Covid second wedding celebration/vow renewal

It wasn't my celebration, but we attended a backyard after-wedding celebration last October for my FH's cousins who got married in Hawaii. They are currently stationed there because he's in the Navy and they wanted a very quiet ceremony, so just the two of them were there. Anyways, they visited and wanted to have SOMETHING to celebrate, so we kept the party REALLY casual. It was like backyard BBQ style, we had brisket and a bunch of delicious sides and cornish game hen. They ordered a cake and did the whole cake cutting thing as well, which was fun, and the family made her a bouquet from some flowers they got at the grocery store. It was a lot of fun and laid back. They didn't re-do a ceremony or anything, but we did have a good time, especially because it was just very casual and while they did some of the traditional aspects of a wedding (cake cutting, bouquet toss, champagne toasts), it was just a time to have fun. So I love the idea of having something after.

For me though, I personally wouldn't go all fancy again. That's just my taste, but we decided if we couldn't have everyone there we weren't going to do a second celebration. That's completely up to you though! Either way, it'll be fun to be with everyone you love!

Hello wedding date/location/style twin!! I also got married on January 16th in a 20 person microwedding in Florida (Destin, to be exact). While it was a lovely day, you are right -- it was downright cold and windy. So much so that my rehearsal on the beach the day before was completely ruined because everyone was so cold and miserable. We ended up going with our Plan B ceremony in the resort ballroom (instead of on the deck overlooking the beach). I can laugh about it now, but I was disappointed and not happy at the time. My husband and I intend to do watch parties in our hometowns to show the wedding films to our friends and family who could not attend the actual wedding. We're thinking something low key -- BBQ or seafood boil and perhaps another wedding cake. We aren't doing the formal vow renewal/wedding thing -- we just want to have a good time with our loved ones. We hadn't really given any thought to the date we'd do it . . . I was really monitoring what happens with COVID to determine when we do it. I'm hoping we can actually have them during late summer/early fall this year. We'll see.

It's totally up to you Laura!!

You can have a casual event that just feels like a party dedicated to celebrating your marriage, or you can do go all in on the wedding traditions again (unity ceremony, wedding dress, traditional reception dances, cake-cutting, etc.) It's all up to your personal preference!

And you definitely don't need to wait until an anniversary or a specific date! The "why" behind the when is just waiting until you feel comfortable enough with covid to celebrate with all your friends & family. 💕

We're planning a renewal and reception in October 2021 after being married with 20 family members in October 2020. We're planning BBQ, lots of music and casual vibe for the party (in a barn in NJ) but we do want a renewal ceremony... although trying to be creative with that.

Personally, I think anything you decide to do will be perfect! Best of luck!