Table of Contents
Introduction
Many couples make compromises to their wedding dreams. Unforeseen circumstances, like illness, finances, or even, in the past, Covid 19, can lead to you getting legally married with no wedding.
Likewise, some of you may still be in your planning stages and may not realise that it is not a necessity to have a legal marriage and your wedding at the same time.
Have you thought about celebrating your legal marriage at a later date and including a ceremony in that celebration? Did you even know this was an option? Discover all your options here.
Get Legally Married With No Wedding
The registration services offer a basic ‘no frills’ ceremony with just the two of you, your witnesses, and the Registrar in attendance. It’s as simple as saying 40 words, plus your names, and signing a witnessed entry to the register. It’s simple, no frills, and legally binding.
Is this what you decided to do in the end? Yes? Getting legally married with no wedding is a necessity for some couples at the time. However, as circumstances changed, are you now yearning to celebrate and share the joy of your commitment with a larger group? It is possible you know.
Perhaps you are still in the planning stages? Please do read on. You really do have a choice and many more options when you separate your legal marriage from your wedding day.
Celebrate the legal marriage with a wedding ceremony
Just because you are legally married, it does not mean that you cannot have a larger celebration with all your friends and family at a later date. What’s really cool is that you can include a wedding ceremony in that celebration too. This will be your wedding. This is the really special part.
This wedding ceremony is the reason for the celebration, an acknowledgement of your lifetime commitment to one another. The ceremony is the heartbeat of the day. Without it, the reason for the celebration often gets forgotten. It becomes a party, not a wedding.
The ceremony will bring your love to the forefront of the day and will resonate with everyone who attends.
Legally Married With No Wedding: Can I still have a ceremony?
The short answer is yes. There is a big difference between a wedding and a marriage.
The wedding represents the celebration part of the day. The marriage is a legal contract between you. Additionally, it is also your continued relationship, long after your wedding day.
The key point here is to remember, a wedding and a marriage are not the same at all, and they do not have to be held on the same day.
The wedding ceremony is an opportunity for your family and friends to get to understand you both and the foundation of your relationship, and to be part of a momentous occasion, of course!
And for you and your partner, it’s a moment to sincerely thank everyone for supporting you and shaping you into the people and couple you now are.
Although you may not realise it, by getting legally married with no wedding, I.E., getting the legalities out of the way, you have given yourself time, flexibility, and plenty of options for your wedding ceremony. Well done you!
The legal element is a boring necessity
There’s no getting away from it; the legalities are an essential element. A box that needs ticking. But, I guarantee it won’t be the element of a ceremony you’ll remember.
What you’ll both remember is that moment when you declare your love and lifetime commitment to one another in front of the special people in your lives.
Furthermore, think about it, as a guest, what part of a wedding ceremony do you remember? Those 40 or so contracting words that have been repeated time and time again? Or the couple’s vows, the exchange of rings, and their declaration of commitment to one another?
A united celebration of your love
There are many reasons why couples get legally married with no wedding. However, once circumstances change, wouldn’t it be wonderful to finally have your friends and family across generations, in one space, celebrating your union? Weddings are always special, but if you got legally married with no wedding because life was difficult at the time, then your celebration will be just that little bit more magical too. A double celebration!
Large or small, it will be a long-awaited occasion that some will think was never going to happen. It will be made all the more special and significant by the inclusion of a personal wedding ceremony.
Your friends and family will be delighted that, in the end, they were able to witness you committing to one another. New, happy memories will be created, and they will be enjoyed for a lifetime.
Where can I have this wedding ceremony and celebration
You can have this ceremony literally anywhere because you are legally married. In other words, it doesn’t need to be a licensed wedding venue. Your options are endless.
Any location is a possible ceremony venue, and I really mean anywhere! However, don’t worry, it can still be at licensed wedding venue if you have fallen in love with one.
It is so exciting, the options and opportunities are endless. Perhaps your chosen licensed venue has a particularly beautiful ceremonial space that isn’t licensed – it doesn’t have to be now.
So if you’ve always wanted your wedding ceremony to be in a wood, it can be in a wood! Perhaps your heart is set on a beach wedding? You can have it there too! I promise there really is nowhere where this cannot be done! Are you starting to see the benefits of being legally married with no wedding?
Who would create the ceremony
This can be a daunting prospect. Furthermore, you may not have a friend or family member who would be up for this important role.
There is no need to be daunted, however. An independent wedding celebrant will guide you as much or as little as you want with readings, music choices, vows, promises, and the structure of the ceremony.
Your celebrant can provide you with a traditional format to work from or take your unformed ideas and make them cohesive.
Your ceremony can be as formal or as informal as you would like. Working closely together, it will be designed to reflect you and your relationship, and with you both at the heart of it.
Can I wear my wedding dress and have bridesmaids?
Yes, yes, yes. Yes to everything. You got legally married with no wedding, now’s your chance to shine. You can do exactly what you want.
Personalise your ceremony
In the wedding world, there are many trends being bandied about, and none more so than personalisation, and rightly so. Free from the restrictions and rules of a registrar-led ceremony, anything is possible.
You may want to include aspects of a traditional church wedding or some spiritual or cultural ritual.
Including these can have a double effect. Not only do they personalise your ceremony, but they are a wonderful way of including family members and/or friends.
Religion and spirituality may not be for everyone, but each ceremony can be tailored to suit, and there are many symbolic ceremonies to choose from. Handfasting, unity candle, jumping the broom, and ring warming, to name but a few!
Without exception, they add a visual element to your ceremony and will certainly make it even more memorable.
Wedding planning
If you are starting out on your wedding planning journey and are feeling overwhelmed by options available to you, this may be the best way forward. It may well be the simplest way.
Yes, it’s two events rather than one. You get legally married with no wedding, then celebrate in your own unique way on a different date. However, boy does it give you flexibility and, most importantly, you will both be at the heart of it.
Alternatively, you may have planned, planned, planned. Then had to postpone, postpone, postpone, or, in some cases, even cancel. I completely understand if you are exhausted by the thought of planning any sort of celebration.
You may have moved on. You may feel, ‘well, we’re legally married with no wedding, what’s the point of planning something now?’ However, when the dust has settled, you could feel very different. After all, what is better than a darn good celebration and uniting everyone in a common goal, to celebrate and share in your love and happiness?
Legally married with no wedding: Get In Touch
Ceremonies have been used as markers to help make sense of our feelings, highlight their importance, and articulate how we feel for years. It must be because they truly work!
So, if you got legally married with no wedding, I’d love to help you design your ceremony to celebrate the way you wish it to be celebrated. So, if you feel diddled out of your wedding ceremony, contact me and I will tell you how I can help.
