10 Unsual Things We Did for our wedding (and why)
Last time, I walked through 10 things my husband and I did NOT do for our wedding last fall. I wanted our wedding day to be authentic to us and something we would look back with joy. In order to plan a wedding that was perfectly suited for the two of us, we decided to do some unusual and untraditional things that made our day extra special for us.
Although it can be hard to go against what’s popular for your own wedding, it will be well worth it in the end. Your wedding day is about you and your husband and should be memorable for you both!
I want to preface by stating that I am aware that these ideas are done at weddings and are not entirely unpopular, but this list is based off of things I have not personally seen many people do for their weddings!
1. Guest Bible instead of a guest book
My husband and I wanted to include our faith into our wedding as much as we could, which led to us deciding on a guest Bible instead of a guest book. We thought it would be incredibly meaningful to have a Bible with highlighted Bible verses and sweet messages from our guests that we could look through forever. We decided that our guest Bible would be our family Bible. I love thinking about our children flipping through the Bible and seeing notes from all of the people who came to our wedding!
2. Popcorn and mingle time during wedding photos
In lieu of cocktail hour, we decided to prepare a popcorn bar for people to enjoy while we took our time with pictures. We got popcorn delivered from a popcorn catering company and we added plenty of fun toppings for people to add to it. Our guests loved it and it kept them occupied while we were away!
3. Ceremony and reception held at the same location
The last thing my husband and I wanted to do on our wedding day was to travel to a new location after our ceremony. When we were working through the logistics of our wedding with the church we wanted to get married at, they offered their gymnasium to have our reception in! Our location was incredibly important to us since it was where we first met as children, where we had our first date, and where we went right before we got engaged. Having our entire wedding at one venue was very special and our guests loved it too!
4. No contact until the ceremony
My husband and I decided that we would not see each other at all after the rehearsal dinner. We planned to see each other next when I was walking down the aisle. We did not even call or text each other during that period because we wanted our next meeting to be extra special. While I think first looks are adorable and a great way to ease nerves on the big day, I wanted all the drama and emotion during the ceremony!😆
5. Asked for date night ideas from guests
We had a station set up for guests to write down date night ideas for the two of us on little wooden hearts. This was an idea that my Matron of Honor included at my bridal shower and I loved it so much that I decided to make it a part of the wedding! Whenever my husband and I don’t know what to do together, we pick a random heart out of the jar of hearts and we do whatever is on it (no cheating)! I plan on starting a series about all of the dates that we have been on as a result of these date night ideas—and don’t worry—we won’t skip any!
6. Asked for marriage advice from guests
We thought it would be special if we received marriage advice from our guests. It was not only a way to include our guests and make them feel special, but it was also a way to gain some wisdom from couples who had more experience than we did. After the wedding, my husband and I had so much fun going through all of the advice that guests had left. We even played a game where I had my husband guess who left the advice!
7. Played classic rock during the reception
We wanted to play music that we liked during the reception rather than playing something more traditional for a wedding. I had my wedding playlist made before I even met my husband! When we decided to have our reception at a church, I had to make sure I filtered out the music to ensure that it was appropriate. Thankfully, we got plenty of compliments!
8.Never removed veil
While many brides choose to remove their veil after their ceremony and pictures, I decided to keep mine on because I was in love with it and because it was integrated into my hairstyle. I am someone who absolutely LOVES the look of a bridal veil, so I wanted to wear mine for as long as I possibly could. The veil was also easy to wear because it was not too long!
9. Ended the wedding before it started getting dark
My husband and I had no interest in prolonging the wedding into the night. We started the wedding a little earlier with hopes of leaving a little earlier! We were also hoping to get beautiful sunset pictures with our photographer, and we happened to end the wedding at the perfect time for that to happen!
10. Never separated during the day
While we were planning our wedding my husband and I made the rule that once we were pronounced husband and wife we would not split from each other during the day (besides using the bathroom, of course!). We made this rule so that we could fully embrace the day together and to signal to our guests that we were now one flesh. It made the day all the more special!
My husband and I so incredibly grateful that we decided to stay true to what we wanted for our wedding day. I encourage all of you to do the same while planning yours! You can choose to impress your guests for one day or to plan a day that will be special for you and your husband for a lifetime!
What are some unusual things you did or are going to do for your wedding? Let me know in the comments below! Thank you so much for reading and remember to stay classy!
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”-Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Love,
Brouke
