Surprise Weddings are a fun alternative for creative, daring couples. They’re the perfect combination of excitement and emotion with the bonus Get Out of Jail Free card of eliminating all wedding-attached fanfare and social obligations. While Surprise Weddings embrace a carefree feel, there is an art to pulling off the perfect surprise. Here are seven organisational secrets to secure your Surprise Wedding success.
Polina & Jonathan. Captured by Wedding Photographer - Glenn Alderson.
Keep the engagement and sweet
To avoid spilling the secret, don’t wait for the big day. Wedding experts say three to six months from announcing your engagement will afford you all necessary planning time while keeping mum. An engagement party is the perfect cover during that window. Alternatively, you can hold off announcing your engagement until just before your chosen date to avoid any suspicion.
Irresistible Invites
Communicating the importance of the event without spilling the beans is one of the harder aspects of surprise weddings. Never fear, pretty invites are here! Strike a strong impression by posting out invites akin to wedding invites. Include a dress code and start time to allude to it being a more formal event. Don’t be afraid to use words like “prompt” or “sharp”, or something humorous to convey the point, to avoid guests arriving after the surprise.
PR Party-town
Once your invites are out, follow up personally. People are busy, and while your guests will be only too chuffed to celebrate your love, some might choose to wait for the “wedding” itself. Be willing to campaign a bit to encourage folks to come. This is where a carefully chosen helper or two might be handy.
Consider confidantes
While not entirely necessary, you can choose to confide your plans in a select few. You don’t need to exclude those you’ve always imagined planning your big day with. Having handy helpers to gently encourage others to make attending a priority is always a positive. Just be sure you only tell those with tight lips.
Wardrobe change
Greet your guests in a standard party outfit, and then when all of them arrive, sneak away and change into your wedding gown. Try to ebb your excitement and hold off on changing into your wedding dress too early. You’ll surprise everyone at once rather than as they trickle in, which makes for amazing photos and memories.
Give guests a game plan
Once you or your Celebrant reveal the big surprise, your guests may feel a little disoriented. Get your Celebrant to communicate the game plan of what is happening and when to allow your guests to relax into the fun.
Don’t stress
One of the many blessings of a surprise weddings is that there are literally no exceptions from your guests. By surprising them, you can enjoy the unique way in which you’ve decided to begin your lives together.
- Adelaide Weddings Chit Chat