Planning a Minimony in 2020

I’ve learned so many new terms in 2020. “Social distancing.” “TikTok.” And now “minimony” (which stands for “mini ceremony”). Unlike a microwedding (a full-blown wedding, just with a very short guest list), a minimony is a vow exchange followed by a sequel wedding. It doesn’t include all the wedding things like the decor, first dance, and cake – that will come later. This kind of ceremony has understandably become popular in 2020 for couples forced to postpone their wedding celebrations due to the global pandemic (like we did).

(Read my post about postponing our September 2020 wedding to 2021)

We wanted to get married on our original wedding date (9.25.20) and a minimony was the perfect option for us to say our vows with a tiny, intimate group. I struggled to find ideas for a simple mini ceremony, so wanted to share how I planned ours! I hope this helps 2020 brides to be!

Identifying Priorities

It’s really important to think about your (and your fiancé’s!) priorities before you dive into planning details. Our priorities were exchanging vows on our original date in front of our closet family. We also wanted to take the opportunity for our families to get to know each other. They live in different states and many family members hadn’t met! I wanted to have some meals and activities planned out to assure everyone had a great time together, but plenty of big blocks of time to just hang out and catch up (we hadn’t seen Hugh’s side since Christmas due to quarantine). Hugh and I talked about all this early on so we were on the same page.

I also really wanted beautiful photos to capture our actual vow exchange and start of our marriage, so we asked our wedding photographers to come. Rosy and Shaun had a package for events just like this and I think more and more wedding photographers are doing the same! It’s also nice that we’ll know each other before the big day next year.

Maybe having your dad or parents give you away is important to you. Or having a true first dance with your new husband. Or having your family pastor marry you. Think through what you don’t want to postpone and include it in your minimony!

Choosing the guest list

The guest list can be really challenging – so many people will want to be a part of your special day! We stuck with our immediate families, plus his Best Man and my cousin (bridesmaid). It was helpful to remind other guests and family (and wedding party members) that they get to be part of the big celebration next year and you want to keep them safe during the pandemic. We’re even doing another ceremony next year at the “sequel wedding!”

Officiating the minimony

Keep in mind that your officiant is part of your guest count! We asked Hugh’s Best Man to be ours. He’s one of both of our best friends and how we met, so it was extra special to have him marry us. Getting ordained online is super quick and easy, and he had fun with it!

Finding a minimony location

We weren’t sure what restrictions would be in place several months out, but assumed they would stay the same as they were at the time. With a group our size (13), a park was a perfect option for us – a beautiful fall setting, and outside!

Our big wedding celebration is downtown Detroit, but we chose to have the minimony closer to where my family lives, in Ann Arbor. Half the group didn’t need hotel rooms, my sister could go home to her toddlers every night, and there are plenty of great parks and restaurants to explore.

When researching outside spaces in Ann Arbor, I looked for parks with good parking, bathrooms, plenty of backdrops for a ceremony and photos. We needed something big enough to have options for locations around the park since we weren’t reserving anything! Island Park is right on the Huron River, with three bridges, several pavilions, and lots of space to spread out.

Picking the vibe

A huge perk of having a minimony this year and big wedding next year is you get to plan two events! I decided to have a lot of aspects contrast each other. Next year, the attire is black tie optional, this year I encouraged everyone to dress more casual and festive. My actual wedding colors are black, ivory, and white with greenery and metallic accents, so this was an opportunity to play with fall colors! Hugh wore a plum tux and I had burgundy flowers in my bouquet. I’m saving my dress for next year and chose a fun, midi-length dress from ASOS. Our photos downtown Detroit will be totally different than the nature-y ones in a park. Lean into whatever vibe you want for this smaller event!

Planning the weekend

We seized the opportunity of the minimony (and people traveling to us) to make it a multi-day celebration! Our date was a Friday, so out-of-towners arrived Thursday night. The actual ceremony was Friday evening, followed by a celebratory dinner in a private room at a restaurant nearby.

We were leaving for our honeymoon Sunday morning, so had all of Saturday to fill! Taking into consideration local restrictions and social distancing as much as possible, we found a few restaurants that could seat us at smaller tables near each other. Two of the nights we hung out in the hotel lobby with drinks and snacks to avoid going out. We also went axe throwing for an hour on Saturday afternoon to mix things up.

My sister and brother-in-law generously hosted us for a little party Saturday night. This is a big advantage to choosing a location near where family homes! We played several couples-shower-type games like the Newlywed Game, watched a slideshow and a VidHug from extended family and friends, and had dinner catered in from a local restaurant. It was a blast!

Even though it was a tiny group of “our people,” I wanted to make sure I (overly) communicated the plans to everyone so we could all enjoy the weekend together (and be on time and know where we’re going). I shared a Google spreadsheet with everyone that included the times of events/activities, who was involved, links to the locations, and any notes. I’m a little over-the-top with details, but it made me confident about the plans and allowed me to relax and enjoy myself.

Our Basic Minimony Weekend Itinerary

Thursday night: Hugh’s fam and officiant arrive. Dinner with that smaller group

Friday: Megan with her fam for the day, Hugh with his. Meet at the park to say “I Do!” in the afternoon! Everyone continues on to restaurant while bride and groom take a million photos around the park, meet for celebratory dinner. Hang out in hotel lobby with coolers and snacks.

Saturday: Meet for lunch downtown Ann Arbor, explore a little in smaller groups, reservation for axe throwing. Party at family’s house with games and catered dinner.

Sunday: Everyone leaves, including us on our honeymoon!

I really hope this has helped you if you’re planning a minimony. I needed something like this when figuring out ours! I really couldn’t picture what this day would look like like I could my classic wedding day.

I know now that it can be a special, fun, love-filled celebration amidst the chaos going on in the world right now. And we get another celebration later!

Have you heard of a minimony?

Are you a 2020 bride postponing her wedding? Are you planning a minimony? Are you attending one or know anyone having something like this? I’d love to hear about other experiences or help with any questions you have! Comment below or reach out on Instagram!