sure your guests feel welcomed and appreciated is key. This could mean investing in great food and drinks, providing comfortable accommodations or even planning thoughtful entertainment. When your guests are having a great time, it adds to the overall joy and excitement and atmosphere of your wedding day.

So now let's talk about you. Your ability to remain present on your wedding day is just as important, if not more. Weddings can be overwhelming and it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everything, but by prioritizing your own experience, you can ensure that you are able to soak in every moment, enjoy your time with loved ones and truly celebrate your union. This might mean hiring a wedding planner or a wedding coordinator to handle logistics. Choosing a venue that requires minimal decorating or scheduling moments throughout the day just to take some time and take it all in and breathe and be with each other. Because the day, like I said, goes by so fast.

Let's talk about planning a smaller or more low key wedding. Not because I think it has to be that way for a second wedding or a delayed wedding, but just because I know that's what people often do. First off, you may still need all of the same vendors, even if you're having a more “low key wedding”. Just because your wedding is smaller or more casual, it doesn't mean you won't need professionals to help bring your vision to life. You'll still likely need a photographer, caterer, florist, maybe even a DJ or a band, an officiant of some sort, a sound system, because even if you have 50 people, people can't hear and you want people to hear your vows. So, I want you to remember casual is not always cheaper.

Sometimes scaling down the guest list or opting for a more relaxed vibe doesn't significantly cut costs, especially when you want to maintain quality. A good example of this is having a backyard wedding. So, my friend's brother and his girlfriend just eloped to Italy not even two weeks ago, but now she wants to plan a mini wedding for their friends and family here, now that their back. He wants to have it in their backyard, and I told my friend, you cannot let them do that. If they want something that's truly low key, you cannot let them have it in their backyard. You have to bring in a tent, maybe a restroom trailer, someone to cater it, someone who's going to provide some kind of decor, you'll need something for power and oh my gosh, the list goes on.

So while you can definitely have an incredibly intimate, personal and casual backyard wedding, backyard weddings are often more complicated than a traditional wedding. You are essentially transforming a non-traditional space that's not meant to host an event, into a fully functioning wedding venue. This means arranging for rentals, like I said, tents, tables, chairs. Don't forget about weather, guys! Not to mention you'll need to think about parking, lighting, sound equipment.

With all of these details, I think it's safe to say that hiring a wedding planner would become even more important because a planner can help you navigate these complexities and ensure that everything runs smoothly because if there's bad weather or something happens, you don't want to be the one that's dealing with it. And don't forget, you are also still going to need a timeline, some form of entertainment and all the other elements that make a wedding memorable.

Just because your wedding is smaller, doesn't mean you get to skip the structure. Having a timeline helps keep the day on track and ensures that you get to enjoy every moment without feeling rushed or stressed. Entertainment, like I said, is also key, whether it's live music, a DJ, or even a playlist that sets the mood, it's basically the soundtrack to your day. Your guests will definitely appreciate the effort you put into making the day enjoyable for them because I'm sure they're probably going to be super excited for you too because they've also been waiting for this to happen for you guys.