How to Have a Non-Traditional Wedding
It’s very common to hear engaged couples say that they want a “non-traditional” wedding — but what does this actually mean? Below, we’re giving you our top tips on areas to focus on to make your wedding less traditional!
Choose a Unique Venue
As beautiful as ballrooms and barns are, they’ve become the more “traditional” options for weddings today. If you want something a bit out of the ordinary, search for a venue that’s off the beaten path. We’ve seen weddings happen everywhere from bookstores to nightclubs to rooftop farms. A non-traditional setting is the easiest way to set the tone for a non-traditional event.
Consider Different Dinner Options
Many couples nowadays are rethinking the typical wedding dinner. Rather than a plated meal of chicken or fish, think about bringing in more unique dinner options. Whether that be catering from your favorite Mediterranean restaurant, a taco bar during cocktail hour, or a family style Italian dinner, opting for a meal that your guests have probably never had at a wedding before is great way to break tradition.
Rethink Your Reception Style
If you really want to shake things up, consider having a cocktail-style reception. In this type of reception, there are no assigned tables or seats for guests and no sit-down meal. Rather, there are multiple food “stations” (like a raw bar, a carving station, and a market table) as well as passed bites (like sliders, mini lobster rolls, and croquettes) and guests can eat, drink, and mingle as they’d like. There are usually times to dance throughout the meal, as well.
Cocktail-style receptions are a great way to encourage a party atmosphere and provided guests with a unique dining and drinking experience. Though they’re becoming more popular, they’re still a great way to make your wedding more non-traditional.
Skip (or Hide) the Staged Moments
Some of the most traditional parts of a wedding are the staged moments: the cake-cutting, first dance, parents dances. These are beautiful moments, but lots of couples don’t actually want all the attention that comes with them! If you want to get rid of the traditions all together, skip them! If you still want to have these special moments but don’t want them announced to the whole crowd, do them all unannounced. For example, if you want to dance with a parent to a specific song but don’t want that parent-child spotlight moment, just let your DJ know to play that song at some point during dancing. When the song comes on, you and your parent will know to come together and have your time together dancing. Your photographer will know to capture it but you won’t have to deal with all your guests standing around you watching!
Say No to the Wedding Party
Wedding parties are one of the most traditional things that lots of weddings still hold on to. Rethinking your wedding party will remove a lot of that traditional feeling, especially in the ceremony. Whether you skip the matching outfits and have your party wear what they want, don’t have them walking down the aisle before you, or skip the wedding party altogether, this is a great area to eliminate wedding traditions.
