As SheKnows points out, “People are getting married at any stage, at any age and in any way they want to.” This has lead to an increase in the number of brides shunning traditional ceremonies and opting for something a little different instead.
In the first part of our guide for the ‘un-bridesy bride’, we looked at how women who didn’t want a traditional ceremony should approach the planning of their big day. This week, we’re going to take a more practical look at organising a non-traditional event – from selecting a venue, to getting the décor just right.
Fill your nearest and dearest in on the plan
Before your mum, sisters, and friends start popping round with wedding magazines, booking dress fittings and picking out venues – sit them down and tell them you’re going to be doing things a little differently. If you let them know from the start that your wedding is going to be something unique it will be easier to ensure your plans aren’t steamrollered by well-meaning friends and family.
Choosing a venue
Just because you’re an ‘un-bridesy bride’ doesn’t mean you have to avoid traditional wedding venues altogether. A country house can just as easily host a modern, quirky ceremony as it can a traditional event, the difference will come from the way you decorate and use the space. To find the right venue for your unique ceremony, start by thinking about how many people you want to invite, whether you want to be in the country or the city and if you want people to be able to stay the night at the venue. Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll be in a good position to start searching for a venue.
Flowers and decorations
If you’re not a big fan of the whole fairy tale wedding thing, you probably won’t want a lot of flowers on the big day. Instead of opting for bunches of roses, vases of chrysanthemums and bouquets of tulips, why not do something a bit different for the decorations and make your ceremony stand out? If you’ve got friends who are creative and handy with a pair of scissors, you could ask them to create a set of unique decorations. Spend some time coming up with a concept for your wedding, then use coloured paper, card, fabric and other materials to build your creations.
Wear what you want
The white dress is one of the most iconic symbols of the modern wedding day. If you really want to avoid tradition, why not ditch the gown and go for something completely different instead? Have your fiancé wear something unique too to complement your non-traditional outfit.
Though a lot of brides-to-be feel under pressure to follow tradition and plan a classic wedding day, there’s no reason you can’t do things your own way. So whether you want to pick and choose the aspects that suit you best, or throw out the rule book altogether – you’re free to plan the wedding you really want.
