Planning - Dare to be different

When I got married, I wanted my wedding to be different. I wanted it to be special. So special that everyone will leave thinking "WOW!".

Here is a "dare to be different" list of ideas that I came up with when I was planning my own wedding. Of course, I only used some of them. But let them inspire you.

• Use candles instead of flowers. Candles are not only cheaper, but also create a beautiful romantic mood for your wedding. Use different types to create texture and structure to your decoration.

• During the bridal march-in, ask a dozen or so (depending on the length of the aisle) of your closest friends to hand you one flower of their choice as a symbol of their friendship. Ask them to choose the flower that they think best describes you. Accepting the flowers symbolises how much their friendship means to you. At the end of the march-in, get your father and/or mother (or a person who had a significant influence in your life) to tie a ribbon around the bunch of flowers to symbolise their love for you.


• Use decoration that reflects the phases of your lives. E.g. one couple who have lived in 4 different countries had tulips to represent Holland, an ice sculpture in the shape of a Japanese tower, Paua shells to represent New Zealand and yellow tulips with green foliage to represent Australian green and gold.



• Make an electronic invitation instead of the normal boring paper one. See this article for more details.


• Give disposable cameras to your guests and tell them to go crazy! You'll be surprised at the quality and candid moments captures.


• Don't be afraid to use bold colours. Limit yourself to one. Two at the most.


• Hire a photographer with a photojournalistic background to get candid, unposed photographs.


• Ask your friends to put together a video montage or a picture slideshow of their favourite pictures of you.
  
  
  

Remember that your wedding should tell your stories - who you are, how you met, what you love about each other. Start on that ground and you'll be on your way to your wedding that's all you!