Encore Wedding Planning and Gift Q & A

Should we have a big or small wedding?

Dear Polite One,

We are both in our forties and I've been married before, but he hasn't. I have a pre-teen daughter and he has no children. What type of ceremony is appropriate for our situation? Since I had all the trimmings the first time, should we this time? He really would like a traditional all-out wedding/reception.

Interested in Propriety

Dear Interested in Propriety,

Go for it! This is a new beginning for both of you as a couple. Celebrate and enjoy it. There are few restrictions for encore/second-time brides these days. Elements to be avoided would be a blusher veil and your father escorting you down the aisle. However, your daughter would be a great choice of escort.

Tossing your garter and bouquet is probably not a great idea as well. And because you would be hosting, not your parents, you and your husband would be at the head of your reception line.

Other than that, the sky is the limit. You can have the wedding that you desire, register for gifts, include a bridal party, all of it.

If this were a 3rd, 4th... wedding, to some it might appear gauche to wear a traditional gown though.

Sincerely,

The Polite One

What is a proper encore wedding gift?

Dear Polite One,

While not a first wedding for either of my friends, they are getting married after living together for a decade. Since she is an avid cook, I considered new knives but am not sure if this is considered a proper wedding gift.

Best Friend

Dear Best Friend,

In the past, knives were considered inappropriate. It’s crazy by our standards, but people actually believed that the gift of knives meant you wanted to “sever” the relationship. Thankfully, we are beyond that silliness.

You are a very generous friend. It is a great gift. One, I believe she will love.

Sincerely,

The Polite One

Please Read

Do I give a gift or what?

Encore Wedding Planning

4 of the Most Asked Wedding Etiquette Questions Answered

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Which Color is or is not Taboo for Wedding Attire?

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Anti-Clueless Advice: Wedding Guest Attire Decoded

In the movie "You Again," Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver — as mothers of bride and groom – both wore red, off-the-shoulder dresses to the rehearsal dinner. Yikes! All eyes traveled to the attractive red dots floating around the room. This, of course, isn't the best attire for mothers to wear to any wedding-related event. But, what about wedding guests? What is proper attire for wedding guests to wear to the wedding and how is it determined? Pay Attention to the Details The wedding invitation is our first clue to the formality of the wedding, and thus to our attire. The heaviness of the paper, time of day, and the type of venue give us hints. Usually, daytime weddings are less formal. Couples use heavier paper for invitations for formal weddings. Most often they will include the wording, "Formal" or "Black Tie" in the lower left-hand corner. And, if the venue seems formal, the wedding usually is as well. Of cour

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