Wedding Traditions That Have Modern Alternatives

It’s quite surprising that in the 21st century weddings often follow the same format, full of tropes and traditions from years gone by. While some are wholesome and steeped in history, others are just downright outdated!

Why shouldn’t your beloved dog walk you down the aisle? Why can’t you save time and money by building a personalised wedding website instead of sending paper invitations? And if you want your mum, or bridesmaid to do a speech then why shouldn’t they? We’re taking a look at some of the most famous wedding traditions and considering what the modern alternative might look like.

Wedding Outfits

From the white dress, to wearing a veil and a garter. Bridal outfit traditions are as old as it gets! In many societies the colour white has long been associated with purity and innocence. Whereas the veil dates back to ancient Roman times, symbolising respect and modesty. While wearing white and choosing a veil can be a beautiful addition to a bridal outfit, it’s not the only option. We’ve seen brides in silver, pink and even black! Consider what suits you and choose something that you will feel most comfortable in.

Wedding Invitations

Ever considered switching from traditional paper invitations to digital RSVPs? If you and your partner have a lot of guests but are short on time and money, evites are an excellent modern alternative. If you’ve got guests located all over the world, or the thought of organising all of those paper RSVPs gives you the shivers, consider building your own custom website and keep everything in one place. Need to update your guests on a change of plan? No worries, you can just email them all at the same time.

Wedding websites and digital wedding RSVPs are a brilliant alternative to traditional paper invitations. The cost is a huge benefit but they’re also an incredibly useful tool which will help you for the duration of your wedding planning! As well as keeping all of your wedding information in one place, you can create a custom checklist to work through, and even collect dietary requirements through your digital RSVPs. It’s a no brainer!

Your Wedding Ceremony

Oh the vows. It’s surprising how few people realise that although you do have to say the legal vows to be legally married, your ceremony doesn’t have to be dry and stuffy. Consider personalising your wedding ceremony by adding in your own vows, humorous readings / poems, and live music. After all, your wedding ceremony should be unique to you and truly memorable. Speak to your celebrant and see what’s possible – you might be pleasantly surprised!

Your Best People

Forget the traditional roles given to best men, bridesmaids etc. If your chief bridesmaid isn’t great at organising perhaps she isn’t the best person to coordinate the hen do. Or if your best man lost his passport on the stag do, do you really want him looking after the rings?! Instead allocate tasks to the right person, regardless of their gender or whether they would have traditionally taken on this job.

And when it comes to speeches, don’t be afraid to mix it up. Some of the best speeches we’ve seen have come from children, bridesmaids, and even grandparents!

Wedding Gifts

Long gone are the days when a newlywed couple would rely on their wedding gifts to set up home together – toaster check, kettle check, dining set check! These days couples often stipulate on their wedding invitation whether gifts are welcome, or whether they’d prefer a donation to charity or their honeymoon / first house fund.

But honestly, having a guest list will make things so much easier for your guests, and you! It’s likely that your guests will want to gift you something, so why not curate a list of items that you actually want and need. To make things even more straight forward you can link your gift list to your wedding website so that your guests can make a purchase with the click of a link. They’ll be safe in the knowledge that they’ve bought you something that you will love and treasure for years to come.