How to Plan a Wedding That Doesn’t Feel Like Every Other Wedding

Is there anything worse than scrolling through the internet looking for wedding inspiration and realizing that everyone has the same color scheme, rustic chic vibe, posed pictures in the same field, and so on? Am I destined to have merely another wedding like everyone else out there?

Yet most couples do not want cookie-cutter weddings; they want something that feels like them. But instead of adjusting their vendors to include all the details necessary for a true bespoke day, they let the obvious trends guide them in an easier yet less fulfilling direction. But it’s really not that hard to avoid a cookie-cutter wedding.

Start With the Venue

The venue is going to determine everything else. A banquet hall venue comes with a certain vibe – lighting levels, layout of the room, potential house furniture. And that’s okay. But it creates a non-negotiable aesthetic.

With so many couples looking for their own personalized atmosphere, the need for a recommended wedding marquee hire in Perth suggests that people want empty spaces and creative opportunities. When there is little to no aesthetic for anyone but yourself to work from, it’s your vision from the get-go.

The downside? The more opportunities, the more decisions need to be made. But for those with a vision – or just someone who truly does not like ballrooms – it’s worth it to put in the extra work for a unique reception.

Focus on What’s Important

It’s not as easy as it sounds without making it complicated. Once couples get carried away or forget what weddings do or do not need and then fall victim to each component based on what’s typically included, everything gets out of whack.

To do this effectively, first determine your non-negotiables. Are you huge foodies and need an incredible meal? Do you need an all-night party? Do you need a low-key space in which you can meaningfully talk to everyone? Distill this information first.

Then prioritize components by reducing or eliminating them. If you don’t care about floral detail shots, don’t give yourself fifteen opportunities for your photographer to snap those. If you’d rather have cocktail-style opportunities instead of a sit-down dinner, so be it. You need to give yourself permission to care less about what you don’t care about.

Change Up The Timeline

Weddings generally move from ceremony to cocktail hour to dinner to speeches to cake to dancing and then done – it’s effective because it works but there’s never one way to structure a wedding!

Some couples are having their ceremonies on different days; others plow through it early or later than expected; some skip through the structure all together and do food stations or cocktail hour-and-a-half.

People are afraid of confusing guests or flouting some unwritten rule. Guests are adaptable! All they need is clarity on what’s going on and when. If there’s a 2pm-6pm time frame with a ceremony at 2:30 and food being served throughout, guests can adjust.

Get Specific About Your Aesthetic

Rustic means nothing nowadays. So do boho, vintage, glam, romantic, etc. They mean nothing because they’ve been said too many times.

Instead, get specific. What colors? What era of style? What sources of lighting (chandelier, string, candlelight)? What type of lighting (modern fixtures)? What textures and materials?

Get image references – not just from wedding websites, but restaurants you love and hotel lobbies and outdoor spaces and even movie sets. If you can hone in on what you enjoy outside the wedding sphere, you’ll gain so much clarity instead of trying to fit into a box that was made for someone else.

Make Comfortable Substitutions

Don’t feel like everything needs to be flipped upside down just for the sake of change; sometimes things become unique because comfy options are replaced with things that mean more personally.

Do you not like cake? Get dessert instead! Do you not want bouquet tosses or garter happenings? Skip them without substitutions! Do you want a food truck instead of a caterer? Great – assess if that’s allowed and go for it!

But the caveat is that doing these things must come from intentional power instead of trying to do something weird just for weird’s sake. Does it serve the same function but align better with your aesthetic? Then that’s good enough!

Think About Guest Comfort Beyond The Obvious

The obvious focuses people think about whether guests will be fed and whether they’ll have somewhere to sit – these are the basic concerns inherent in planning an event when one is expected to be a guest for the day.

But when people truly remember weddings it seems like they went above and beyond thinking about flow and comfort. Is there shade if it’s outside in summer? Are there blankets if it’s outside in the evening? Is there a good line of site for the ceremony or will half of them squint? Is it easily accessible between spaces during your reception?

These are not glamorous elements, but they will ultimately benefit guest comfort most, and when they’re comfortable they’re better able to enjoy your celebration.

Trust Your Taste!

There’s nothing more pathetic than when couples have ideas but second guess themselves into something generic. When someone says their colors are too bright or someone suggests their favorite songs are too niche or someone wants an aesthetic but can’t find it online, so they give up hope…that’s not helpful.

It’s important that the wedding appeals to you and your partner – not anyone else; it doesn’t have to be photo-ready or trendy; it has to be fitting for this moment with your partner. If you’re making decisions based upon genuine appeal – even if unconventional – it will come off as authentic enough that it won’t feel generic.

Most couples look back afterward saying they should’ve leaned into their gut more instead of playing it safe. The weirdness, the quirkiness, all those personal elements that friends remark as “so them” is what people remember.

It’s not about creating a unique wedding for unique’s sake; it’s about recognizing what’s important enough and making unconventional choices when necessary to fulfill that vision…and then trusting that what you like has enough value to lend meaning.

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.