5 Ideas to Inspire Your Unique Wedding Dreams

Want to make your wedding day something to REMEMBER?!?!?!

What I have noticed in all of the weddings that I have photographed is that guests thoroughly ENJOY when the couple puts the time and thought behind planning to put their personal and unique touch into their wedding day.  This may seem like a stressful thought - another thing to plan for - but trust me, it’s not too terrible, and it makes a HUGE difference in the enjoyment of your day! I have compiled a quick list to get your thoughts rolling on some really fun ideas that I have seen through different parts of of a wedding day.  Be inspired!!!

GETTING READY - RENT AN AIRBNB

The getting ready location is REALLY important on your wedding day, especially for photos and location to the ceremony site.  One thing that Hank and I did for our wedding was rented a really cool AirBnb (check the photos below) that had enough space to host the entire wedding party!  Here are some reasons why you should consider this option:

1. The bridal party can stay there - one huge slumber party!!!!  You don’t have to worry about crashing someone’s house, and everything is already cleaned up for you when you arrive :)

2. Save money on hotels - Since your bridal party is staying here overnight, you can actually help them save that money on the hotel that they were going to stay at - win-win for everyone involved.

3. Cool location opportunity for photos - The AirBnb we stayed at was such a cool, antique house with a TON of space and window lighting.  It made such a big difference in our getting ready photos, and all of the rooms were very unique and added character to each shot.

CEREMONY - WRITE YOUR OWN VOWS

I can’t even begin to explain how much more intimate a wedding ceremony is when you write your own vows.  With it, you are truly inviting all of your guests into a glimpse of what your relationship is like. Personal vows evoke so much laughter and tears, in yourself and those around you, and leave everyone feeling a little lighter and more joyful than before.  If you are afraid of writing, just check on some examples of Pinterest to get some inspiration! Honestly, if you just infuse your love and favorite parts of your relationship into the vow, you can’t go wrong :)

RECEPTION - INVITE YOUR GUESTS ONTO THE DANCE FLOOR

One of our couples this year did such a unique dance idea for their first dances that I CANNOT stop telling people about it!!!  A lot of times, the first dances (the wedding couple, the father/daughter, and the mother/son) get to be somewhat long and boring for guests after a couple of minutes.  What this couple and their DJ, did, however, was so cool. AFter dancing through the first minute or so of the song, they invited the guests to join with them - all couples during the couple dance, all fathers and daughters during the father/daughter dance, and all of the mothers and sons during the mother/son dance.  This created such an intimate and special moment for all of the guests, dancing or not, and really invited people to join in the celebration and celebrate their own relationships. Such a great idea!

FOOD - CATER SOMETHING YOU LOVE

Food is really something that you can have fun with in your wedding!  You definitely don’t have to stick to the traditional courses, and I’ve seen some great ideas that I’ll share below:

1. Favorite Restaurant - We actually had Chipotle cater at our wedding because we LOVE chips and guacamole and Mexican food in general.  It ended up being such a HIT because literally anyone with a food allergy or diet restriction had plenty to choose from… and who doesn’t love free, unlimited chips and guac??

2. Food Trucks - I’ve seen this on Pinterest and Instagram, and I can’t get over this great idea!  Food trucks are such a fun, novelty idea that will both shock and delight people - plus their food will be both unique and most likely very, very good!

3. Novelty Meals - I love when people just choose to cater their favorite kind of meals.  Whether it’s breakfast for dinner, a good, homestyle meal with pulled pork and mashed potatoes, or a build-your-own pizza bar, think about what kind of meal you LOVE, and consider incorporating that into your wedding day!

DESSERT - YOU DON’T HAVE TO JUST STICK WITH CAKE

As I have been to more weddings, I have seen people stray further and further away from cake, as they incorporate desserts that will both surprise and make people sprint for the dessert table.  Below are just some of the fantastic ideas that we’ve seen!

1. Candy Bar

2. Donuts

3. Mini Cheesecakes

4. Oreo Bar

5. Ice Cream Bar

6. Smores Bar

7. Pies

I hope that ALL of these ideas have sparked some new ideas for you to try on your wedding day!  What are some unique wedding touches that you’ve seen or incorporated into your own wedding?