My Top Tips for a Successful Surprise Wedding
If you’re getting married and dreading the deluge of different opinions on everything from wedding dresses to table centrepieces, then planning a surprise wedding could be the perfect way to keep those opinions to a minimum. Not only that, surprise weddings are a great way to really add that wow factor to your special day and capture some truly magical moments with your nearest and dearest.
Just recently, I had the honour of being included in the secret set up for Michaela and Ryan’s special day, when their “birthday party” turned into a full-on surprise wedding reception in the heart of Leeds city centre. After being part of such an amazing experience, it’s safe to say I’m a definite supporter of the surprise wedding. So much so, here are my top tips for planning your own successful surprise wedding day…
1. Plan it quick
First and foremost, if you’re planning a surprise wedding, I’d recommend you plan it relatively quickly. The longer the secret needs to be kept, the greater the chance of someone spilling the beans! That means looking at a timeline closer to 6 months rather than 2 years. It sounds challenging but with good organization, a trusty wedding planner (paper or person, whatever suits you) and the support of carefully chosen friends and family, it really can be done and done well. Michaela and Ryan planned their wedding in just 4 weeks! and the result was a truly fabulous intimate, wedding followed by the best surprise their friends and family had had in a long time (trust me, I captured all their surprised faces when secret came out) …
2. Have a good cover story
If you’re going to get everyone to the venue on time, ideally appropriately dressed and without bailing on you last minute, you need to have a believable, reasonable yet undeniable cover story. That means people won’t ask too many questions, they’ll be happy to attend and they’re going to honour their commitment. Birthdays can work well as a cover story if the dates match up closely enough and that’s how Ryan and Michaela did theirs, but another good option is to pick a venue where people might expect to pay a deposit. Nothing makes someone turn up to an event when they’ve paid for the privilege and better still, when the secrets out, you can use on wedding favours by returning those fake deposits and let everyone enjoy the extra spending money.
3. Lock it down, we’re talking need to know only!
Let’s make no mistake here, you’re not going to be able to plan a successful surprise wedding all on your own, so you’re going to have to choose some team mates to help make it a reality. Choose these people wisely though! When comes to friends and family, avoid anyone known to let slip or enjoy a good gossip and of course, make sure your suppliers are in on the secret too – who knows, they may even have a tip or two to help you make it even more spectacular!
4. Use all the stealth tactics you need
Chances are that a portion of your surprise wedding will involve keeping up appearances until the right moment for the big reveal, so this may well require some stealth tactics to pull it off. Be prepared to duck around corners, sneak in suppliers and maybe even tell one or two porkies to keep the ruse alive! One top tip from Michaela and Ryan’s surprise wedding day is to hide suppliers in plain sight. They booked an extra table in the bar where their surprise wedding reception would take place, so I could walk in, get myself settled with a drink and then lie in wait for the celebrations to begin.
5. Don’t forget the photography, seriously.
This may sound like a no brainer – what wedding doesn’t have a photographer, right – but with a quick turnaround in planning, these things can get sometimes get overlooked. Most photographers are often booked up at least a year in advance too, so be prepared to be flexible on your wedding date and even consider a weekday over a weekend, as it may help secure the photographer you want. Remember to bring your photographer in on the secret too, so they can make sure they’re ready at the right moment to capture all those surprised faces. After all, this will be a once in a lifetime moment and you want to make sure you have the photos to capture it for years to come.
6. Bonus tip: enjoy the big reveal!
After all the hard work planning it and not to mention keeping it all a secret, the big reveal is what it’s all been for, so don’t forget to take a deep breath, pause, and soak it all in. This truly is your big moment.
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