8 Tips for Personalizing your Wedding | Georgia Wedding Photographers
When it comes to your wedding, you want your big day to be as special and unique as you are. There are many things you can do to make your wedding stand out, and most importantly make it truly yours. After all, this day is all about you and should represent you and your partner’s relationship as closely as possible. When planning, do your research for a fun starting point, but also think outside the box and try to come up with things that are entirely unique to your event. Think long and hard about your hobbies, interests, and favorite things as a couple and weave those throughout the plans. Even if your wedding has an overarching theme, try to incorporate a little personality wherever you can.
- Keep it cozy- When thinking about utilizing space at your venue, consider designing a lounge space for guests to relax and take a break from dancing. Keep your reception looking cool, chic and cozy by tying the furniture and decorations in with your overall wedding aesthetic. Aligning with your venue and theme, choose cushy couches and ottomans and consider getting as creative as constructing something such as a teepee for kids to climb in, relax and explore.
- Bridal party attire- Once you have your theme and color scheme picked out, contact your bridal party and tell them to look for a dress or suit. Try giving them a specific designer or pre-selected options to choose from, so everyone in your party has a slightly different look. Consider choosing multiple variations of one color to create a beautiful contrast, or send multiple styles and fits of dresses in one color. This doesn’t have to be true for only dresses either, send groomsmen various wedding suit options or leave it simple by featuring a different tie for each groomsman.
- Guest transportation- To make things as easy as possible for your guests, look into providing transportation to the ceremony and reception venues from the hotels you recommend. Get creative and consider using unique modes of transportation such as by boat or trolley, depending on where your venue is. Other fun transportation we’ve seen are golf carts, a caravan of antique cars, vintage yellow taxi cabs, and party busses. Be sure to look into many options that fit your theme and budget, and leave yourself some room to book a different option for you to ride off in at the end of the night.
- Signature cocktails- Include a touch of personality by serving both your and your future spouse’s favorite beverage, and a clever name to go with it. Get creative while naming the drinks; try tying your own name into the title or connect it to something you love, such as your alma mater, hometown or even pet. Take it to the next level by making a cute sign that shows your guests which beverage you recommend, and which is your lover’s choice. Include the list of drink ingredients so your guests know what’s in it, and to address allergy concerns.
- Seating placement cards- If your wedding has an overarching theme, choose featuring your seating arrangements with a cute, untraditional indicator instead of the typical paper card. If your theme is outdoorsy, think about attaching names to little succulents your guests can take along with them when the day is over. If your theme is playful and colorful, mark each place with a cake pop that your guests can not only use to help them find their place, but enjoy as well. Other unique ideas include writing names on leaves and luggage tags to help guests “travel” to their seats. Think outside the box and go beyond these ideas to come up with a new idea that feels personal and in tune with your theme.
- Donations in lieu of gifts- A popular trend among some couples who already live together in a house full of appliances and furniture has been asking guests to make donations to their charity of choice. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, encourage your guests to make donations in your honor to a nonprofit you feel connected to, rather than buying you a gift. Many sites have easy-to-use portals where you can organize a nonprofit fundraiser for guests to donate to as well. You could opt to dedicate part of your registry to be donation-based rather than the whole thing, as well. Most people find that it feels more meaningful getting your guests to support a cause close to your heart than going home with a new ironing board.
- Thoughtful favors- When it comes to party favors, try finding something useful for your guests to take along with them, so your money and energy isn’t wasted on something that will end up collecting dust. Think ahead and plan something your guests can use, such as a custom-scented bar of soap with personalized label, flip flops for when their feet get sore dancing, or set up a DIY flower station for your guests to make their own bouquets with flowers from the ceremony.
- Exit in style- When the time has come to call it a night (before the afterparty, that is), call everyone together for one final ceremony and then exit in style. Make it a moment you’ll never forget by passing out sparklers, confetti, mini beach balls or even flower petals for your guests to shower down over you. Or, you can take it in another direction by choreographing an exit dance to your favorite song, driving off on a motorcycle or throwing colored smoke bombs to “disappear” into the night. All of these result in beautiful photos as well, so ask your photographer to stick around and capture one final moment from your big day.
No matter your style or wedding theme, incorporate your personality into whatever you do. There’s no better way to celebrate you and your future spouse than showing your loved ones what you two enjoy together. From transportation to small details, there’s always room to add a touch of personal flair! The more involved you are in planting these unique seeds, the more fun your guests will have finding them!
