“How can we have a ‘Naked Wedding’?”

During Marriage Week 2021, the 10 – 16 May, celebrate your relationship by making a definite decision about the future and proposing to your partner! Let us know if you do and to help you on your way, we’ve come up with some thoughts on how to have a simple, stripped back ‘Naked Wedding’.

I’m assuming that because you’re reading this, getting married is something that you’ve thought about, but the cost of the wedding has stopped you going any further. However, if you’re still working this out, this could be the time that you and your partner have a ‘Forever Conversation’ and decide if you think there might be a long-term future for you both.  To help you think this through, take a look at our ‘Forever Conversation’ questionsPlease keep in mind that these questions are for any couple who think they are ready to consider the next stage in their relationship, regardless of length of relationship – some couples are ready for this sooner than others, but most will certainly be ready for this conversation after 2 years or more.

If you and your partner know that you’re ready to make that commitment of ‘together forever’ and want to get married.  It’s time to think about making it possible by considering a micro ‘Naked Wedding’. Take a look at the points below to help you think about your day:

  1. What are the minimum requirements for your day, the absolute essentials for you both as a couple?
  2. Having decided on the essentials, decide what you’d like to spend and are able to spend, remembering that this is about just one day of your entire married lives together.
  3. Legally, you will need to have either a registry office wedding or a church wedding. If you’re considering a church wedding, the cost of this wedding will depend on the denomination so find out from your preferred church if you can get married there and how much it will cost you.
  4. Some churches have facilities that would mean that you could have a simple reception there – find out if this is a possibility.
  5. Do you have friends and family that could help out with any aspect of the day such as flowers, catering, photography etc.?
  6. Look into hiring or buying second-hand bridal wear.
  7. Think about live streaming your wedding so that you can invite lots of people to be part of your day by watching from home rather than attending in person.

 

The reception can be one of the costliest elements of a wedding so think about whether you’d like to have a reception.  And if you do, decide what reception you’d like to have and how many people you’d like to invite.  Below are some ideas for you to think about:

  1. Traditional sit-down meal for your nearest and dearest, perhaps with a cap of around 30 people.
  2. A cake and fizz reception. If you choose a church, ask if you can offer ‘cake and fizz’ to your guests after your ceremony.  This could also include your speeches and photos.
  3. Hiring a room at a lovely restaurant for your closest family and friends.
  4. Community ‘bring & share’ wedding buffet – ask your guests to bring a dish to share with everyone.
  5. You don’t have to have an evening party, plenty of people don’t, but if you prefer, you could consider having your wedding ceremony later in the day.  This could then be immediately followed by speeches and a party with a really simple buffet (again, ask your guests to contribute!).

 

After the legal part of your ceremony, you really can do whatever you’d like to, including a small gathering in a home, a barbecue, maybe food and drink at a pub, a picnic or simply end the wedding after the ceremony and then just the two of you have time together, sharing a special wedding day meal.  This really is your day, and you can make it the day that reflects you both as a couple and includes the elements that are the most important to you.  This special day of love, commitment and, promises to one another is a marriage for the sake of marriage and not a wedding for the sake of a wedding!In the lead up to and throughout Marriage Week 2021, we will be adding stories of  simple, stripped-back weddings to this website which you can read on the Marriage Week blog. Here are some other online links that you might also find interesting to view:

Sorry, big weddings probably won’t be back for a few years

The Message – Events

Weddingangels.org.uk

Eloping: What is eloping and how do you elope in the UK?

The Pandemic cancelled these couples’ weddings, so they eloped instead

Pop-up weddings – affordable weddings and vow renewals

Wedding blessings in the Church

Our pandemic wedding was so special

We had two months to prepare for our pandemic wedding!

The story of a socially distant wedding

Woman has nans as bridesmaids after Covid rules hit wedding

Michaela Hyde

Michaela is the coordinator of UK National Marriage Week and the executive director of Marriage Foundation. She’s married to Nick and they have two teenage children.

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Marriage Week 2020

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