5 Wedding Traditions that Many Modern Couples are Opting Out Of
When planning your wedding you can so easily feel stuck or obligated into including some of the more popular wedding traditions that, to some couples, can feel outdated or even just out of character. Tradition is beautiful but if it’s not your tradition then, to many, it can be a little too impersonal. For that reason and more, here are some wedding traditions that many modern-day couples are choosing to opt-out of:
Not seeing your significant other before the wedding ceremony
This first tradition originates from when arranged marriages were more common. This practice started out of fear that the couple would change their mind and not go through with the wedding if they saw each other prior to the ceremony.
In the modern-day, many couples choose to continue on with this long-lived tradition for the excitement involved. Some couples place a lot of importance on the memory of seeing their significant other for the first time at the end of the aisle.
Although this tradition is still very popular, many couples are opting for a ‘first look’ with their partner right before the ceremony. A first look is an intimate moment between the couple and the photographer where they see each other in private before their ceremony away from the eyes of their guests. First looks when looking at the functioning timeline of your event can actually be much more time-efficient. They allow you to take pre-ceremony photos which means you’ll have more time to enjoy your cocktail hour with your guests.
Wedding Party Standing at the Altar
Being surrounded by family and close friends is a huge piece of what a wedding day is for many couples. In many traditional weddings, bridesmaids and groomsmen walk arm and arm down the aisle prior to the bride’s big reveal. Many couples find this to be a great way to incorporate their loved ones and close friends into such an intimate life memory.
However, through increasingly popular microweddings, elopements, and smaller wedding guest counts due to COVID-19, many couples are choosing for more intimate ceremonies featuring just themselves walking down the aisle. Some couples are even choosing to forgo formal wedding parties altogether. If it’s important to you to include family and friends, we say go for it, but if you are more focused on your partner for the ceremony itself there are plenty of other options to include loved ones in your big day that aren’t during your ceremony.
Bouquet and Garter Toss
This tradition dates back to the 14th century. During a wedding, it was considered good fortune to obtain a piece of the bride’s gown. Over time, this concept evolved from guests trying to rip a piece of the bride’s gown off to tossing the bouquet and garter into an awaiting crowd for good luck.
Many couples love the idea of involving guests in wedding day activities or just appreciate the idea of a long-recognized custom but if this tradition doesn’t appeal to you, we say skip it!
Receiving Lines
The hustle and bustle of your big day can be a little overwhelming. Receiving lines, from their origination, were incorporated into ceremonies to give the couple an easy and efficient way to see and greet each of their guests.
Although efficient, many couples choose to opt-out because they feel like they’re pushing their family through a conveyor belt of hugs and in place of a receiving line will choose to greet guests when seated at their table. For larger weddings, you could also consider doing a ‘Welcome’ or ‘Thank You’ toast encompassing every guest into one thank you speech, or if that feels too detached, you could write up thank you note to be placed at each and every guest’s seat. It’s important to be a gracious host but it’s also important to have an authentic day filled however you’d like it to be filled.
Long White Wedding Gowns
A wedding gown has long been considered a beautiful white dress loaded with beads and lace. Considering all of the unique fabrics, designers, and styles the wedding industry is filled with, brides can almost always find the perfect white gown that represents their personal style.
However, even with all of the personalized options, some modern-day brides are choosing to abandon traditional bridal style and are adding their own personal flair to their bridal wardrobe. Some are choosing to sport more color in their attire, other brides prefer a short dress to a gown for a more casual elopement style day, and we are seeing more and more brides opting out of gowns all together and finding chic tailored suits to rock down the aisle. Although beautiful and timeless, white, long, and billowing isn’t always in every bride’s vocabulary.
From outfit to activities you will hear opinions left and right on what you should or shouldn’t include in your big day. Just remember that it is your day and traditions can be fun to include but what will make your wedding the most special is if it represents you and your spouse through and through.