Have It Your Way; 6 Tips to Having an Alternative Wedding

When we’re planning a wedding, we’ve got to make it unique to us and our sensibilities, not to please the guests. More and more people are straying away from traditional wedding set-ups and if you’re looking for a unique or alternative wedding to truly make your feelings known, here are a few things that you need to consider. 

Find Alternative Wedding Suppliers That Share Your Vision

Wedding suppliers can help you achieve your perfect day, but sometimes those that come recommended by your auntie Joan just don’t cut the mustard! Therefore, you may need to do a little bit more digging to find people who are on your level and have the same values. For example, when you are on the lookout for a wedding photographer, you need to keep in mind that every photographer has a different style, so you need to make sure you speak with them about what you want. Trying to find alternative wedding suppliers can be a minefield, which is why you should go to as many wedding fairs as possible as you can meet suppliers face-to-face and truly get to grips with their values. 

Finding a Unique Wedding Venue

The venue is going to have a big impact on the overall vibe of the wedding day. Many places advertise themselves as official wedding venues, but you don’t need to go for the traditional ones! There are so many places out there; you could head to like a museum or a bookshop and as a result, they may require very little decoration. If you and your spouse-to-be like all things literature, a bookshop can be an amazing backdrop that you don’t have to dress up. 

Think About the Themes

A themed wedding day may seem somewhat cheesy in one respect, but when you settle on a wedding theme, it is easier to decide on a number of key aspects, such as the colour scheme, the decoration, and even the entertainment! If you’re going for an alternative wedding with plenty of vintage vibes, you can hire a wedding band that performs swing music. You may think that certain themed weddings can be tacky, but you have to bear in mind that it’s all to do with what you want for your perfect wedding day. 

Hire a Celebrant

Celebrants cannot legally marry you, but celebrant led weddings are becoming more popular. While the legal signing of the register is the contractual aspect, this doesn’t stop a celebrant from giving you a personal wedding ceremony that makes it unique to you as a couple. Many couples are now opting to marry the day before or after the wedding legally and have a celebrant on the big day of self. There are benefits to doing this: 

• You don’t have to go through all the legal stuff on the day 
• You can have the ceremony just as you want it.
• The celebrant can combine numerous religious or spiritual beliefs or perform numerous rituals 
• They can dress up to match your theme if you want! 

Choosing the Alternative Wedding Entertainment

After the ceremony and the food comes the night do! There are so many different entertainment options out there that you can be almost as quirky as you want. From palm readers to space hoppers, there is plenty to choose from! But the entertainment in terms of the music may also give you some inspiration for that first dance. You could use this as the perfect opportunity to choreograph your first class or you could make it incredibly entertaining, or even funny! But remember, it’s not about necessarily playing to the crowd, but about making sure that you two are comfortable and are doing something that you both love. 

The Most Important Wedding Advice of All…

Being yourself is the most important rule for an alternative wedding. So many people are now getting rid of tradition as they find that it just doesn’t sit right with them. It’s important to remember that if you are shunning tradition for the things that make you happy, you just have to be prepared for a couple of your relatives to roll their eyes. Sometimes, there’s a lot of pressure to have a specific kind of wedding, but you have to remember that the wedding day is supplementary to the two of you. The most important thing is that you celebrate your love as a couple. If you are doing that, what does the rest actually matter? 

An alternative wedding can be a big statement, but it’s second fiddle to the years you’ll spend together as a couple. You want to make a big impact with the event but it’s also about the small touches and the emotions you feel as well along the way. Alternative weddings need to represent the two of you, rather than you purposefully shunning tradition.