What Are Nano, Mini, Micro, Sequel, Shift, and Multi Weddings?

Thanks to COVID-19, gone are the ways we used to plan and celebrate weddings. Traditional events that allowed hundreds of guests and encouraged hugging, dancing, and mingling just aren’t possible in a new world where a deadly virus can be transmitted when you stand within six feet of another person.

That doesn’t mean weddings are going anywhere! Couples are still finding ways to celebrate their commitment, and they have come with a whole slew of trendy new terms that you need to know if you’re planning a wedding or you’re being invited to one:

• Nano and Micro Weddings
• Minimonies
• Sequel Weddings
• Shift Weddings
• Multi-Weddings
• Weekday Weddings

Bride Sitting at the Reception Table: Event Hollow, Tiny Outdoor Wedding Lounge: Martha Stewart, Couple in Front of a Small Wedding Chapel: Green Wedding Shoes, Wedding Ceremony With Just Six Guests: Ruffled Blog

Nano and Micro Weddings

Nano weddings, more commonly known as micro weddings, aren’t anything new. They have been trending for a while, but they have increased in popularity with the rise of coronavirus.

A micro wedding is the combination of an elopement and a traditional wedding. It features a small guest list, but it requires plenty of planning because it also brings the pizazz of a larger wedding. There's still a beautiful cake, decor, and a gorgeous venue, but it's on a much smaller scale. This allows brides and grooms to splurge on details that they wouldn’t be able to afford when entertaining hundreds of guests.

Virtual Ceremony: Tanner Burge Photography

      The Rise of the Minimony

Although it sounds similar to a micro wedding, the minimony was born as a direct result of the coronavirus. Coined by The Knot, this ceremony provides your loved ones with a taste of what's to come, while honoring your original wedding date.

Minimonies usually include ten people or less, and they aren't always official or legal. They can include a commitment ceremony, handwritten vows, a first dance, and even a cake cutting. These types of ceremonies are also likely to include a virtual component where guests, and even the officiant, can participate through video chat.

Wedding Reception Celebration: Junebug Weddings

Sequel Weddings

Minimonies are meant to be enjoyed by you and your partner, with the intended ceremony and reception to come at a later date where you’re able to celebrate with friends and family. The minimony allows you to celebrate your original wedding date, while your sequel wedding enables you to bring your full vision to life as you originally planned when the coronavirus is finally under control.

Although this type of wedding has taken on a new spin during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to note that this term has been around since at least 2019. It is common with multicultural weddings where multiple ceremonies take place across the globe, or a different ceremony is planned to honor each partner's religious and cultural traditions.

Small Outdoor Reception Space: Casar-Se A Catalunya

Shift Weddings

Many brides and grooms gave up on their original wedding date and wedding vendors, but creative couples that really want to maintain their full guest list and celebrate with all their original plans intact have turned to shift weddings.

Everything from the venue to the cake and the date are the same with shift weddings, but instead of the full guest list participating in all of the day's festivities, blocks of guests are invited to attend certain aspects of the day. A few guests may attend the ceremony, other guests may join the bride and groom for dinner, and a third round of guests may come for dancing and partying.

Not only is there no reason to postpone your wedding or uninvite guests, this type of wedding also allows vendors to clean and sanitize between groups, making it an especially safe option while coronavirus is a threat.

Multi-Weddings

Shift weddings and multi-weddings are very similar, but multi-weddings have been around for a while. They are common with Hindu wedding ceremonies, for example, because they take place over the span of multiple days while a shift wedding takes place over the course of a single day.

A multi-wedding takes advantage of typical wedding events, like the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and after-wedding brunch. Additional festivities could be added to each day, like performances and games. Different guests are invited to different celebrations on different days to ensure social distancing is practiced.

Casual Seaside Wedding: For the Good Events

Weekday Weddings

Because many of these ceremonies are shrinking in size, and because some couples are finding their budgets ballooning out of control with multiple celebrations to plan, weekday weddings are becoming more popular than ever.

Weekday weddings are enabling many couples to continue working with the vendors of their choice when they are unable to reschedule for a different weekend, especially when so many other couples are rescheduling. Not to mention, you can score some great deals when you choose a weekday wedding date over a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday!

It’s normal to feel sad that you aren’t able to plan your wedding exactly how you envisioned, but it has also forced us all to get creative. Many of these wedding options are perfect for the world we live in today, but because of their flexibility and uniqueness, we can expect that they’ll stick around long after COVID-19 is nothing but a memory.