Gone are the days of "cookie cutter" weddings. These days, everyone wants a unique event that reflects their personal style. The issue becomes how to bring that personalized uniqueness out in a way guests understand and can enjoy.
The good news is that you can bring out this uniqueness in anything and everything wedding-related, including food, décor, favours, music, location, stationery, and so on. Here are some tips to get you started.
- Write down your favourite things as a couple and as individuals. It can be anything; favourite foods, activities you like to do together, books, songs, travel, movies, etc. Don't worry if you can't see how something will fit into your wedding. Just brainstorm and talk it out. It's amazing how one small item can snowball into to something amazing.
- Once you have a list of favourite things, start to write out the areas that you can bring your theme through. If you aren't sure, type your theme / favourite things into Google Images and websites like Pinterest. Sometimes just a small part of an image can give you inspiration. Here is an example:
- Once you have tied your theme into various areas (from décor to stationary) highlight the ideas that you like the best (and which you think are realistic based on your budget). You might decide to carry one theme though each aspect of your wedding, or you might decide to include a number of your "favourite things" in the wedding. For instance, you could go with the old theatre as your venue, French macarons as favours, hot dogs, pizza and popcorn as late night items and a black/white/silver colour scheme. Other personal touches will come naturally and will get added as you go about the planning process. You will see.
Keep in mind that some traditions or "cookie cutter" ideas have become that way for a reason: because they work. The basic structure of an event needs to be there. Otherwise, people will walk away confused and without having had an enjoyable experience.
Having a hard time with this? Another option: hire a wedding planner to help!