photo courtesy of Fizelwink Photography
Every little girl dreams of her perfect wedding day, it’s grand and glorious, her dress is white and flowing, and she is a princess for the day with a castle to celebrate in. It’s the wedding of the movies, as Hollywood paints the image of the traditional wedding that every girl hopes for, but perhaps you don’t want another cookie-cutter soirée that lives up to the expectations of Hollywood.
Perhaps your dream wedding is one that is unique, one that breaks the mold. You want your wedding to be only yours. But how can you accomplish such a feat in a world dedicated to throwing the big white wedding? With anything, there are always a few tricks to make something different, and weddings are no different. Below are a few creative ideas that can help you turn your wedding day into just that, YOUR day that has no similarities with anyone else’s.
The Dress
The easiest way to make your wedding day quirky and non-traditional is to skip the big white ball gown, ignore the always fashionable mermaid, and find something that embraces who you are. The most traditional thing about weddings is the white wedding dress. Buck tradition and go for a color instead. Many designers, like Vera Wang, are featuring colors in their bridal lines. Blush, champagne and pink are becoming very popular options. Another important tip to finding the dress of your dreams: don’t work out like crazy and mold your body to fit into the dress everyone else is wearing, mold the perfect dress for you.
The Food
When you ask a bride who is catering their wedding, 9 out of 10 times you will get an answer that resembles a huge company who does 10 weddings a day. Be that 1 out of 10 that has a few family members working hard together to create the delicious homemade feast that everyone will love. By knowing the chef personally, you can request literally anything you want, and odds are good they will make it better than any run-of-the-mill catering company. If you have a huge wedding party with a guest list a mile long, it may be harder to break the catering mold, but perhaps you can find a less corporate catering company that will still allow you a more diverse and delicious menu for the occasion.
The Venue and Atmosphere
Remember how every girls’ dream was to be the princess getting married in a grand castle before being whisked away in a horse-drawn carriage? It’s not about where or how you get married, but who you marry. You don’t need to get married in a castle or at The Plaza in June to have your perfect wedding. Find someplace special to the two of you and get married there, whether it is at your childhood home or in front of the park bench where you two met. You don’t need to stand in a church or party in a castle to have a great wedding, unless of course your goal is for the traditional wedding. You also don’t need to party at all, no matter how many people request an open bar. In an effort to prevent treating your guests from alcohol addiction to the open bar, opt out of the open altogether. You’ll save tons of money and will reduce the number of potentially embarrassing moments by half. Perhaps you are an introvert; you like small gatherings with close friends where you all just sit back and relax in a real no pressure environment. Who says you need to invite everyone you know and blast music until you all go deaf? If you aren’t into the party scene, you don’t need a party wedding.
Society throws a million and one rules at brides for how they should have their wedding. You need the white dress, you should say your vows in a church, you should provide one beef and one poultry entrée at your reception, and you should party all night long. If that description isn’t the wedding you’ve always dreamed about, if you are anything but traditional, don’t feel pressured to have the wedding society has dreamed up for you. Take some of these tips, add your own creative flavor to the mix, and throw the non-traditional wedding of the year, just make sure you enjoy and love every minute of it!
By Savannah Marie is a writer and PR consultant. She is the editor of her blog, Mixios, which covers everything from social media to travel. When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading anything she can get her hands on, trying out a new recipe in the kitchen, or walking her yellow lab. Follow her on Twitter!
