We have planned weddings for over 10 years, so we have designed a wide range from beautiful intimate moments, to grand show-stopping performances. Our favorite part is that each wedding is unique to the couple. Sure, there might be a few similarities in logistical moments, but they all planned a wedding that brought them joy. We always insist that our clients stick to their hearts and create a wedding that is perfect for them, so if you need a little bit of help with your wedding, here are a few moments from past events that might conjure some ideas for you:

For the Religious or Cultural Couples:

An easy way to make your event unique and personal to you is by embracing elements of your heritage, whether that be ethnic, religious, or cultural! If you want to do a classic religious ceremony in your place of worship than that is a great way to embrace your religion into your day. You can of course hold one of the many religious traditions like the Greek money dance at the reception, or hold a Sofreh Aghd for your Iranian partner in an outside venue. If you as a couple have separate backgrounds and want to embrace both, we have seen some beautiful blended ceremonies—one for example blended some Jewish traditions with some Haldi ceremony traditions.

If you still want other ways to share some cultural elements to your guests you can hire some traditional musicians to play at your wedding. We once had a Latinx couple hire a mariachi band during the cocktail hour, and we even had a Mongolian musician play the Morin Khuur during a different couples ceremony. If you want something a bit more playful you can always hire dancers—like the Chinese dragon, or Brazilian samba dancers.

Maybe you’re not the grand performance types. You can always incorporate some traditional elements into your design. We had a couple use 3D printed Chinese Zodiac animals as table numbers for the guests, and they were gorgeously blended with paper lotus flowers and floating candles. We also had another couple blend the Chinese symbol of “double happiness” into their ceremony arch, where it was accented with pink flowers and cherry blossoms. You also can wear a garment or traditional attire for your celebration. If you desire to wear a kimono to celebrate your Japanese ancestors, then support it with pride. When one or both of you embraces your heritage it makes your wedding so much more personal, and potentially unique to some of your guests.

You really can be as subtle or as loud as you want in your choices, and sometimes creating your own traditions are that much more beautiful. We once had a couple create their own tradition: instead of a sand pouring ritual, they used rainbow sugar to pour a rainbow. We were informed a year later they used that sugar to make some pastries.

For the Nerdy/Pop-Culture Couples:

Everyone is a fan of something. Maybe it’s sports, maybe you really love sci-fi, anime, or role playing games. You have all the permission to embrace your interests during your wedding. Your love for these certain pieces of media are what make you, you—and they probably have some sort of connection to your story as a couple.

If you want to release everyone’s inner child, you can have character actors roam your wedding. We once were able to secure the 501st Legion of Storm Troopers for a wedding in New Orleans. They had some fun bits during the processional and guests were loving the many photo opportunities during cocktail hour. If you want guests to be even more engaged, we once had a couple invite their guests to attend in cosplay. It was such fun seeing the variety of looks and costumes and media representation. The couple even had three costume changes including some Sailor Moon outfits. They even sliced their Dragon Ball themed wedding cake with a katana, cause why not?

Speaking of cake, maybe you want your nerdy interests to be a bit more subtle. We have had tons of people use customized cake toppers—one couple had a whole D&D fight happening on their cake, while another couple had Funko Pops of their favorite characters. Cake toppers are a very simple but classic way of slipping in some pop-culture references. You can even have fun with some allusions in your design. Maybe if you really love Game of Thrones you can have your wedding during the winter, strut around in some fur, and have your color palette be black, gray, and dark shades of red. It’s a fun little easter egg for you!

Basically, don’t be afraid to show your love of pop-culture. Most likely tons of your guests love embracing their nostalgia, and celebrating you in a playful way.

For the Artsy Couples:

If you are really hands on and crafty then it’s ok to design some of your own things. We typically recommend designing wedding save the dates/invites, table numbers, and maybe an element of your wedding decor but know we are strong advocates of renting from rental companies—saves some stress! You can maybe even make custom letters for guests or little escort cards for everyone.

If you want you bring some “crafty” energy into your wedding, we are all about curating experiences for your guests. Maybe you have a live artist create custom pictures of your guests during cocktail hour, or maybe you have a some fun scrap-book elements to make your guest book more of a fun project for guests, or maybe you have some sort of specific craft station. We once had a couple desire a “make your own terrarium” station for guests to make and take home. It was so much fun seeing the guests create a green little world of their own.

If you are more of a performer, then don’t be afraid to perform at your wedding. Maybe you and your partner perform Much Ado About Nothing, but when the two characters get married you actually get married. Maybe during your first dance you have a surprise tap number, maybe you and you partner suddenly engage in a stage combat fight, maybe you both sing your vows, or maybe you just choreographed something a bit more complicated with a lift. We have even seen couples curate surprise moments for their partner like a flashmob with their wedding party, or they join the live band for a song on the drums to reconnect with their “past drummer self.” Guest always love supporting you and if you give them a little extra performance it will be something to remember for ages.

If you’d rather keep your interests into your design that’s fine too. As mentioned, if you want to craft your own stationary that’s a great way to satisfy your creative itch, or you can maybe make a fun jab at your creative career—we had a couple create their ceremony program off of a Theatre Playbill because they were both performers. It was pretty hilarious to have “Role of Bride played by____.”

If you are an artsy person you don’t have to hide those artistic elements in your wedding. You can embrace it by creating an element for your wedding, or giving your guests that hands-on experience themselves.

For the “Morning” and Spiritual Couples:

You don’t have to host a wedding during the evening. If you are so much more of a morning person then you can host your wedding during the day! We had a wonderful couple plan a morning ceremony and instead of a cocktail hour they had a tea party. The rest of the day included yard games, craft stations, and a fine turkey leg lunch. If you are considering a garden wedding, having the ceremony take place earlier might make a bit more sense so everyone can enjoy the outdoors longer.

Maybe you still want your ceremony later in the day, but you want to enjoy your morning more. You can easily plan that. We have had couples host a private brunch together so they can connect before they get dressed, we have had couples host a morning yoga and breath work session with their wedding parties to ease any nerves, and we even had a couple host a sound bath with their wedding parties to create a positive space for the rest of the day. You don’t have to separate the second your wedding day begins—you are allowed to be with each other and start your morning the way you want.

If you want to embrace some of your spiritual beliefs, we have had a couple events hire a tarot reader. Guests could pull cards and hear about their future or emotional state. It’s a unique way to immerse guests during cocktail hour, but also have them embrace their spiritual side if they desire.

You don’t have to follow the traditions of the wedding timeline. If you don’t like being out past 10pm, then you don’t have to. Your guests will be there for you, no matter the time.

If there is one thing to take away from this blog it’s you can do whatever you want—that’s the best part about planning a wedding. You don’t have to follow any traditions you don’t want, and you can make your own. You can embrace what makes your heart sing, and you can be as intimate or grand as you desire. Your wedding is a celebration of the love you and your partner share, your guests are there to witness it.

If you need more support planning your wedding, don’t be afraid to reach out!

Ways to make your wedding uniquely YOURS!

For the Religious or Cultural Couples:

For the Nerdy/Pop-Culture Couples:

For the Artsy Couples:

For the “Morning” and Spiritual Couples: