8 Old School Wedding Traditions You Can Skip

Wedding Traditions are beautiful, often in a classic, traditional sense. But it’s the twenty-first century, and those strict traditional rules of the past need not be followed today. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a classic wedding, but don’t let outdated traditions hinder your creative spirit or keep you
from having the wedding of your dreams. Here are 8 old-school wedding traditions you can feel
free to skip.

Ceremonies Can’t be Personalized

Looking to please the parents with a traditionally styled wedding but want your own flourishes? The best way to update a classic is by personalizing it! If your ceremony is religious, have the caterer be unconventional, like a taco truck or an ice cream bar. Add new materials to freshen up the traditional space or be more colorful than traditionally “allowed,” and just like that, you’ll find a wonderful marriage of old and new for your wedding day.

Brides in White, Grooms in Black

Wear whatever you’d like! The majority of brides still opt for long, white, and flowy, but your wedding day is your wedding day, so wear something that makes you feel special. Be it a vintage glam skirt or a colorful pantsuit. As for the groom, black is a classic, but a custom blue to match the flowers in your hair will impress everyone at the ceremony. We’ve also seen white with white and multicolored jackets without a dress around! So wear something you’re proud of that makes you feel special–who cares what tradition says!

Bridesmaids = Women, Groomsmen = Men

If your BFF is a guy, put him on your side. If the groom is very close to his sister, she belongs up there to share in his special day! Inviting a “bridesman” or a “groomswoman” is totally acceptable and quite cool. Don’t worry about the incongruity either, coordinate their respective looks by matching them with colors or accessories! However the wedding party develops, it will look the best with your close friends by your side.

Traditional, Uncomfortable Seating

Ceremony seating is a big decision from an aesthetic standpoint as well as a functional one. If the wedding is in a trendy loft space, why not have sleek, chic sofas? Adirondack chairs would suit a nature-lovers wedding day perfectly. And if you’re going a more traditional or religious route, small customized options like embroidered backing pillows or funky cushions (if the location allows) add a small yet whimsical touch.

Matching Wedding Bands

You and your spouse are certainly alike in many ways, but by no means are you the same exact person. Your rings should reflect your own style. After all, this ring will be on your finger forever. It’s okay to have one silver and one gold or one thicker and one thinner; one can be classic, and the other can be modern. Having individualized wedding bands is completely acceptable. They can be made from different materials or crafted in different styles but you can customize them to coordinate with one another too. The wedding date, initials, or even alluding to how you first met are all great ways to be unique and still unified.

Exchanging Traditional Vows

There’s something magical about exchanging the same vows as your parents or grandparents. But if you inject some of your own languages, you can make your day more meaningful to you while still honoring those who have said those words before you. By personalizing your vows, you’re able to let your friends and family in on some special inside jokes or just show them some of the reasons you’re about to marry this wonderful person. Writing and saying your own vows can be difficult and a little scary, but those words come from deep within the heart and will mean a great deal to everyone who gets to bear witness to them.

Department Store Registry

Gone are the days when you and your fiancé must register at one major department store like Macy’s, Target, or Bed Bath & Beyond. In fact, today, you can register at all three of those stores, which, in and of itself, is pretty neat. What’s cooler about the new way couples are doing registries is that you don’t have to register at a store at all if you don’t want to. You can register for anything, from anywhere, thanks to some new online companies: From honeymoon travel accommodations and dinner reservations to skiing equipment and good old-fashioned cashola. Sometimes couples don’t need cookware, or they just want to go on an amazing honeymoon but opt to also throw an amazing (and amazingly expensive) wedding. Now your guests can buy you drinks at the tiki bar or a brand new television for the man cave. Newlyweds are no longer obligated to ask for the standard bed linens, blenders, and china they’ll never use. Trendy clothing stores, outdoor equipment suppliers, home improvement stores, and resorts are all available to register at now. The sky’s the limit, so don’t feel required to register for a slow cooker and new flatware if you don’t want (or need) those things. Register for stuff you actually want!

Photographer Only

It’s not necessarily a tradition, but gone are the days when just having a wedding photographer would suffice. Having both a photographer and a videographer to capture your special day is a must. A videographer will be able to capture all of the precious moments you missed when you were busy being the star of the show. With professional equipment like camera jibs, camera cranes, and things like a video camera monitor, they’ll have all of your good angles covered and make sure you get to see grandma’s reaction to your vows as well.

Author

Katie Conlon is a young freelance writer who recently graduated from a filmmaking program. She currently manages the blog and social media platforms for video equipment maker https://www.proamusa.com/. When not on her laptop, Katie can be found snapping images of friends and family or hiking outdoors with her beloved dog Turner.

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