We’re moving in a much more progressive direction as a society, as divided as the world can seem sometimes. This is good for all, as a growing majority feel like square pegs stuck into the round holes left by generations before us. However, some round holes are more consistent than others, especially when it comes to traditions. The most tradition plagued event in a life has to be a wedding. However, more and more brides and grooms are bucking trends and doing thing their way. Here’s how you can join them.
Picture sourced by Ihsan Aditvya
Skipping the crowd
The costs of weddings are rising, much to the chagrin of a population that’s growing up with less wealth than generations before. As such, not only is inviting every single person you’ve ever said hello to a huge hassle, it’s also inordinately expensive. Skip the years of debt and the stress of organizing a huge event and consider planning a more intimate wedding. Your third cousin Mabel might not like it, but your wedding doesn’t exist to suit her, does it?
Wear what you want
Everyone wants to look special on a day with such importance. However, special shouldn’t be defined strictly as a store bought, straight forward wedding dress, a white veil, and a diamond ring. Dressmakers like Usines Art Ivory are making truly unique pieces out of vintage, preowned, or abandoned dresses that can help you truly make your own look and your own mark. More brides are skipping white veils for floral or more colorful affairs. More couples are even starting to choose rings that don’t match and doing for designs other than as glitzy as possible. You should still be you on your wedding day, you should just look as fierce as you can.
Breaking down gender norms
Besides saving you a pretty penny and allowing you to be more comfortable, other trend breaking weddings are also freeing couples from unnecessary gender constraints. Regardless of what people might think, women should not be forced to wait and wait before they can ask the question that they want to hear. The growing popularity of groomswomen and men of honor is a very welcome change indeed, too.
The formality of it all
If you don’t want a fussy affair for a wedding, there’s no reason that you should. Some traditions, like having separate sites, are frequent topics of debt at sites like The Knot, when really its much easier to just have everyone sit together. Similarly, if you want a shorter wedding with a more easygoing vibe, there’s no reason to have seats whatsoever. More people are getting married in quick fashion in the morning and following up with a party that doesn’t necessary have to extend to way in the am, demanding less of your guests and letting you and your spouse bathe in each other’s affections at night instead of waking up hungover.
Whether you decide to follow tradition or go the subversive route is up to you. You find your own meaning with your wedding. What’s important is that you choose it yourself, rather than having it chosen for you.