Amy Brown got married last year in a classic white bridal gown. It was a traditional church wedding with many guests, gorgeous flowers and a formal reception.

It happened to be her second wedding, but that didn't raise many eyebrows.

Today, second-time brides have the freedom — some say more freedom than first-timers — to celebrate their union however they wish. The distinction between first and second weddings has all but vanished, according to Kathleen Murray, deputy editor of the wedding planning Web site TheKnot.com. "There's not the stigma attached at all," she said.

Although some couples prefer a low-key affair, second weddings have become big business in the ever-growing bridal industry. Often, these celebrations mix a few traditional elements with a slew of more individual touches.

"The second time, it may be more the wedding of their dreams," said Modern Bride magazine editor Antonia van der Meer. "The first time, they were young, and maybe it was more the wedding of their mother's dreams."

Modern Bride counts second- and third-time brides among its readers, but doesn't offer content aimed specifically at them.

"We've made a conscious decision not to include rules about what to do if it's your second wedding or if you get married at 30 or at 40. It's not about age or how many marriages you've had previously," van der Meer said. "It is about freedom of choice and being who you are."

For Tracy Tofte of Castaic, Calif., that freedom meant planning an informal, candlelit, outdoor party for her second wedding in 2003. She created small, handmade gifts for each of her 80 guests.

"Everything was very how we are. It sort of reflected the way we decorate our house or the kind of Christmas gifts we give," she said. "My first wedding (in 1994) was in a church and in a big hotel ballroom, and it wasn't personal at all. I literally saw pictures after and I thought, 'I didn't even know that person was at my wedding."'

Jodi Davidson, who lives in New York City, got married at 24. "I thought this was what you're supposed to do, be a certain kind of bride with the fluffy dress," she said. A decade later, while planning her second wedding, she sees pictures from her first and "none of it seems very 'me'."

In Davidson's case, the second wedding will be more traditional than the first.

"It's the first time I'm marrying someone in the same faith. I'm Jewish, so this time I am having a traditional Jewish wedding with a rabbi marrying us, breaking the glass," she said.

Brown, Tofte and Davidson have created very different second weddings, but they have much in common:

• Being older, says van der Meer, they are less likely "to ask for permission." They might skip the sit-down dinner (Tofte planned an 8:30 p.m. wedding, followed by dessert and dancing) or choose to walk down the aisle with the groom at the start of the ceremony.

"They have a stronger sense of self," said Murray, "and most of the time they're paying for the wedding themselves, so they're not feeling tied to what their parents want."

• Given that one or both partners have planned a wedding before, they need less time to do it. After some hesitation, Brown, from Indianapolis, used some of the same vendors she'd hired for her first wedding.

"I loved these vendors so much that I actually got up the nerve to call them and ask them to do it again. Some said they were flattered," she said.

• Couples might not want an adviser (a wedding planner or parent) hovering, but they do seek good advice. Many visit bridal Web sites. TheKnot.com, for instance, has a section on second weddings, said Murray.

• Registering for gifts is no longer taboo for second weddings, but couples might put a different spin on it by registering for informal dinnerware, say, or even sporting goods. Some request no gifts at all.