When I was planning my wedding with my wife, Sage, we felt the same struggle. You have an idea that you think is cool and unique and then *bam* you see another couple do that exact thing that you thought was unique to you. Whether that couple you saw was part of your friend group or just someone you saw on Pinterest or Instagram, it's no different - you feel like every idea you have has already been done by someone else. But I'm here to tell you, there's hope! There is still a way to add & show your unique personality throughout your wedding.
Getting Ready
The first part of the morning happens the same way for most people. But there are little things you can do throughout getting ready that can make it feel more "you." Whether that's getting your bridesmaids or groomsmen to wear a fun outfit, pajamas, or robes to take pictures in, gifting each other a unique, non-traditional, accessory to wear during the wedding, or something else - there are plenty of ways you can make this time of the day special.
First Look
The first look is traditionally done with the bride & groom. Sometimes there is a father/daughter first look or a groomsmen/bride first look, etc. But there are other ways to make this time unique. Whether that's the location you pick or the method in which you do the first look (i.e. doing a quick glance, holding hands on either sides of the walls, etc) doing something a little different here can make it more fun.
Ceremony Flow
Most of us know the ceremony flow, when the vows will happen, and when the first kiss will take place. So, why not shake things up? Some fun ideas you could do is change the order in which you do things, add a fun element during the ceremony (i.e. dancing, singing along to song, etc), or have something cool planned for when you exit down the aisle. Don't let other weddings scare your creativity away, the sky is the limit, you just have to be bold enough to do it!
Cocktail Hour & Reception Food
When my wife and I were planning our wedding, the very first thing we wanted to do was do something fun for our food. We were bored of the typical chicken, steak, or salmon entrees or the typical hors d'oeuvres served at cocktail hour. We decided to shake things up! We love Chipotle and we thought it would be fun to incorporate that somehow. We also had a friend with a charcuterie business and thought that would be an awesome staple for cocktail hour. And before you say "charcuterie isn't unique," let me tell you...this spread was. For cocktail hour, our friends at Come to the Table laid out a multi-tier charcuterie spread that took up 2 full 10ft tables. Now, THAT is charcuterie. Then, for the reception, we had Chipotle catered and incorporated signature drinks that we loved to enjoy like a Mexican Mule, Orange Crush, and also had some Jarritos sodas available to complete the theme. People still haven't stopped talking about the food - it was a hit and it was unique to us!
Wedding Cake / Desserts
You're probably bored of me referencing my own wedding, but to give you an example of uniqueness, we ditched a wedding cake. In our experience, not many people even like cake, it was just there to be able to say "we have a wedding cake." Instead, we did chocolate-covered strawberries, and our friends made a special bride and groom strawberry for Sage and I. We also had churros with chocolate & more!
Hopefully, some of these small examples give you the inspiration to try something new and exciting for your own wedding. The bottom line is if you're bold enough and you can think outside of the box, you can make your wedding anything you want it to be! So me and everyone at Chase & Fellow encourage you to dare to be unique and add your personality in little ways throughout. It'll make your day that much more special and people will remember it for years to come.
