With everything still slightly up in the air, and travel definitely tricky to plan, maybe the latest Minimony trend is right for you?
The Covid-19 pandemic has spawned, or shone the light on many wedding trends. The micro-wedding, the elopement and the sequel wedding to name but a few. One such trend that is red-hot right now with couples nervous about booking their big day with a large guest list, is the Minimony.
What is the Minimony
A mini ceremony. It's the love child of a micro-wedding, and an elopement. Couples that choose a Minimony usually plan a very small, non-religious ceremony that is only to be attended by their closest friends, and family. This type of ceremony became very popular during the worst of the pandemic, at a time when gatherings needed to kept intimate. However, they remain popular with people who still only want to celebrate with their loved ones, and/or are cautious of planning an event to large.
You also have the option to make your Minimony a commitment ceremony, in honour of your original wedding date, before actually marrying on your rescheduled date. It's a lovely way to still work with a selection of your suppliers, and to give a handful of your guests a preview of what's to come from your bigger wedding celebration at a later date.
How to Plan a Minimony
If you’ve chosen to throw a Minimony because you've postponed your wedding, you might still decide that a small wedding on or close to your original date is right for you. This is where the Minimony comes into its own. It’s completely up to you whether you choose to make this your legal ceremony, or you simply marry with a celebrant. Later in the year or next year, you could follow up with a larger wedding with all the people and celebrations you had originally planned.
It may not be the day you originally planned, but for many couples, it’s about the promises they are making to each, rather than the spectacular celebrations. Anyway, this way you’ll have two special days: the day of your Minimony, and the day of your 'sequel wedding' ceremony and reception.
Here’s how to throw a wonderful Minimony:
Wear Your Wedding Outfits: This is your wedding ceremony, so wear the outfits you planned to wear on the big day. If you haven’t been able to collect it yet, then wear some of what you do have, like the shoes, accessories, or wedding day lipstick. You'll feel amazing and look beautiful in it, so why not wear it twice? But if you want to keep it a secret, that’s more than fair too!
Or Go For a Different Look: If you want to save your wedding outfits for a later celebration, you can go wild with your Minimony look! Always fancied a bridal jumpsuit instead of a traditional dress? Now is your chance to be a bit more experimental, as you'll get the best of both worlds!
Get Creative with Your Location: Depending on whether you make your Minimony legally binding or not, you can get really creative with your venue. Is your favourite restaurant licensed for weddings? If your Minimony isn't going to be legally binding, you could always have it in your garden, or your local forest! Just make sure you check the latest coronavirus wedding guidance before you make plans.
Hire a Celebrant: Celebrants add a whole new level of personality to your wedding ceremony, and can make your Minimony entirely about you as a couple.
Write Your Own Vows: With a smaller guest list, you might feel more inclined to write your own wedding vows.
Limit Yourself to Close Friends and Family: In case you haven't guessed it yet, the idea of a Minimony isn’t to have your original guest list attending in their entirety. A Minimony should be small and intimate, with just your absolute closest loved ones.
Save Your Original Vows for Later: Vows, speeches and readings don’t all need to be said at your Minimony. You can save these for your ceremony and reception at the later date, especially if the best man’s speech will be better in front of a crowd.
Celebrity Minimonies
Everyone's wedding plans were impacted during the pandemic, even celebs and royals! Plenty of A-list stars had Minimonies to celebrate their love and commitment to each other.
Ariana Grande & Dalton Gomez
Ariana Grande married Dalton Gomez in a stylish minimony at her home this year. She wore a Vera Wang gown, veil , and adorned it with a pretty bow.
Princess Beatrice & Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Princess Beatrice shocked the world when she announced that she'd married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in an intimate chapel wedding. This intimate occasion was not attended by thousands, or beamed across the globe, instead it was a small affair with just close family. She was extra-creative with her bridal attire, choosing to repurpose a vintage dress which belonged to the Queen.
Lily Allen & David Harbour
Yes, that's right, Lily Allen got married! And she got married to that guy from Stranger Things!? This one passed under many people's radar's, mainly due to how they downplayed the event, and how small their Las Vegas nuptials were. The only attendees were her two children, and the pair were married by an experienced Elvis impersonator. They celebrated by tucking into In'n'Out Burgers, which goes to show you can be as creative or as casual as you like with your catering at your Minimony