After you’ve said your “I-Dos” and the cake is cut, it’s important to remember that ultimately, your wedding is about you. We’ve heard many couples lament that they wish they’d gone another direction when it came to x, y, or z planning points. Traditional weddings are beautiful events, there’s no denying that. But if there are elements that just don’t fit your personality as a couple, then who says you have to include them?
Enjoying your special day is far more important than sticking to the mold. Here are some creative and bold ways to ditch tradition while still making a statement.
The Invites
Let’s start with the invites. Over the years, we’ve seen some truly breathtaking invitations. Real gold leaf, lace, fancy card stock, you name it and we’ve seen it. There’s nothing wrong with a traditional wedding invitation. But as we’ve mentioned in a previous blog, there are some things that your guests just don’t care a lot about that can cost a pretty penny. Save the dates are one of those items, but regardless of how tight you want to keep your purse strings, you still need a way to formally invite your guests to your wedding. If you’d rather spend time and money on other big-day-details, then we recommend going with virtual invitations. Not only is this an environmentally friendly option, but it also reduces cost. Plus, many online services help you keep track of who is coming.
Just upload your guest list as a spreadsheet and let the computer do the rest. This way, you can even direct them to other important online tools for your wedding, like your website, registry, or honeymoon fund.
The Clothing
These days, we’re seeing more and more non-traditional wedding dresses, and we absolutely love them. White or off white is traditional, but other colors are starting to make their debut. If you’re still wanting to stick to a semi-traditional look, but hate the idea of a white or cream dress, colors like champagne, gold, gray, rose pink, and light blue have started to appear on the market. These are still fairly tame but are a great option for those who want to add just a pop of fun flair.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Some couples opt for much more colorful and flamboyant options when it comes to their attire. Want to keep the white but add something extra? Consider an ombre dyed dress. Love a pattern? Rock those florals! Hate dresses? Wear the pantsuit of your dreams.
And the non-traditional attire doesn’t have to stop at the dress. We’re seeing more and more grooms ditch the black and white and go for sharp 3 piece suits in a wide variety of colors from navy blue to mustard yellow.
Finally, if you intend to have a wedding party, let them wear whatever shape and shade of dress they want. You’ve asked them to be part of your wedding because you love them, not to make you look good. And in the end, your friends and family will thank you for letting them be comfortable in clothing they like rather than something they felt obligated to wear.
The Wedding Party
That brings us to our next point: The Wedding Party! Wedding parties can range in size from small to gargantuan. Either is absolutely fine. However, there’s one non-traditional trend we adore, and that’s bridesmen and groomswomen (and everything in between). There’s absolutely zero reason to keep your best gal pal out of your wedding party just because you’re the groom and vice versa.
Your wedding is about coming together with your partner and other dearly beloved to celebrate love and togetherness; to celebrate the next chapter of your journey together. Presumably, your friends will be part of that. Consider matching up your wedding party to couples, friends, or other agreeable relationships and we promise everyone will have just as much fun as they would if they were split up by gender. After all, it’s 2021. We promise it’s okay.
The Venue
Usually, when you think of attending a wedding, a church springs to mind. While churches, chapels, and other venues are charming and traditional, it’s absolutely all right to host your wedding in a location that you and your guests are more comfortable in. Even if you intend to have a secular wedding, picking a beautiful locale that makes you feel in your element is a great way to reduce stress and make a statement on your wedding day.
We’re particularly partial to barns, manor houses, and gardens for the simple fact that locations like these still allow your catering staffaccess to running water, and your guests to easy access restrooms. But restaurants, boats, forests, mountainsides, and everything in between can be a wedding venue.
Wherever you choose to host your wedding, just take into account everyone’s health, safety, and comfort. Your wedding is about you, but if your guests have to hike 5 miles in formal attire in the sweltering heat, prepare for a little bit of crankiness.
The Cake
The cake is usually seen as the centerpiece of the wedding, next to the couple themselves. While white fondant and icing are fine, we love some of the non-traditional wedding cake options we’ve had the privilege of displaying.
Instead of a whole cake, try going for a smaller cake and a variety of different flavored cupcakes. Don’t want cake? Maybe donuts or pastry puffs are more of your style. Want to go a healthy route? Try a cake made entirely of fruit. Don’t want sweets at all? How about a literal cheese cake (yes, we mean a cake made of wheels of cheese). There are a lot of awesome opportunities to showcase your unique style with your cake. Talk to your caterer or baker and see what kind of interesting twist they can add to your special day.
Evergrove Estates Can Help You Plan
Our creative and expert planning staff has helped hundreds of couples make their wedding dreams a reality. Have a crazy idea? Reach out and we’ll see what we can do to help!