A Wedding of Personality

Little girls and boys may dream of fairy tale weddings, but those fairy tales need not be “traditional”. Today’s wedding planners know that each wedding should be unique and a product of the two people making that lifelong commitment to each other.

When a couple starts to plan their wedding, any couple, they have to understand that they are planning a wedding to make THEIR memories. While there may be some traditions, religious and cultural, that are expected, these traditions must be important to the couple and not just an appeasement. The young couple will be starting a marriage based on mutual understanding and respect for one another and the ceremony and reception should be the first step.

Princess style wedding gowns and formal tuxedos aren’t even mandated for wedding cake toppers anymore. Brides should look for the  style that feels comfortable, is appropriate for the setting and represents who the bride is. Keep convenience in mind when choosing an outfit, will you be running into the water on a beach, jumping from a plane with parachutes, riding horses or dancing the night away?

The bride’s attire can be a formal, lacy ball gown, a knee length cocktail dress, a tailored pants-suit or a cultural costume; she can choose traditional white or a color of her choosing. Current trends include bold color accents or solid blocks and bridesmaids no longer need to wear the same color.

Grooms can dress in tails and top-hat if they want, or they can be dressed in simple leisure suits. A print Hawaiian shirt and khakis paired with sandals may work well for a beach front wedding. These days a wedding should be as much about the groom as the bride and he ought to feel just as comfortable and attractive with his choice of attire.

The traditional wedding cake is more often being replaced with cupcakes or mini-cakes displayed on tiers, dessert buffets or even ice cream stations. Cake toppers, which may be used as centerpieces of a dessert buffet, can be whimsical, formal, look like the wedding couple, or reflect chosen professions or hobbies – the main thing again is that it should mirror the couple’s personalities. Same sex couples will find a variety of toppers to meet their needs as well.

Floral arrangements make great traditional wedding table centerpieces, but common trends today also include oversized pillar candles, photos in frames, glass sculptures, giant conch shells, colored pebbles, driftwood or other natural items. Unity candle and unity sand ceremonies along with personalized wedding vows can be as unique as the couple themselves. And multicultural couples can combine special ethnic touches to make the day special.

Many couples are either combining households or have already set one up together so plates and flatware aren’t as much of a gifting necessity. However the latest trend in alternative wedding registries include gift certificates for travel agencies, car dealerships, home improvement stores and favorite activities like restaurants, theater and golf.

When planning your wedding, feel free to choose unusual venues like ice cream parlors, billiard halls, backyard pools, public parks (you may need a permit) or anything that feels “right”. Another popular trend is a three-day-wedding-weekend that is filled with fun family activities and goes beyond the rehearsal dinner and ceremony.