The one thing Jordan (my husband) and I were most concerned about when planning our wedding was that it felt like OUR wedding. A funny thought to some, I’m sure. Of course it’s our wedding. We’re the ones getting married! However, over the years I’ve been to a few weddings that felt so generic that if I didn’t see the people standing at the alter, I wouldn’t have known it was them getting married.

Toast with CokePhoto by Altmix Photography

So for those of you who might share my concern, here are a few ideas:

  • Put out photos at your wedding. Photos of you as a couple, photos of you as kids, and photos of you with the people who will be at the wedding. People love walking around and seeing the memories that they share with you. We went to one wedding where each of the numbered tables had photos of the bride and groom at that age – photos of them at age 2 at table 2 and photos of them at age 13 at table 13. A great idea!
  • Walk down the aisle to something a little different. Jordan and I didn’t want traditional music at our ceremony, so I walked down the aisle to a piano version of “Some Enchanted Evening” from the musical South Pacific (we met doing musical theater). One of our friends is a brilliant composer, so he wrote an original song for his wife to walk down the aisle to. It was such a special moment.
  • Toast with something fun. While champagne is traditional, it can get expensive. Jordan and I are both alumni of Emory University where Coke is the drink of choice, so we toasted with glass Coke bottles at our wedding. Jordan Flowers once coordinated a wedding where they toasted with milk cartons. Do something original that your guest definitely won’t forget!

Most weddings contain a lot of the same traditions and ceremonies, but there is always a way to add a little bit of yourself to them. Remember, it’s not so much about perfection as it is about personality!