Planning 101 | Wedding Traditions
Weddings are an amazing celebration, and almost every wedding has certain elements that are the same. I’m gonna let you in on a little secret though – you do not have to any of the same wedding elements or traditions in your own dream day if you don’t want to.
It’s your special day and even if you believe there are a list of “must-dos”, the final choice is yours - there is nothing you absolutely just have - except maybe your marriage license!
If you’re wondering what is totally unnecessary, read through our list below for suggestions on things you can totally skip :
🌟 Handing out paper programs
This is a super easy one! I can’t remember the last time I received a paper program for a wedding ceremony - so maybe they’re on their way out? They can be a bit of an unnecessary spend, and aren’t very economic or environmentally friendly. If it is something you’d like for your guests, consider having a sign out front for everyone to read before the ceremony or include the ceremony details on your wedding website.
🌟 Having a wedding party
Standing solo is a very unstructured to stand before family and friends on your perfect day. If you can’t picture your day without your besties by your side, then this option is definitely not for you. But if this idea makes you stop and think - consider this: it can cut costs and save time for everyone! You can still have friends involved in helping with the planning, getting ready or even through a ceremony reading. But having a ceremony without a wedding party can make things a lot less stressful for you in the lead up to your day.
🌟 Having toasts at your reception
We’ve all been there before - speeches featuring embarrassing stories, or ones with stories no one understands, or ones that go on for far too long. And because of this, some couples are choosing to skip the speeches. Guests definitely won’t miss this tradition and some speech-givers will be happy to not have to stand up in front of everyone to talk. However, if there are certain people you’d like to speak, ask them to keep it to a couple of minutes, and limit the number of people you ask.
🌟 Formally cutting the cake
Most guests don’t want to stop dancing for the formal cake cutting tradition, so many couples are opting to do this with just a photographer and / or close family. This way, the focus can stay on the party and the cake can then be served up on the dessert table for guests to explore in their own time.
🌟 Providing transportation for guests
Putting on a bus or shuttle for guests from a central location to the venue is a nice gesture but definitely not a necessary one. This option is a popular one when hosting a destination or out-of-town wedding. In this situation, guests might appreciate the gesture. This is not a ‘must-do’ though, so only provide this option if it won’t be wasted and only if you want to.
🌟 Having a guest book
Guest books come in all shapes, sizes and forms these days. And some couples will read through their books all the time. Others will pop them on a shelf, or in a box and barely look at them again. Because of this, it’s totally okay to skip this idea. You’ll have plenty of photos and videos to look through when you want those special memories from your perfect day.
Remember, it’s your day and it can look and feel exactly just how you want it to look and feel. So skip the traditions or don’t - plan your special day just the way you imagine it
Photographer : Blue Media Weddings