Alternative Wedding Planning

Steampunk nuptials, anyone?

When it comes to having a completely unique celebration tailored to you, I’m here to show you what’s possible and help give you the most wonderful ideas! It’s exactly why I included “bespoke” in my business name, after all!

If you feel you don’t fit into having a typically traditional wedding, then an alternative wedding may be more up your street. Below you’ll find all of the alternative ways you can celebrate your love and have a wedding that is truly unique – and very you!

When you are throwing out the rulebook on planning a traditional wedding it can be daunting where to start! First, think about WHY you are getting married. What you want to do as a couple on your day? Being clear on a vision for your wedding and asking yourself those important questions is the best way to start the planning for your alternative wedding.

Questions to ask yourselves could include:

“What defines you as a couple?”

“What do you want your wedding day to represent?”

“What kind of style do you have?”

“What’s the overall vision of the day?”

“What are your non-negotiables?”

Once you have answered those questions you’ll have a better idea of the kind of day you are putting together and will help you make decisions during your planning process.

The best bit about having an alternative wedding is that anything goes! Here’s some ideas to help you when it comes to planning an alternative wedding that’s memorable for years to come!

Hire a celebrant (like me!)

Alternative wedding ceremonies can be anything you want them to be. This is where having a celebrant-led ceremony really excels. A celebrant is someone who can perform your wedding for you. Although in the UK celebrants don’t yet have the power to legally marry you (most couples opt to do this before the big day, and we are pushing for change in the Law Commission review currently ongoing), we have the unique privilege of being able to conduct a truly unique and completely personalised ceremony, full of fun, joy and laughter, and maybe some happy tears too!

One wedding I’ve officiated had a bit of a dog-theme, combining a relevant reading (Taylor Mali’s Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog) with the bride’s feminist values. It was SO much fun!

We Independent Celebrants can also include religious or spiritual content, symbolic gestures like handfasting or something more modern like doing shots! (Please drink responsibly!).

Me in action reading personalised vows at the wedding of Grace and Tom.

Choose an alternative theme

Themes are really fun! Choosing a theme will make it easier to choose colour schemes, venue choice, entertainment and much more! They can be incorporated as much or as little as you like and can really reflect you as a couple. Themed weddings don’t need to be tacky – you can incorporate your chosen theme in whatever way suits you, and really create a memorable experience for your guests.

Wear alternative outfits

You want to feel your absolute best on your wedding day – and what better excuse than your wedding to wear whatever the hell you want to! There’s no rulebook – wear what makes YOU feel fabulous. You don’t even need to wear white! Choose outfits that will compliment each other but find ways to infuse your personalities in your choices for the day. Coloured dresses or petticoats, leather jackets, fabulous shoes, stand out neckwear, alternative bouquets – the options are endless!

Gothic wedding for you? Love a black wedding dress!

Alternative entertainment

One of the things that people remember about your wedding long after the day is the entertainment. There are so many quirky and alternative entertainment options out there from space hoppers to palm readers to a salsa class. Having alternative entertainment will not only make your wedding stand out from the crowd, it’s a really easy way for you to get your personality across in a fun way.

Something different....

Be YOU! The most important alternative wedding advice

The most important piece of advice I can give you when planning any kind of wedding or special event is to be yourself! Don’t give into having traditional elements that mean nothing to you – or worse make you feel uncomfortable – just because you feel you should. There are often pressures from family or friends to have a particular kind of wedding but just keep in mind that it’s YOUR day. At the end of the day, what matters is celebrating your love for each other. Your day can be as alternative as you like, as long as you’re doing that then the rest doesn’t matter!