I’ve managed to hit that point in my mid-twenties where it seems everyone around me is getting married. It started off with a distant cousin but now I’m lucky to get through the week without an engagement announcement on Facebook.
My bitterness comes from the fact that I typically hate weddings. They all tend to look and act the same – white dress walked down the aisle, religious overtones, an expensive venue, cheap wine, and an over-priced bar.
Most couples seem more obsessed with their Pinterest board than the actual wedding, and if my father insists on “giving me away”, I’m sitting him down for an hour-long lecture on feminism.
But I went to a wedding a few weekends ago that was honestly an absolute joy and not only because the speeches were only a few minutes each.
You may love hearing your best man rattle off in-jokes for 30 minutes, but your guests are likely bored and eyeing up the bar.
The most recent wedding was fun because it defied all traditions and conventions, yet it was undeniably a wedding. Between the two brides, they looked at traditions, how they applied to them, and what they wanted their wedding to represent.
Their wedding felt totally unique and heart-warming, even though their budget was minimal.
So, a few things you can do to make your wedding more unconventional and personal –
Consider your venue
The brides decided against a church because they weren’t religious.
This may seem obvious, but how many people do you know that have gotten married in a church because the photos will look nice?
This is your wedding day, a day to celebrate your love with the people you love. Are you so shallow you only care about the photos after?
The theme
Five of the last six weddings I attended, all seemed to have the exact same theme. It just screamed, “I have a shabby chic Pinterest board”. If this is what you want, that’s all well and good, but the sixth wedding went with a literary theme because both brides had initially bonded over their love of books.
Not only did each guest have a second-hand classic to take away (which beats a jar of honey any day!), but the wedding felt unbelievably unique.
It helped get across their passions and the passions shared by family and friends. That and the literary-themed food puns made me laugh!