These days, your wedding can be whatever you’d like it to be. You can hold it in a house of worship, on the beach, in a big resort or in your backyard. You’ve just got to get a little creative. Here are our top tips for doing just that.
1. Choose a Theme
When you were a kid, birthday parties were all about themes – Barbie parties one year, pirates the next. The same can go for your wedding. Do you love The Beatles? Hire a mop top-crew of imitators to play your reception. Do you love horses? Have your wedding in a beautiful field and ride down the aisle in high style. Or, design a theme around your hobbies: a hiking theme for hikers; a great authors theme for writers. The possibilities on this one are only limited by your own creativity and interests.
2. How We Met
Pay tribute to your interesting “how we met” story with your wedding theme, design, game or party favors. If you met playing after work kickball, give all of your guests a free ball and organize a game for the reception. Are you more of a Dungeon and Dragons couple? Decorate according to the game’s color palette and give out figurines as party favors. Or, if it took you years to get together and your story is long and convoluted, write your story on separate notecards and make a “how we met” treasure hunt for your guests.
3. Come Down the Aisle in Style
Do you remember that viral video of Jill and Kevin’s big day, where members of the wedding party danced down the aisle? With more than 74 million views you can be sure this approach has had its fair share of copycats, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a fun way to get yourself from the door to the altar. Pick your favorite theme music, whether it’s classical, punk or the theme from Saturday Night Fever and strut down the aisle in style. Even better: if you work with something involving wheels like a skateboard or a segue, use that to cruise to your place!
4. Get the Whole Family Involved
You consider your pet to be a member of your family, so why should poor old Fido stay home while you’re all out celebrating? If you’re the type of person who spends all their free time researching the healthiest pet food, finding the best chew toys and treating your pet like a member of the family, get the pets involved, whether that means transporting the ring to the altar on a collar or entertaining guests with tricks during the reception. Even better: make the whole event pet friendly and have everyone bring their furry companion along. It’ll be well worth it when you say, “I do” and the crowd erupts not just in applause but in barks and purrs, too.
5. Mix Up the Party Favors
One of the best (and most cost-effective) ways to make your wedding unique is to get quirky with those party favors. Again, let your theme or passions guide you. If you met your partner in orchestra, print or stamp musical notes onto your napkins. If your first date was spent watching Aladdin, make fun of yourself by giving guests plastic dolls from the movie. If you love candy, make sure your favorite treats are on every table and in every guest’s gift bag.
The key to creating a unique wedding is remembering that it’s your wedding. Think of the things you love most, and work around that!
Rob Toledo is currently planning his own wedding with his very creative and artistic fiancé. He is a lover of all things canine, working alongside Embrace pet insurance and encourages considering dog insurance for your four legged companions. He currently volunteers at a local shelter in the great Pacific Northwest.