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When Madelaine and Mitchell Brereton were brainstorming the look and feel of their wedding, they envisioned an intimate ceremony with a boisterous reception. "I couldn't picture a 'big and traditional' ceremony for us and was throwing different ideas at Mitch," Madelaine told People. "I even threw the idea of getting married at the registry office and then throwing a party, but Mitch still wanted to do a few of the traditional things like having a bridal party and a big wedding entrance." To compromise, the two of them decided to tie the knot in a small daytime service, followed by a larger wedding reception with 130 guests on February 9, 2024.
There was just one catch, however: The duo wanted to surprise their guests with the news of their marriage, so they presented their post-ceremony bash in the guise of an engagement party. Mitchell was hesitant at first, but after talking it out, he embraced the concept. “We spoke to our families about it, and they loved the idea and were on board straight away,” Madelaine shared.
To make the affair one for the books, the couple brainstormed ideas with their wedding and event content creator, Michelle Valastro of The Lovely Lens. The pair agreed to unveil their marital status at their “engagement party” by showing their friends and family a video compilation of their 10-year relationship, which ended with footage from their wedding ceremony that Valastro recorded. While the group was watching the clip, Madelaine and Mitchell would sneak away to change into their wedding attire.
Valastro captured the moment that the bride and groom showed their wedding video to their guests, subtly revealing that they were actually married. The clip, which has gone viral on TikTok with 1.1 million views, begins with footage of the couple posing on a boat in front of the Eiffel Tower before it jumps to the morning of their wedding day. “When the couple has a secret wedding during the day and shows the video at their ‘engagement party’ that night,” Valastro wrote on the screen. The bride is seen getting her hair and makeup done and posing for photos with her bridesmaids before the groom shotguns beers with his groomsmen. The camera then pans to the guests as they watch the video and realize what’s happening. After some of them look around the room and exchange confused glances, they start shouting once they figure out the meaning of the video.
The next scene shows Madelaine and Mitchell entering the room in their wedding attire, as everyone cheers and congratulates them. “Everyone was shocked!” Madelaine recalled. “Everyone was happy for us. There were a few comments that we were sneaky and had lied, but once the shock factor was settled, everyone was super excited, and the vibes were so high for the rest of the night.”
