Planning A Secret Wedding: A Step-By-Step Guide

Planning a surprise wedding is a great way to delight your guests. It involves planning a celebration of some sort, such as an engagement party, holiday party or summer picnic, which is actually a cover for the wedding. Once your closest friends and family are gathered in one place, you can reveal the big surprise. To ensure a great turnout, you'll need to dream up a creative decoy, such as using a milestone birthday as an excuse to get everyone together. You'll also need to secure the traditional wedding basics, such as getting your marriage license and an officiant, and hiring your caterer and entertainment.

How to legally officiate a surprise wedding

To legally officiate a surprise wedding, you will need a celebrant on hand to officiate the marriage. Celebrants are required to submit a 'Notice of Intended Marriage' a minimum of one month prior to the wedding, so make sure you engage a celebrant at least six weeks before the surprise.

You will also need to secure the traditional wedding basics, such as getting your marriage license.

To ensure a great turnout, you will need to dream up a creative decoy. For example, you could plan the wedding a week before or after a 30th or other milestone birthday and claim it is to celebrate this occasion. The most common ruse is to use the engagement party as a cover for the wedding.

The momentous part of your party will be when you unveil the real reason why your guests have been invited, so get creative!

Choosing a date and venue

When choosing a date and venue for your surprise wedding, it's important to consider the availability of key people and resources. You'll need to book a celebrant or officiant, as well as a photographer and videographer, as soon as you've set a date. Wedding photographers and videographers can book up nine to 14 months in advance, so it's important to plan ahead. Choosing an off-season date and avoiding Saturdays can help you secure your vendors if your wedding is last-minute.

When it comes to the venue, consider a location that aligns with your theme or the reason you've gathered your guests. For example, if you're planning a surprise wedding during a family holiday, choose a venue that's on location or nearby. If you're using an engagement party as a ruse, consider holding your wedding at the same venue to avoid raising suspicions.

It's also important to give your guests a good dress code. They'll want to feel their best and will appreciate the opportunity to dress up for a wedding. You can also involve your guests in the ceremony to make it more interactive and novel. For example, you could have all your guests' names in a hat and pull out a name for a guest to do a reading.

Finally, don't forget to secure the traditional wedding basics, such as obtaining your marriage license and hiring a caterer and entertainment. By planning ahead and being flexible, you can ensure that your surprise wedding goes off without a hitch!

Planning a creative decoy

The most common decoy is to throw an engagement party, but you could also plan a holiday party, a summer picnic, or even a birthday party. If your family is already getting together for a planned holiday, you could seize the moment and plan something on location. Alternatively, you could plan your wedding a week before or after a milestone birthday and claim it is to celebrate this occasion.

You could also get your guests involved in the ceremony to make it more novel. For example, you could put all your guests' names in a hat and pull one out at random to do a reading.

Make sure you give your guests a good dress code. They'll want to have worn something amazing as soon as they realise it's a wedding and will be wishing they'd gone the extra mile.

Photography and videography

Planning a surprise wedding can be a tricky task, but it's definitely doable with the right approach. One of the most important aspects of any wedding is the photography and videography, which will capture all the special moments of your big day. Here are some tips to help you plan and execute the perfect surprise wedding, with a focus on photography and videography.

First and foremost, it's crucial to book your photographer and videographer as early as possible. Wedding photographers are in high demand and tend to book up quickly, so securing their services well in advance is essential. Aim to book at least nine to fourteen months ahead of your desired date, and consider choosing an off-season date or avoiding Saturdays to increase your chances of getting your preferred vendors.

On the day of your surprise wedding, it's a good idea to have portrait photos taken before your guests arrive. This will ensure you have beautiful, intimate shots of just the two of you, capturing the excitement and anticipation of the day. After the ceremony, be sure to take some family photos as well, and don't forget the candid shots of your guests, who will likely be delighted and surprised to be attending a wedding!

To ensure your guests are dressed to impress, provide them with a dress code. They'll want to look their best when they realise they're attending a wedding, so give them a heads-up without giving away the surprise. You can also involve your guests in the ceremony to make it more interactive and fun. For example, you could have a hat with all your guests' names and pull out a name for a guest to do a reading.

When it comes to planning a surprise wedding, creativity is key. Think of a creative decoy to ensure a great turnout. For example, you could plan an engagement party or a holiday get-together with family and friends, and then surprise them with the wedding. This way, you'll have all your loved ones in one place, ready to celebrate this special moment with you.

Dress code

It's important to give your guests a good dress code so that they feel they've made an effort when they find out it's a wedding. You want them to feel like they're dressed for the occasion and not underdressed. You could suggest that they wear something amazing, or go the extra mile.

You could also give them a theme to follow, such as black tie or cocktail attire. This will help to ensure that everyone is dressed appropriately for the surprise wedding.

If you're having a more casual wedding, you could suggest that guests wear something comfortable and relaxed, such as a nice summer dress or a smart casual outfit.

It's also a good idea to give guests a heads-up about the dress code in advance so that they have time to plan their outfits. You could include the dress code on the invitation or send out a separate email or message with the details.

Frequently asked questions