Dear DBS, How to make it special?

I’m having multiple weddings because I'm from two different countries. I had a small Catholic wedding abroad for all my family that can’t travel to be with us due to their health and finances. I am now having another bigger wedding in the US for my family and friends here. It's technically a celebration of marriage "wedding” because we’re legally married and have exchanged our rings. We couldn’t exchange our personally written vows at our religious ceremony, so we plan to do that at our celebration here. How else can we make our ceremony just as special, so that our family and friends don't feel like they missed out on the real wedding?

Wow...bless your heart. You’re gonna deserve a good long honeymoon after planning two whole weddings. And you’re thinking of your guests and loved ones while you do it. You’re our hero!!

We have no doubt that the US wedding will be special because it’ll be your guests’ first time seeing you both and celebrating you as a couple.

The best thing to do is to let your guests see your face and hear your own heart with your voice. There are many ways to let them know how much it means to you that they are attending your wedding.

Here are some ideas to make your second wedding unique and special for you and your guests.

• Set the stage for an intimate time together with a warm welcome upon arrival. A beautiful note from you and yours welcoming them to the ceremony could be displayed at the entrance. Or a point person could be there to receive and greet your guests.

• Incorporate your guests into the ceremony. You could have a special piece of music played or sung by a beloved guest, or have someone that you love read a scripture, poem or another excerpt that is meaningful to you.

• If you’re having a reception, put pictures from your first ceremony out so the guests can see them. You could make them a part of the centerpieces, place settings or hang around the dance floor.

• Make the rounds. Spend a little time with each of your guests if your wedding isn’t too big.

• Take a group picture. This is a great way to get everyone together for a moment that will commemorate your guests forever.

• Share a slideshow of pics from your relationship.

• Prepare a toast. Thank your guests. Acknowledge them. Give credit where credit is due.

• Stand up and share your story as a couple during or after the meal.

• Have a dance party with music you love and spend time cutting a rug with your friends.

• Ask your guests to request a song. They could email it to you ahead of time and the DJ could add it to the playlist.

• Choose a coffee table book instead of a traditional guest book. It could be about the country where you had your first wedding. Your guests can write in the margins or on the pictures and you will love displaying it in your home.

• Let the food you serve tell a story. Maybe the food is a nod to guests that are there in attendance, like using favorite family recipes. You can give the backstory to your culinary choices on the printed menu. Like, Tia Tina's most famous Ecuadorian Green Banana Soup.

• Give everyone a gift or favor that represents the country abroad where you met or had your initial ceremony. You could even include a handwritten note to each guest.

The more you share about you and your husband, the more your guests will feel a part of the story. These are just some ideas. No matter what you do, we can see you have a heart for your guests and they will feel the love. It’s going to be an awesome celebration and we couldn’t be happier for you.