Our jobs are to help couples create a wedding day that feels truly them! Weddings are expensive and they are suppose to be one of the most greatest, magical days or your lives! Why get caught up in having to stick to traditions? We often work with couples that are looking to have non-traditional weddings, and we are always up for that! So today we came up with a list of typical wedding traditions that you simply don’t have to do anymore! If you are planning a wedding, and find yourself wondering if these traditions are for you, just keep reading!

You don’t have to have a wedding party
There are so many alternatives to the typical wedding party now a days, so much so, that we started calling them “matrimony homies”! But if you don’t want to do the huge wedding party, you might decide to not have one at all. Maybe you just have 2 close friends or family members that sign the marriage license.
Along the same lines, you also don’t have to have a big getting ready production in the morning. Adam and I got ready together the morning of our wedding with Adam’s sister’s and our Moms, and it was really fun and low key!
You don’t have to get married in a church!

Church weddings are beautiful, they are traditional, and for some couples, it is what feels right to them. Some don’t see it as any other way, but times have changed and so many reception spaces include ceremony spaces, that couples have started to prefer the convenience over the tradition.

3. You don’t have to have a plated meal!

This is one we are super passionate about! Buffets and Food Stations are our favorite style of catering! Plated meals again are very traditional, and most likely, your parents are very opinionated on this subject. But trust us, there is nothing wrong with buffets and food stations! We wrote a whole blog on this subject, you can read that (here).

While we are on the subject of meals, we also don’t need to have water glasses at the tables. We understand that it is a nice touch, but if your catering doesn’t do water service, and your bar doesn’t do water service, it might be easier to just do a water station, and forgo water at the tables.

4. You don’t have to wait till the ceremony to see each other!

There are so many reasons to see each other prior to the ceremony… For starters, you can get more photos done so that after the ceremony you can spend time with your guests. Secondly, and most importantly, your wedding day is going to fly by, and after the ceremony, you are pulled in a million different directions, don’t you want to spend as much time as possible with your person? A first look allows you two to spend more time together on your wedding day, and we feel that is super important!

5. You don’t have to have a guest book…

There are so many other guest book ideas out there! Or you don’t have to do anything, but the days of a old school book and pen have gone. Couples now take this opportunity to really personalize their guest book, you can see some of those examples on our Pinterest.

6. You don’t have to do the bouquet toss and garter toss…

I can’t express how outdated this is. Garter toss, the history of the garter toss is strange and creepy, so it doesn’t surprise me that people are not into it anymore! Some will do a bouquet toss, but what we think is cool is to give the bouquet to the couple who has been married the longest!

7. You don’t have to do the traditional cake cutting!

Desserts are way more personal now, and while cake is always going to be a favorite, the options are endless to customize your desserts to really fit your taste and personality!

8. You can walk down the aisle however you want!

There are no rules, you don’t have to have your Dad walk you down the aisle. It is ok if you don’t like the idea of being given away.

Some other ideas we have seen

Walk down together
Walk down alone
Walk down with their pet
Walk down with their siblings
Walk down with a Grandparent

9. You don’t HAVE to do parent dances.

This is another one of those, if you don’t feel comfortable dancing with your parent, don’t feel obligated to!

10. You don’t HAVE to have an open bar!

Oh my gosh, do not feel it is necessary to do an open bar, again, there are options! You have options!

You can do an open bar for a number of hours, or up to a certain dollar amount.
You can host just beer and wine, while giving guests the option of buying their own cocktails.
You can host two signature drinks, and do cash for everything else.
YOU CAN DO CASH ONLY!

11. You don’t have to wear “White” or a Black Tux… Get creative!

There are some amazing dresses right now! Dramatic sleeves, splashes of color, the possibilities are endless!

Same goes for the suits! More and more couples are wearing suits, and you can really get creative! Textures, colors, styles… We are always ok with a fun suit moment!

12. You don’t need to do favors.

What traditions do you find yourself wanting to do? Or which ones do you think you will skip? Let us know in the comments below!

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