How to Plan a Non-Traditional Wedding

Wedding trends come and go, but the traditions that underpin the celebration have lingered for a surprisingly long time, so what happens if you want to plan a non-traditional wedding? Whatever your reasons for wanting to go against the grain - whether you’re up for a bit of patriarchy-smashing or you just want to celebrate in a way that aligns with your values - there are endless ways to buck tradition. We’re here to help you plan a celebration that stands out from the norm and truly reflects who you are as a couple.

Non-traditional wedding ideas

If you want to do something entirely different for your big day, then you'll need to drown out the noise and dig into what you really love as a couple, and what would make you happiest on your wedding day. Whether you want to walk down the aisle together, dance down it with your wedding party like a soul train, or get rid of the aisle altogether and parachute in, don't let tradition get in the way of you having the wedding of your dreams!

Planning a non-traditional wedding ceremony is a great place to start your alternative wedding planning journey. A good alternative wedding celebrant will be able to turn the traditional ceremony on its head and help you craft something completely unique. Whether you want to be married by Elvis, Chewbacca or Priscilla Queen of the Desert, there's someone for everyone out there!

Opt for alternative wedding attire

Before Queen Victoria introduced the white wedding dress to the masses, a colourful gown was all the rage. If stiff suits and virginal white dresses don't really fit with your personal style, then this is your permission slip to embrace whatever colour and style you choose for your wedding outfits. If you want to sashay down the aisle looking like a human glitterball in a sparkly kaftan, then you go, girl!

There’s no denying that girls have more fun when it comes to their outfits - the options for non-traditional groom outfits are pretty limited, but you could always choose a suit in a bright colour or pattern, or dress more casually altogether in shorts and an unbuttoned shirt or t-shirt!

Your wedding dress code is another way to easily buck tradition - you could go for a fancy dress wedding, ask your guests to dress colourfully, or just ditch the dress code altogether and let everyone wear what they feel most comfortable in.

Host a micro-wedding your way

If a big traditional wedding isn’t your thing, then a more intimate celebration, such as a micro-wedding or [elopement](https://sayi.do/articles/micro-wedding-elopement-whats-difference0, could be the right choice for you. There are many ways to approach a smaller wedding - you don’t even have to celebrate in a traditional wedding venue. Why not hire a big house for the weekend and celebrate over a few days with your closest friends and family members? Or host an intimate ceremony followed by a dinner party in your favourite restaurant?

Elopements are even more intimate than a micro-wedding, but can be a lot of fun - who says you need to have a huge guest list to celebrate your love?! There are all kinds of adventurous ways to say I do when you don’t have hundreds of guests - from mountaintop wedding ceremonies, to exchanging vows underwater in a scuba ceremony!

Bring in the food trucks

A formal sit-down dinner is a tradition that many couples prefer to keep, but how you choose to feed your guests is totally up to you. If a formal dinner doesn't feel right for your celebration, then grazing tables or a BBQ are a great alternative. If you want to shake things up even more, why not bring in your favourite food trucks to feed everyone? You don’t need a seating plan for this kind of meal - long tables, benches, haybales or even an eclectic mix of rugs make for a much more relaxed atmosphere.

If you’re not sure if you want to go all-out alternative, but you’re keen to avoid the overly-structured vibe of a traditional wedding, you just need to remember that all you really need to provide is plenty of good food options, drinks and spaces to socialise - think fire pits, seating areas, and maybe some games for people to play if they’re feeling a bit socially awkward. A casual self-serve bar with pre-mixed cocktails in pitchers or bottles of beer makes it easy for everyone, removing the formality of having servers milling about.

Switch up the entertainment

Your wedding entertainment offers endless opportunities to surprise and delight your guests in equal measures - don’t limit yourselves to a covers band churning out 90s classics! You could bring in a drag queen, a spoken word poet, or a comedian to provide the evening entertainment, or hire a live artist, circus performers or a tarot card reader for the cocktail hour entertainment.

Don’t be afraid to make your own fun - whether you host silly olympics, a glitzy game show, or a scavenger hunt, adding an interactive element is a fab way to break the ice and makes for a great atmosphere for your wedding day. If you’re both open to taking each other’s names and want to make it really interesting, you could even let your families lead your guests into a battle of the surnames!

Create an unconventional guest book

Whilst a guest book is a lovely way to immortalise your wedding day by giving your guests a chance to express their well-wishes, it’ll probably end up consigned to a drawer somewhere, gathering dust. Instead of a guest book, think about what kind of memento you'd like to keep from your wedding day - your guests could leave their mark on a piece of artwork, use a photobooth to leave video messages, or even use an audio guestbook service with a vintage phone!

There really is no right or wrong way to celebrate your love story - sure, some of your older guests might be expecting traditional wedding vows, ring bearers, flower girls and a first dance, but even diehard traditionalists can be won over with a few creative ideas and a top-notch dessert buffet! Don't be afraid to do things differently so that the entire day has a special meaning for the two of you - happy planning!