Newlyweds let the wedding guests vote on their new surnames — people think it's a brilliant idea
Usually, a couple will decide on their last name before their wedding day. However, some people like to spice it up a bit. That’s what Jasmine Moodie and Elle Upshall did when they decided to leave that responsibility up to the wedding guests, as per a report in People. The couple could not decide between Upshall-Moodies and Moodie-Upshalls and therefore, asked the guests to vote for what they believed sounded better. It was all very dramatic. The video was uploaded on TikTok by Rebel Love Club Photo & Film (@rebelloveclub).
"It was super special seeing everyone react after all the anticipation. And of course, seeing each other react to our new name! I remember just laughing so much — both of our names are pretty unique and weird, so either combination has a fun sound to it. It was surreal to finally know who we were entering the next chapter of our lives as,” she added. For this couple, however, the decision to let the guests choose their last name has more to do with the couple than just not being able to make up their minds. "We’re both really attached to our family name, it's part of our identity, so we always struggled with the concept of one of us losing that,” Moodie explained.
They had asked the guests to vote when they RSVP’d for the wedding. "We asked for the usual response, dietary requirements, and then the surprise surname vote!" Upshall said. The 60 guests were responsible for an important part of their lives. The results were announced on the day like it were an award ceremony. The winner with 29 votes to 24 was the Upshall-Moodies. The venue erupted with applause as the result was announced. "We started incorporating elements of the day that would surprise and include our loved ones. That’s when we had the idea that we could get them to vote for our surnames — it doesn’t get more involved than that!" Upshall said.
What made everything more exciting was the fact that the couple had no idea which way the vote was going to swing. At least that’s what Moodie says. "As a queer couple too, it often feels like there’s traditions in marriage that don’t fit our story — taking the 'man's' surname has no relevance in our relationship, so we knew we had the freedom to do something differently!" she added. The video has received more than 167,000 likes, and viewers loved the couple for leaving the fate of their last name to the people they considered close.
@rebelloveclub This was closer than Brexit 😳 @Kickass Gatherings Celebrant announcing the greatest vote of all time at Jazz & Elle’s wedding and we were all on tenterhooks after being asked to vote which way they should double-barrel their name on the RSVP’s. Would you let your guests vote for your new surname?! #weddingceremonyideas #celebrantwedding #ukweddingvideographer #weddinginspo #fyp ♬ Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
“I'm 8 years married, own a home, and have 3 kids... and now raging that I never once thought to put a big life decision to a family & friends vote. What a fantastic, fun, inclusive, wholesome, unique idea,” one user commented. “Would’ve been so perfect to do the whole spiel with vote numbers and then actually announcing it in the line, “I now present to you for the first time… The Moodie-Upshalls!” quipped another. “Such a strong and powerful surname though 🔥🔥 great way of getting everyone involved in the big day too,” a third viewer commented.
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