The New Wedding Trend: Secret Nuptials

Birds do it, bees do it, let’s do it; let’s secretly get married

It seems that the pomp and ceremony that goes hand-in-hand with celebrity weddings is on its way out in 2015. Secret nuptials are on the rise, once again.

British actor Eddie Redmayne broke hearts when he announced that he and his now wife, Hannah Bagshawe had secretly tied the knot, before Christmas. While Eddie broke our hearts, Cameron Diaz dropped our jaws when news broke that she had married her partner Benji Madden, just last week. Solange Knowles made us swoon when pictures of her 2014 wedding nearly broke the internet; though there was just as much – and perhaps an octave more – hype when her sister Beyonce secretly wed Jay-Z back in 2008.

So, while we love a good gathering and everything that goes along with party planning, there is definitely something very attractive about hushed, understated nuptials. Liosa McNamara of Anchorbird Photography, has noticed a remarkable surge in Irish couples choosing small weddings, with elopements, in the modern sense, making up seventy per-cent of her clientele. It seems that a lot of couples ?cannot face the idea of organizing a wedding.? McNamara has observed that couples that go down the secret-wedding aisle tend to be a lot more relaxed, giggly and even a little bit naughty. Oooof, someone pass the prosecco? an absence of wedding planning-induced stress and money-crunching worries works for us!

Photo:Anchorbird Photography

But what are the practicals? When planning secret nuptials, it’s best to keep details pared back. We’re talking a handful of guests, an understated venue ?? weather providing, your back garden would be ideal – and simple, yet delicious, nibbles. Or, you and your partner could take flight to somewhere magical like Venice and come home married, and with a mini-moon under your garter.

Of course, you can still go with a lavish affair, even on the QT – imagine the excitement of a guerilla wedding, if you will. Your friends and family may wonder why you seem a little frazzled, during the planning process, but once you have everyone together and reveal the event’s purpose, it will be worth it. Just send out some save-the-dates, in lieu of invitations and book a restaurant that can facilitate both dinner and dancing into the wee hours. By choosing a restaurant over a hotel, you can keep your guests guessing as to what kind of event they are actually attending. The only thing that won’t be kept secret is how much fun you all will have.

Photo: Style Me Pretty

It would seem that the secret wedding trend is set to prosper. McNamara noted that, ?weddings are becoming more authentic and people are sitting down and asking themselves ?what do we actually want to do??, rather than accommodating what friends and family expect of them.? If an intimate, surprise day is what you want, then don’t hesitate to do what’s right for your union. Just don’t tell your big-mouthed best friend until you say ?I do.?

For more ideas on how to make your secret nuptials perfect, pick up a copy of the BASH Annual, on shelves now.

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