One of the beautiful elements to every wedding (or any celebration for that matter) is that it provides insight into a culture. Even more fun is when brides and grooms take a longstanding tradition and add their own modern interpretation to it. Personally, as a guest, I always love it when that happens because it’s unexpected and, often, very personal. Here are a few that I’ve seen done that entertained me (perhaps a bit too much ha!):

 

1. Groom’s Cake

As a southerner by birth, I’ve been to many weddings where this delicious and longstanding tradition still shines. And, in recent years, the cakes have become more and more personalized to truly embody the humors and/or hobbies of the groom. Although the groom’s cake is traditionally served alongside the more decadent and classic wedding cake at the reception, now it can be served at the rehearsal dinner as well. I enjoyed one delicious cake in the shape of a symbol for a famous video game. At a wedding in Texas (as shown in the picture above), I had the joy of enjoying these cupcakes in the shape of pool balls (the groom played competitively). At another, the cake was simply covered in handmade figures of the groom’s team mascots. Each one was personal. Each one was fun to look at. Each one (and this is most important) was scrumptious.

 

2. Bouquet

As I’m sure you’ve noticed on the ever-addicting Pinterest or perhaps at a wedding you yourself attended, the tradition of bouquets is still longstanding and now becoming more and more unique. Bright colors, nontraditional flowers, or no flowers at all are all in. I’ve even seen each bridesmaid carrying a sign instead of flowers that read “Here She Comes! We Have Tissues!” Even cuter, the flower girl handed out tissues! SO ADORABLE!!!Everything is up in the air now and I think that’s awesome.

 

 

 

3. Colors

In each culture there are specific colors associated with a wedding. In most westernized weddings, it’s white. For many parts of the world, gold is key in the color scheme. And, in China, the color red. Just as with the Groom’s Cake, a change in color or unexpected variation is intriguing and memorable. For instance, my friend who wore royal blue heels under her dress was fun to watch dance. Or my other friend who wore a wedding dress that was a mix of white and bold gold made the beautiful old Catholic church feel even more elegant. Or, my lovely friends, Helen and Kunal, seen above! They got married in China and although her ceremony dress was white, she changed into this gorgeous red dress, traditional for China, for pictures. Even better, her groom decided to throw on this snappy red coat to match!

 

4. Bridesmaid Dresses

As a bridesmaid, both past and present, I’ve seen a variety of styles in the past years. Although the tradition is to have all the girls wear the same dresses in the same colors with the same accessories, brides are now more willing to vary the attire. In one wedding, all the girls wore the same dress style except the MOH, who wore the same color but different cut. In another, all of us dawned infinity dresses, so how girls wore them varied but the colors remained the same. In my own wedding, the girls wore the same dresses but different shoes and belts. And, presently, I’m in a wedding where I got to pick from 3 different colors and any dress I wanted. Personally, I love looking at the bridesmaid dresses during a ceremony, because even though each bride has some say in what is worn, usually you can see the personal style of each lady.

 

5. Venue

This is a BIG one and also a personal favorite. When I was younger, every wedding was in the church and church banquet hall. Every once in a while, there may have been a reception at the local country club. But now, I could go to a classic church affair with beautiful vaulted ceilings or be asked to go barefoot on the public beach to enjoy the ceremony. I’ve been to wineries (which always means great vino!) and historic mansions with intricate rooms and large fireplaces. When we were shopping for our venue, we saw everything from industrial museums to yachts to hotels to gardens to golf courses. Every venue offers a very different feel that can shape the entire mood for your event. More often than not, the venue is the best representation of the couple and how cool is that?!

 

No matter what, your traditions are your own so make it evident! Your guests will love the personal touch and, most likely, be talking about it for months to come.