Weddings are filled from start to finish with traditions, but you are required to do all of them, or any at all! Your wedding is your day, and it can be set up however you want it to be. We’ve outlined 8 wedding “must-dos” that you can actually skip!
Not seeing each other before the ceremony
One of the longest-standing traditions is not seeing your bride/groom prior to the wedding ceremony. This is a tradition that more and more couples are opting to forego! Many couples are choosing to trade this tradition for the new “first look” trend. Staging a first look with your spouse prior to the wedding has tons of perks aside from an adorable photo op. Hosting a first look allows you to get all of your photos with your wedding party ahead of the ceremony! This can offer a lot more flexibility with the timeline of the day. This also allows you to spend even more of the day with your new spouse, and who wouldn’t want that!
Guest Favors
Although guest favors are typically found at most weddings, they are often left behind and end up being a wasted cost. Feel free to skip this and reallocate the money to something else for your guests like an upgraded bar, or put the funds towards your honeymoon! You’re already paying a tremendous amount of money for each guest to attend your wedding; you shouldn’t feel obligated to purchase a knickknack for them that will most likely be left behind at the end of the night.
Matching Rings
Although you and your spouse are surely a match made in heaven, you are still individuals with your own styles! You’ll each wear your wedding rings every day, so they should line up with your own personal preferences. Your rings don’t have to match! If you want, you can opt to coordinate smaller features of the ring – like textures or engravings. This way you can coordinate without completely matching the rings.
Bouquet/Garter Toss
Although the bouquet and garter tosses can be a ton of fun, they aren’t for everyone! Especially for brides with guests who are mostly married, this tradition doesn’t always make sense, so feel free to skip it. The garter toss can also create some awkwardness for families, whether or not you participate is totally up to you!
Bride/Groom Pews
Traditionally, the groom’s family sits on the side that the groom stands on and the bride’s family sits on hers. This is a tradition that many modern couples are opting out of! A popular modification is having the families switch sides. This means that the bride’s family will sit on the groom’s side and the groom’s family will sit on the bride’s side. This allows the families to have a direct view of their loved one’s face, rather than the back of their head. It’s also totally fine to throw this tradition out altogether! Many couples are posting signs that say, “pick a seat not a side, you’re loved by both the groom and the bride”. This gives guests the freedom to sit wherever they want. This is great for couples with mismatched family sizes or a lot of mutual friends.
Wedding Cake
Wedding cakes are extremely pricy, especially if you need one to feed 200+ people! Brides and grooms invest a lot of money into beautiful wedding cakes, just for guests to receive a standard looking piece of cake ones it’s cut up. Because of this, many couples are opting for alternative desserts that are more personal to them like s’mores or donut walls.
Traditional Registry
You are not required to register for something just because it’s tradition! If you think you’ll get no use out of a traditional item like china or sliver, skip it entirely. Your guests would rather buy you something personal to you that you’re sure to love. If you and your spouse love things like board games and experiences, register for those! It’s your wish list, so anything on it is up to you.
Honeymoon Right Away
Typically, couples have a grand exit out of the wedding then head off to their honeymoon! Although this certainly allows for a dramatic escape, it doesn’t make sense for all couples. Being swept away from your wedding directly to your honeymoon is sweet, but it’s not the only way to go. Feel free to take some time off to decompress and take in your wedding memories! You’ll go on your honeymoon refreshed after some time off.
Bottom line? You can skip anything that doesn’t work for you! It’s your day, so carry on whichever traditions you love or create your own.
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