I don’t know about you but I want our wedding to stand out from the rest. I never saw myself as a traditionalist so the idea of being able to completely customize my day based on what works best for Ryan and me is so exciting. Once I started the wedding planning process, I started to think “What creative and unique ideas can I apply to our big day to really make it special?!” I also asked you over on Instagram and your responses were awesome. Below is a recap, including some ideas I had.
CREATIVE IDEAS FOR WEDDING CEREMONY AND RECEPTION
- Do a first look.
- Build or buy a piece of furniture and ask your guests to sign it for your guest book.
- Get a neon sign with your name.
- Last dance, just the two of you alone in your venue.
- Set up a photobooth.
- After your entrance, dip out to have a private dinner just the two of you.
- Hire @afterthetone. They send a rotary phone and your guests can record voicemails for your guest book.
- For the remaining 100 days leading up to your wedding, keep a journal that you can gift your husband as a present.
- Write your own vows.
- Buy a cake for family that is celebrating the same anniversary as you.
- Ask your guests to take a selfie and send it to you before asking them to store away their phones for the ceremony.
- Wedding party superlatives during the rehersal dinner.
- Sneak away for your own private slow dance away from the crowd during your reception.
- Have your guests wear all black so the two of you stand out.
- Pre-labeled bins for your reception clean-up so your items get returned to you.
- Dances with both parents.
- Group picture of the wedding ceremony.
- Aisle exit after the ceremony instead of at the end of the night.
- Step back and take it all in while everyone enjoys themselves.
- Images of other married couples on each table, especially those who have passed.
- Use wooden blocks from a giant JENGA game as the guest book and ask each guest to sign a piece.
- Hire a live artist to paint your ceremony.
- Recite a family poem during the ceremony.
- Serve signature cocktails.
- Instead of thank you gifts, ask your guests to donate to your favorite charity.
- Ask your officiant to ask the two of you to turn around so everyone has a chance to take a picture of you before the ceremony begins.
- First look with your Dad.
- Have an unplugged ceremony by asking everyone to put their phones away during the ceremony.
- Print out your vows so your guests can read them during the reception.
- Use cheap frames and mirrors for decor and signage.
- Book a food truck.
- Wine box ceremony with letters from each other, family and the wedding party.
- Use places you love as table names.
- Custom dog face cookies.
- Blessing of the rings.
- Serve your favorite fun foods during cocktail hour.
- Provide a bucket full of flip-flops and pashmina wraps for your guests.
- Make portable charges available.
- Add your favorite beer and wine to your welcome bags.
- Pray together as your first look before walking down the aisle.
- Write each guest a note as their place card and tell them why they are special to you.
- Include pieces of loved passed ones in your decor.
- Ask a talented family member to paint your wedding invites.
- Collect parts of nature (like magnolia trees) and punch holes in them for your guests to throw at you.
- Have your dog as your wedding topper.
- Have your new initials embroidered into your dress in blue.
- Coasters with your dogs face on it as a favor.
- Tie parts from your engagement and pieces of your relationship throught the night.