When you’ve recovered from the initial excitement of announcing your engagement and you’re ready to start planning your big day, the chances are you’ll have a white dress, a 3-tier cake, a list of bridesmaids in mind and are now wondering where you’ll find something old, new, borrowed and blue!
But before you get overwhelmed with what tradition says you’re supposed to do, sit down and have a think about what you want to do. Some people prefer to stick to tradition but remember, it’s not legally binding and today there are many options that allow you to plan your special day, your unique way…
Wearing White
The tradition of the white wedding dress dates back to the 18th century when wearing white was seen as a symbol of wealth. Queen Victoria paved the way in the wedding dress style stakes by wearing a white wedding dress at her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840. Since then, it has been a long-standing tradition but there’s nothing to say you have to wear white on your big day and there are so many beautiful alternative colours to choose from. Same goes for the ‘dress’, there are even sophisticated and elegant trouser or jump suits on offer, if you fancy something completely different.
Bridesmaids
Having bridesmaids can be extremely helpful when it comes to delegating hen do plans, holding your bouquet, fixing your dress and sharing your excitement on the day. But it can also be deemed stressful, especially if you have a large family and lots of close friends to choose from. Bridesmaids aren’t essential and you’ll be saving a large amount of money on additional dresses, hair, make-up and flowers if you choose not to have any or just one person to be with you on the day/
Speeches
Wedding speeches can go one of two ways, tear-jerkingly sentimental or cringe-worthingly embarrassing! If you’d rather not risk a tear stained face or wishing the floor would swallow you up, then you don’t have to request speeches from the best man or the father of the bride. Simply offering a heartfelt ‘thank you for coming’ is totally acceptable.
Stag and Hen Dos must Celebrated Separately
Joint celebrations are becoming a popular choice for modern day stag and hen dos. They are a particularly good idea if you have the same circle of friends. It can also save money if both parties are planning to go abroad as you can pull together your resources for a larger weekend away.
It’s bad Luck to See the Bride before the Ceremony
The groom catching a glimpse of the bride before she glides down the aisle towards him was considered to be bad luck in wedding tradition for years. But pre-ceremony is actually a great time for you to get your Bride and Groom photographs out of the way. It will be the quietest opportunity prior to meeting your well-wishing guests and it frees you up to enjoy the celebrations and relax with friends and family for the rest of the day.
Bride and Groom Guests Must sit on Different Sides at the Ceremony
Weddings are sociable affairs, a time to celebrate not only the bride and groom uniting as one, but two families coming together too. Mixing them up will encourage introductions and create new-found friendships so don’t feel like you need to keep people apart.
Are you planning on busting some wedding day traditions on your big day? Let us know what you are doing differently at hello@blisseventscompany.co.uk … and while you are there, don’t forget to register for your free bride (or groom) ticket!
Main image by Keyhole Studios