Why not surprise your guests by holding your legal marriage ceremony during your engagement or birthday party? The bride, groom, and celebrant will all need to be in on the plan, and prepare the Notice of Intended Marriage at least a month before the date.
- People just can't keep a secret. They will tell their spouse/mum/friend/hairdresser, and before you know it, everyone knows that the party will be your wedding. Tell as few people as possible about your plans if you are aiming for maximum excitement.
- Your guests may feel that it's OK to be late to a party, and may miss the big event. You could either have the wedding an hour into the party, or be prepared to have those people who arrived late miss out (their loss!)
- Some guests (especially if they live further away) won't show up to both the engagement party and the wedding - they'll just choose the wedding. In that case, you will need to find some incentive for them to attend the engagement party, or accept that they won't be there. People who are really special to you will make the effort to be there.
- Some of your guests will be at weddings every second weekend, especially if they are in that age group where everyone is getting married. For others, like your grandmother, an engagement party and wedding are 2 anticipated social events on their annual calendar. They may feel like you have robbed them of one if you marry at your engagement party.
- You may receive less gifts by combining the 2 events (but how many toasters do you need, anyway?)
- There'll be some guests who are disappointed, saying, "I would have had my hair done/bought a new dress/made you something special if I knew this was your wedding!". But none of this material stuff really matters in the long run.
- Will you show up to the party first, dressed in a party outfit, then slip away to change? Or just be married in a party outfit? Or will you arrive after the guests are already assembled, and walk down the aisle in white? (you'll need to come up with an alibi if you're not there to meet guests as they arrive - you could be picking up the cake, having photos at the park, or just picking up a friend from the station)
- You'll need to plan with your celebrant how the announcement will work. Perhaps the guests will walk in to the engagement party, then see a sign like the one pictured above. Perhaps the DJ will play an appropriate wedding song, or your MC or celebrant could make the exciting announcement that you're going to be married.
- Make sure you have a photographer/videographer on hand to catch the expressions on the faces of your guests, as you may not see it all yourself. There will be gasps, tears, laughter, and applause, and you'll want to watch it over and over again.
- And lastly, Enjoy! This will be a night to remember!
