Wedding Considerations When It is a Second Marriage
In today's world, it seems that almost any topic is open for
debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was
quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were
settled are actually still being openly discussed.
Second marriages require a host of issues that differ from the
preparations for a first marriage. In addition to all the
logistics relating to party plan that plague a first wedding,
second time brides and grooms deal with additional issues. Some
of these issues include legal issues, determining who pays for
the wedding, deciding what type of attire the bride and groom
will wear and possibly even dealing with having your own
children involved in the process if either of you already have
children from a previous marriage.
The most important wedding consideration in a second marriage is
the legal documentation. It is imperative that you obtain
certifiable proof that you are no longer legally married to
another person before you enter into a second marriage. If you
previous spouse is deceased a death certificate would serve as
proof. If your previous spouse is still alive, you will need to
acquire a divorce decree as proof that you are no longer married.
The subject of the cost of the wedding and who bears the
financial burden is an important consideration if you are
dealing with a second marriage. The bride's parents typically
pay for a first marriage but if this is the second marriage for
the bride, the parents may not be willing or able to pay for a
second wedding. In this situation the couple themselves will
usually shoulder the financial burdens of the wedding. This is
not a cause for concern because when the wedding is for a second
marriage, the event is usually not as extravagant as a wedding
for a first marriage. If the couple is paying for the wedding
themselves, they should focus on setting a budget beforehand and
ensuring that they do not exceed their budget constraints.
However, if this is a second marriage for the groom but the
first marriage for the bride, the bride's parents may be excited
to help in paying for the wedding. Even though the bride's
parents are paying for the wedding, the couple may still opt for
a simple wedding that does not put a financial strain on the
parents.
You can see that there's practical value in learning more about
weddings. Can you think of ways to apply what's been covered so
far?
The subject of wedding attire is another important consideration
when planning a wedding for a second marriage. It's important to
remember that although some people may disapprove of a bride
wearing white when it is her second marriage it really doesn't
matter what others think. The most important thing is that the
couple themselves feel comfortable with their choices. If the
bride wants to wear white even though it is her second wedding,
she should go ahead and do so. Whether the couple chooses to
walk down the aisle in traditional wedding attire or jeans and
sneakers is completely up to them. They should not let the
potential of disapproval by others affect their attire choices.
If either the bride or groom has children from a previous
relationship, the couple will have to deal with issues relating
to the children. The couple will want to discuss their wedding
plans with the children early in their engagement to give the
children plenty of time to adjust to the idea that their parent
will be remarrying. It's important that you inform your
ex-spouse of your wedding plans at the same time as your
children so that you are not putting your child in the difficult
situation of keep a secret from their other parent. Once your
child has been informed of the wedding plans, discuss the
planning with them and ask them how much they would like to be
involved. If they are not comfortable with the plans they may
not want to be too involved initially but this may change once
the planning starts to get more exciting. Children can be
involved in the wedding in a number of ways. Depending on their
age they can serve as flower girls and ring bearers or
bridesmaids and groomsmen. Children can also play a role in the
planning process by helping with decorations, favors and
decisions that need to be made. The more involved they are, the
less likely they are to feel left out and resentful about the
wedding.
Planning a wedding that is a second marriage for either or both
members of the couple involves a few extra precautions and
issues. Having your legal documentation proving that you are no
longer married is the most important issue in a second marriage.
Beyond that other issues relate to finances, attire and
children.
So now you know a little bit about wedding. Even if you don't
know everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've
expanded your knowledge.