Since the day-of coordinators at our events are so great, we love to share their wisdom with y’all. Today on the blog, we’re so excited to introduce our featured day-of coordinator for The Big Fake Wedding Charleston, Ashley of Cobblestone Convivial. Ashley knows how tough it can be to make your big day unique in a Pinterest-centric wedding world, so she’s here with 5 ways to personalize your wedding. We hope you enjoy!
Cobblestone Convivial specializes in weddings and occasions offering packages, services and creative assistance in implementing events. We understand that planning an event can be overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to be! The average event requires over two-hundred hours of planning and it’s easy to feel overextended. With over seven years of experience in all aspects of event management, Cobblestone Convivial can help you realize your ideal event without absorbing your precious time.
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5 Ways to Personalize Your Wedding
Your wedding day. A day of celebrating your commitment to each other as you charge headstrong into the world together. You want that celebration to be a true reflection of your relationship as you share it with your friends and family. And then you look at your Pinterest board and the image and idea overload becomes too much to handle. How will people know you love each other if you don’t have Beyonce personally perform and reunite Destiny’s Child at your reception? The pressure is real. It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with the beautifully lit options presented to you. All the while, at its core, what you’re looking to create is a memorable celebration unique to you as a couple. So take a step back. Put down the phone. Take a look at your person and ask yourselves: “what do we enjoy doing together, what makes our relationship special, and what do we want out of our celebration?”
Once you’ve gone all pensive, you’ll realize there are so many ways to incorporate elements of your relationship into your wedding. Here are five suggestions to help you pull off a celebration as unique as your relationship:
1. Make a top 10 list.
I know, I know… you committed to reading about 5 ideas and here I am with a top 10 suggestion right out of the gate. Just go with it.
I typically tell my clients to sit down together and complete this list first. From 1-10 rank what portions of the wedding are most important to you (for example: if amazing floral is a non-negotiable must, that’s #1) and have your partner do the same. Compare both lists and produce a final top 10 based on both of your wants and needs. Not only is it a great planning tool but it helps you communicate early on and decide what you both want to emphasize for your big day.
2. Incorporate activities you do together.
If you both root for the same sports team, bring in the mascot. If you’re both foodies, have a reception full of stations with a variety of food and wine options to mimic a festival. If you love golfing together, set up a mini putt-putt course for cocktail hour. Including activities you both enjoy will instantly personalize your wedding and offer a shared experience for your guests.
3. Use the element of surprise.
I’m not saying you should go all Houdini here (unless that’s your thing), but the unexpected makes for a memorable event. Some of the most unique elements of a wedding stem from unanticipated personalization. Surprise your guests with a late-night snack of your favorite junk food. Sing your vows to each other. Choose an unexpected song for your first dance. I’ve even had a groom and bridal party take over playing while their band was on a break and they were outstanding. It’s ok to go off the beaten path – that’s the whole point!
4. Choose a theme, not a scheme.
As a couple planning a wedding, you’ll find there are a set list of questions people tend to ask you when inquiring about your planning progress. One of these is usually “What is your color scheme?” For some, this is a non-negotiable element but for those who want to deviate a bit, this is a great opportunity to weave an overarching theme into your big day. Let’s say traveling together is a large part of your relationship. Hosting a reception with indicative cultural aspects, pictures taken traveling and food from each country or city you’ve visited is a great way to incorporate this characteristic as a theme. The sky’s the limit on here and you may find this approach to be quite freeing.
5. Do you.
This seems like such a simple suggestion but couples quickly realize that everyone has an opinion when it comes to planning a wedding. It is so easy to get lost in the sea of recommendations and requirements (yes, mom – the ceremony will be beautiful even if we don’t have a ring bearer). Stay true to who you are as a couple and approach each part of planning as a team and you won’t have a problem saying “thanks, but no thanks” to the suggested conga line. At the end of the day if you get to marry the love of your life and you get to do it your way, it’s a win.
The Cliff’s Notes version of all this is to take a breath (take a drink?), and look at the reasons you fell in love with each other in the first place. If you include these in your big day, you’re guaranteed to have a perfectly personalized celebration. If you enjoy it, chances are, the people who love you enough to be at your wedding will enjoy it too. If not, well, there’s always the bar.
Photo Credits:
Kate McKinley Photography (1) | FoKAS (2) | Ava Moore Photography (3 + 4) | Valerie & Co. Photographers (5)
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