The Double Wedding Controversy

There was recently a big and very charged triple wedding ceremony held in New York City.  The couples involved were beautifully dressed and had planned for the event as so many brides and grooms do.  While many in attendance, and some of those reading the accounts afterward were emotionally struck by the political message that was an undercurrent of the triple wedding, there was a somewhat surprising secondary discussion sparked by the event.  The question many started asking is “would you ever consider a double (or triple) wedding?”

Leaving the political points aside, there are both advantages and disadvantages to having a wedding ceremony and reception with multiple brides and grooms.  On the positive side:

• Cost Savings Arguably the biggest perk of a joint Wedding is the amount of savings that can be enjoyed. When nearly every cost is split 50/50 between the two couples, the budget of each couple stretches much further.  Particularly when budgets are tight, this can be a great solution.
• Fewer Events for Family and Friends When the brides or grooms are related, family and friends often appreciate the double ceremonies because it means that they must only attend one event instead of two. This is especially nice for the family and friends that must travel a long distance in order to be there.
• A Life Long Bond Speaking the vows is meant to tie bride and groom for life, so when two couple say they simultaneously, it makes sense that they would all feel a bond to each other for all the years ahead. Furthermore, on each anniversary, it would be impossible not to think about those who shared the big day.

Although there is a lot to gain by sharing your big day, there are also some drawbacks:

• Scheduling Struggles The first complication lies in the fact that both couples must be engaged and prepared to marry at the same time. That does put some pressure on both brides and grooms.  Even choosing the actual day and time can be tough when working around four or more schedules.
• Conflicting Tastes While literal tastes aren’t generally a problem because you can choose a variety of foods and have more than one cake, figurative tastes can be more challenging. If one bride loves yellow and orange, but the other had always dreamed of a pink and purple wedding, the results could be a bit tacky.
• Space Restrictions Many outdoor venues, and all indoor venues will place restrictions on how many people can be invited, simply because of space restrictions. When two or more couples are involved, this can put added pressure on when it comes to creating a guest list.

Give all of this, what is your opinion?  Would you consider a double wedding?