Weddings are a time-honored tradition that have been around for centuries. While the basics of a wedding ceremony remain the same, the way weddings are executed has changed drastically over time. Nowadays, couples are ditching traditional wedding plans in favor of unconventional weddings that better reflect their personalities and relationship. Here are 10 reasons why you should ditch traditional wedding plans and have an unconventional wedding instead!
You’ll save money.
This is probably the BEST part about having an unconventional wedding – they can be SO much cheaper than traditional weddings! An unconventional wedding can be a fraction of the cost of a traditional one, since you won’t be bound by the high costs often associated with traditional weddings, such as renting out a venue, hiring a catering company, or buying a wedding dress. You can save even more money by having your unconventional wedding at an unconventional location. Places like national parks, cabin rentals, or your own backyard are much less expensive.
When you’re tossing out the wedding rulebook, you’re wedding is honestly a blank slate. Who says you have to buy new outfits instead of wearing your favourites? Why plan a proper reception when you can have your wedding the same day as a festival weekend and head to the fair for your reception instead? Shake up how you think of weddings and instead plan something that is better aligned with what you want. It also has the added benefit of typically nixing a whole HOST of big ticket wedding expenses!
You can REALLY personalize your wedding.
An unconventional wedding allows you to infuse your personality into every aspect of your big day. From the food you serve to the music you play, everything can be customized to reflect who you are as a couple. It’s a perfect opportunity to explore what aspects of a wedding day you want to include. (And where you can reach for the stars.)
If you’re not the jewelry wearing type, you can plan to get your wedding bands tattooed after your ceremony! That’s a great way to show off your personalities, but why not take it a step further? Why not have a tattoo booth at your reception for guests? Or take your photographer to the tattoo parlour to document you two getting some wedding day ink.
When I tell couples the world is TRULY your oyster when planning a wedding, I MEAN IT! Michelle chose a sunshine yellow wedding dress! And together with her fiance Rob, they made literally every detail of the backyard wedding from scratch!
You’re not limited by traditional constraints.
If you’re not a fan of the formalities often associated with weddings, then you should definitely skip it! There’s no need to have a sit-down dinner if you’d prefer to serve hor d’oeuvres . And if you don’t want your guests to be restricted to assigned seating, then ditch the table plan altogether. Not big on a dinner reception? Have a luncheon, a tea party, or none at all.
There’s no need to stick to tradition if it doesn’t feel right for you. Do what feels best for you as a couple! Britney + Kyle got hitched at a bed and breakfast in March, and made time to go for coffee at the same cafe that they had their first date!
You can have your wedding anywhere.
Since you’re not limited by traditional wedding venues, you can have your unconventional wedding anywhere you want – whether it’s in your backyard, at a local park, or even in a different country! (Hello destination elopements! My fav!) Think BIG here… you really can’t go wrong with choosing a spot that’s meaningful, that speaks to you, or that gives you the good kind of goosebumps.
A lot of destination elopement photographers have the tools to help you with planning destination weddings if you need it! It’s all part of the job. So if the task feels a little overwhelming, there are professionals and vendors you can reach out to that can help you with everything. Just like Chris and Kensie, who travelled just the two of them to Sedona Arizona and spent the evening celebrating under the pastel sunset of the red rock desert.
You can be as creative as you want.
Are you sensing a pattern here? With an unconventional wedding, the sky’s the limit when it comes to creativity. From unconventional wedding décor to unique entertainment, you can let your imagination run wild. You don’t need me to tell you that you’re a badass creative piece of stardust, baby! Infuse that wonderful personality into the entire wedding day until it sparkles.
You can have an unconventional ceremony.
Your ceremony is a fantastic opportunity to put your own spin on things. Do away with the typical religious or civil ceremony, if that’s not your jam, and instead opt for something that feels more “you”. There are so many fun and creative ways to exchange vows these days! You could even write your own, or incorporate a special ritual that’s significant to you as a couple.
Want to include things that don’t fit into a legal ceremony? Then why not split it up? It’s super common with couples who get married internationally, who elope, or who get married in remote spots or on weekdays. You do the legal paperwork before or after with your city hall, judge, magistrate, justice of the peace, or clergy member. (Whoever is legally able to marry you in your area). Then you have the wedding ceremony that YOU want on your wedding day.
Your wedding day is the day you are married, in every way that matters. Getting the legal part done separately doesn’t diminish the importance and significance of your vows to each other! Felicia + Sean had their legal ceremony at the courthouse and celebrated with family before heading down to Cuba for their wedding and honeymoon!
You can have an intimate wedding or elopement.
Oh baby, you’re speaking to me! I built my whole business on serving couples who want to elope or have a smaller weddings. I’m DEFINITELY a big fan!
Intimate weddings and elopements by their very nature fall under the umbrella of unconventional weddings. If you’re not interested in a large wedding, then an unconventional wedding is the perfect option for you. You can read about Why More Couples Are Choosing to Elope, and decide if the Pros and Cons of Eloping help you with your decision.
You can have an unconventional honeymoon.
If you’re not interested in the traditional two-week honeymoon, then an unconventional wedding gives you the perfect opportunity to have an unconventional honeymoon as well. Take a road trip, go camping, or take a trip abroad – the sky is the limit! (You can even combine your wedding and honeymoon for an ultimate getaway!)
You’ll always look back on your unconventional wedding with fondness.
Let’s face it, the more you feel aligned with your wedding day, the less stressed, anxious, overwhelmed and strapped you’ll be. Since your unconventional wedding will be so unique and totally YOU, you’ll always look back on your wedding day and be in love with it all over again. It will be a day that’s truly reflective of you as a couple, and that’s something to cherish! Having an unconventional wedding will allow you to express yourselves in a way that conventional weddings wouldn’t allow. And that’s what makes them so special.
So, if you’re looking to break away from the traditional wedding mold and save some money in the process, an unconventional wedding may be right up your alley. With endless possibilities for creativity and personalization, there is no reason why you can’t have the wedding of your dreams without all of the stress. And if you need a little help getting started, I’ve got you covered. Check out this post of 75 completely rad and unique elopement/wedding ideas, or check out the website for more ideas on how to make your big day unique and totally unforgettable!
