It’s a day you want to remember forever – one day all about you and your love for another. But what’s the right theme? What type of music? And what should you serve?
There are countless choices and creative ways to celebrate a life of love, and today, many of those choices are changing. Brides and grooms alike are throwing convention to the winds and blazing their own trails toward “I do.” To spark your imagination, we gathered some examples of how couples are playing with wedding traditions to make their ceremony their own. Take a look, get inspired and plan the wedding of your dreams.
Wedding Party Shake-up
As much as we get caught up in the look and feel of the ceremony, the people who celebrate with you have the biggest impact on your wedding day memories. To honor loved ones, couples are taking a playful approach to some of the longest-standing bridal party traditions. See how brides and grooms are shaking things up.
• Of course the bride wants her girls standing beside her on her big day – but what about her guys? Enter the Man of Honor: a male friend who stands on the bride’s side. To better match the couple’s circle of friends, gender-blind bridal parties are becoming increasingly common. Grooms who have close female friends or relatives are inviting Groomsmaids to stand with them on the big day. Some couples are throwing the idea out entirely, inviting their closest friends regardless of gender. What do you call that bridal party? Thanks to offbeatbride.com, we’ve heard: I Do Crews, Friends of Honor, Groomsquad and Bridespeeps.
• Mom and Dad are another vital part of the wedding party. As the typical family structure changes drastically and quickly in American society – cue the Modern Family theme song – so does the role of parents on the big day. For non-traditional families, couples are changing the escort down the aisle, the father-daughter dance and other family-related traditions to include whoever holds a parental role.
• Already have kids? To incorporate the little ones, couples have danced as a family down the aisle to Disney music, introduced gestures that symbolize the blending of two families, and added a “we do” after the “I dos” for kids. Thinking Outside the Plate
Everyone remembers the food at a wedding. Epicurean feasts are talked about for decades to come, while a kitchen or cake disaster can provide fodder for laughs for just as long. And today, many couples are approaching menus as an opportunity to surprise. Decide how you want to treat your guests’ palettes, and a take a look at these culinary trends.
• Food trucks are becoming a more popular and affordable option with competitive rates, according to PopSugar.com, and a buffet-style option can help cut down on the bottom line.
• Another option that impresses is a DIY food bar, serving up your biggest guilty pleasures. Some crowd-pleasing examples include: champagne with fresh juice mixers, ice cream sundaes, donuts, tacos, gourmet grilled cheese, or artisan coffee and tea bars. Or you can get really creative with a Southern biscuit bar and other options at theknot.com.
• A relatively new development on the wedding scene is the glamorous chef station. Rather than watching someone scoop heaps of food onto your plate, why not ooh and ah as the chef prepares fresh sushi, throws some choice meat on the grill or shucks oysters right in front of you.
• Dressed-up comfort food is all the rage at 2016 weddings. No, this isn’t a ploy to get more fries on the menu – even theknot.com agrees. Gourmet pub food is making an appearance at many receptions this coming wedding season, so make sure your wedding attire isn’t too restrictive.
Organ Music Alternatives
Music helps set the tone, and knowing all the options available can help create the most special day possible, as well as relieve the stress of planning one of life’s most important days. Most are familiar with the traditional wedding setting: a slow procession walks down the aisle to “Canon in D” – but it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. Check out these suggestions for music that feels as original as your love.
• Many of the common music choices include orchestras, quartets and DJs. But if none of those options reflect your iTunes library, why not hire a band that better suits your taste. Pro tip: If you hire a band, make sure you’ve seen them perform before.
• The days of dance cards and mass participation are over. So how do you get people on the dance floor? A pro tip from ElegantEveningEntertainment.com: Organize a few close friends to join you on the dance floor about halfway through the first dance, which encourages others.
• There are almost always rules regarding churches and the music allowable, so you might want to consider that if music is your God.
• If you’re the friend who always volunteers their music library and pretends to be DJ when no one’s looking, consider designing your own playlists and forget hired music.
• If you do hire, provide a “do not play” list, as well. Today’s Bride also suggests putting in a note for the last song of the night.
For more fun and interesting ways to shake up the traditional wedding ceremony, TheKnot.com and Pinterest have useful articles.
