I had the perfect second wedding. We got married in a small chapel at the university where H was on the faculty. Guests were immediate family (except for my mother–who refused to attend because of her views on divorce/remarriage) and two couples who were our close friends. We went to dinner afterwards (only 12 of us–not everyone could make it) at the best restaurant in the city. The restaurant is still there and we’re still married–36 years in November.
We also got married in 1981,(so 2016 = 35 years) and we paid for everything. We were married outdoors at the Oakland (CA) rose garden, maybe 4 blocks from our home. My wife made her wedding dress. We had a reception at a local rec center. We had a caterer bring in food. I think it was buffet style.There was a band. Local friends, and some family from all over. It wasn’t real big. It was nice. The photographer didn’t really do a great job. I would do it again the same way.
I would swap out the groom.
My first fiancé, while in grad school, was out skiing with me one weekend when we came across a place with a magnificent view. The father of a Vietnam vet had bought this land for his son, who died in the wR, and converted it into a place for weddings, etc. a bus would have brought our grad school friends to the location. My parents said they would do a party in their house for local guests and family.
To this day, I still recall how it was the perfect spot for us, and in keeping with our values.
Married in 1980 at the age of 23. My mother planned the entire wedding with little input from me. I did put my foot down and insisted on brown engraved invitations instead of black, I was such a rebel 
Then had the invitation printed in landscape; my mother’s friend must have thought she had lost he mind! My husband and I each had a less that 10 friends at the wedding, the rest of the 250 guest were family and my parent’s friends and a few of my inlaws.
I promised my kids that when they got married, their wedding would be their wedding, and that is how it has been. Well, my son didn’t really care, so his wife did most of their planning; for my daughter’s wedding in less that 4 months, she and her fiance has really made all the decisions. My husband and I are paying, but the kids are doing the planning. I have been proud of myself for keeping my opinions to myself; if you knew me, you would know how hard that has been
So back to answering the questions, if we were to get married today, I think it would be a casual wedding, maybe in wine country somewhere with only close friends and family.
@bookworm - was that the first Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Angelfire, NM? I was there once, in winter, and that vast and snowy field outside the chapel was just breathtaking. Their room full of photos of the deceased was very moving too.
No wedding. A trip to the courthouse followed by a bottle of champagne with close friends to deliver the news. 
I would probably keep it this way, but would add a private ceremony on a Hawaiian beach - just the two of us, no guests. Then a weeklong “honeymoon” followed by the abovementioned champagne toast with buddies.
Greenwich, no, it was in Vermont or New Hampshire. The chapel sounds the same. It was just spectacular. Once we saw it, there was no other place we could consider.
I think it’s interesting that not one person has said that they wanted a bigger wedding than they had… (unless I missed a post?)
The only thing I’d change about our wedding is to have a band I liked better. They played very old fashioned stuff. Should have found someone more rocking. Loved my dress (found at a consignment shop), loved the location (olive grove garden on Caltech campus) and the reception location and food (at the Atheneum which is also Caltech’s faculty club). We had a buffet and open bar. The cake was spectacular, white chocolate with a raspberry glaze. It looked nothing like the white wedding cake of my dreams, but it was delicious, gorgeous and memorably red. Everyone carried helium balloons from the wedding to the reception and it made for great pictures. I made sure the photographer got a picture of every table at the wedding. I was surprised at my nephew’s wedding there were no decent pictures of anyone from my family. In fact it made me so cross I didn’t buy any of the photographer’s pictures. I wish we could have somehow transported our wedding to a location that would have been both convenient to our mostly east coast families and our west coast friends. But you can’t have everything.
A rockin band in the Atheneum? (clutching my pearls)
@bookworm -it’s funny, the NM place is right near a ski mountain too!
I’ve skied at Stowe and they have a long green trail that has a chapel halfway down. Lovely spot for a small winter wedding.
@musicamusica I am quite sure I never wore pearls at the Atheneum!
I had two lovely weddings. I had @100 guests at the first.The ceremony was held at a beautiful old church followed by a reception at a historic home overlooking Charleston Harbor. A horse drawn carriage, stocked with champagne, transported us from the church to the reception. Along the way, several tourists asked if they could photograph us. I felt like a celebrity- haha. Great food, great bar and I adored my dress. Honeymoon in St. Maarten/St. Bart’s. It was perfect with exception of the groom and bridesmaids dresses.
Second wedding was limited to family. We had a ceremony at our church followed by a reception in a private courtyard room at one of my favorite restaurants. Food, cake and service were spectacular. My handsome S walked me down the aisle and D was my beautiful maid of honor (and only attendant). My biggest regret is that we had a short, local honeymoon because I had surgery ( that I couldn’t postpone) scheduled a few days later. I’d have the same wedding again except invite a few friends and go to Scotland (H’s choice) for our honeymoon.
Out of curiosity, I asked Mr. how he envisioned his ideal wedding. His response, “Barefoot on a sandy Hawaiian beach, so honeymoon can begin as soon as we are done with the formalities!” Lol.
We got married in my parents’ home. There were 22 souls in attendance including us and the preacher. I’d do it exactly the same way again.
Some of my favorite photos in the album are things you’d never find at a venue-wedding: My then-fiancé and brother washing the rented glasses by hand, because they’d arrive with spots. Mom in her fancy dress slicing cheese in the kitchen. Dad and me tying balloons to the front-room mirror (we opted for balloons as general decoration rather than flowers, for cost reasons. It was fun.)
My dream for D is that one day she’ll text me: “Grab your nicest clothes and meet us in Tahoe next weekend.”
@jonri I literally just chuckled out loud!
I would possibly change the wedding location (husband’s family’s church) – but i loved our wedding reception. Brunch, string quartet, pink roses, lots of white zinfandel and champagne, fabulous brunch foods & and ice sculpture – and then we went off to our honeymoon! Our guests liked the compactness of it all. No dancing as DH hates it too. I’d do it all over again and will suggest to my kids to keep weddings small and elegant!
H and I had planned to get married in Africa where we were serving in the Peace Corps. Because our parents weren’t too happy about not being able to attend, we postponed the wedding for 2 months until we returned to the U.S. My mom planned most of it. Pretty standard low budget Catholic wedding–then dinner, DJ, dancing. Only about 65 guests. (Who wants to travel in January?) Mom made the dresses. We had silk flowers and grocery store cake. It was OK, but I wish I could go back and see what our wedding in Africa would have been like. (They were going to kill a cow for us…) Coming up on our 30th, I joke with H about doing a vow renewal at one of those Vegas drive-thrus.
@atomom Did the 2 of you know each other before the Peace Corps or did you meet in Africa?