Making your wedding unique will transform your day from just anyone’s wedding to a day that feels like the start of the rest of your life!
I get it. There’s so many weddings happening every weekend and so many trends and traditions. And likely you have been to several weddings (or even been in one). But you want something different – something that really represents your relationship and feels more like you. Well, I’ve got you. Here is my best advice on how to make your wedding unique to you – from a professional wedding photographer’s viewpoint!
*Disclaimer* I want to start by telling you that this is your permission to throw the current trends out the window if you don’t like them. This is YOUR wedding day – it should be everything YOU want it to be. I firmly believe that couples should not feel pressured to make their day be anything for anyone else. If you want to be on-trend, that’s a different story.
1: Pick a tradition or trend you don’t love and do something different instead.
There are so many traditions and trends that I think are losing significance for some couples. Things like cutting the cake (especially if you don’t like cake) and having the father walk the bride down the aisle are going by the wayside for some. If there are trends you don’t connect with and feel wouldn’t add value to your wedding, I say skip them! Choose something new to replace it with and maybe start your own tradition that your kids can use someday.
An example of this could be walking yourself down the aisle or having a donut wall instead of cake for dessert. Another example I have seen was at Heidi & Ty’s wedding. Instead of having a unity candle or sand or cross, they decided to plant a tree during their ceremony. This meant a lot to them as they are starting their life on an acreage where they hope to be for a long time. This tree will be planted on their yard as a reminder to them. It will hopefully be there for generations of their family to enjoy and remember!
2: Have an activity that you love to do together be a part of your wedding day.
If you really love yard games, have yard games. See if you can get a custom corn hole board set made to commemorate the event, or bring giant jenga. You could even have your guests sign your yard games as they arrive to the wedding!
Maybe it’s not yard games you love. Maybe it’s a bonfire or kayaking or any number or activities that you could incorporate into your day. If you love to do it, there’s a good chance your guests will love it as well! And your activity doesn’t have to be at your reception. At Autumn & Ben’s wedding, they had the party bus stop at a local brewery and did some ax throwing! Such a fun thing to do!
3: Don’t skip the customized decor and details.
If you want a neon light, get the custom one with your last names. If you want custom napkins, get them. Want an adorable custom photo booth, do it! And I will be right there to take photos of every little detail so you never forget how beautiful your day was.
A couple of my favorite custom details that I have seen were at Shelby & Jakes wedding. They had an old landline phone for guests to record congratulation messages on so they can listen to those later. They also had a gorgeous head table backdrop with their last name! It’s these little details that really make a day unique.
4: Make your guest book unique.
One of the things that pretty much everyone is going to do is have something for guests to write on or sign when they enter the reception. I absolutely LOVE seeing all of these unique ideas. It isn’t hard to come up with something new, especially with permanent markers available. When pretty much any surface can be written on, almost anything is fair game!
A few of my favorites were Jordan and Allison’s entryway bench and Lisa and Aaron’s tree painting. Another favorite is one that can’t fit in one photo, Rachel & Derek had me take a photo of them with each guest group as the guests left the ceremony. What better way to remember who all attended your wedding than a photo with each!
5: Hire a photographer who leans into your uniqueness.
One of my favorite things as a wedding photographer is seeing all the ideas that couples come up with to help them make their wedding unique. I tend to really lean into those details and photograph them with intention because they were incorporated into the wedding with a purpose.
If you want a photographer who leans into your uniqueness and gives you photos that truly represent who you are, I want to be that person for you. Head to my main website to find out more about working with me, or to my weddings page to inquire now!
