Portray Your Personalities
One of my strongest beliefs as a wedding planner is that every wedding should be individual; yes, some weddings may have similarities or follow the same theme, but it’s the little touches that are meaningful, to you as a couple, that make your wedding day special to you and those closest to you. So, how do you portray your personalities both individually, and as a couple, on your wedding day? (Without being super slushy of course!)
1) Your Wedding Invitations
Photo by Cecelina Photography // Stationery by Hand drawn by Katie
Your wedding invitations are one of your first opportunities that you have to set the tone for you wedding day; invites tend to be quite formal, both in language and in style (it is a wedding after all!) but if the language typically used just isn’t you then don’t feel you have to use it!
If you want to set a more relaxed tone for the day then stick to your usual choice of words, similarly, if you want things to be fun then perhaps a quirky poem or unusual design will suit your invites. Whatever your style for the day, show this throughout.
2) Your Location
One of the biggest wedding planning decisions is where to get married? If you’re struggling to choose somewhere or find the perfect venue then think of places which are meaningful to you as a couple, for example; Where did you meet? Did you have your first date at somewhere with wow factor? (Luck you if so!) Has there been a special holiday destination for the two of you?
Picking a venue with sentiment means you’ll look back on your wedding day memories and photographs even more fondly.
3) Your Photo Wall
Photo by Rosie Photography
At your wedding reception consider having a photo wall or display to show the journey to your wedding day; include photos of you both over the years, including key milestones and your favourite memories you’d like to share with your loved ones.
I recommend putting this near your guest book – you’ll find the pictures help generate some lovely comments for you to keep. Get creative with how you create your guestbook/photo feature and this becomes another factor which resonates with your guests.
4) Your Table Names
Consider naming your tables something unconventional; this could be anything at all…meaningful places, your favourite towns, foods you love, holiday destinations. It’s even better when your guests understand why you have chosen the names that you have.
Alternatively, if you prefer table numbers then you could add a little story to each number for example ’10….the day in February we first met, 3….the number of years we’ve been together’.
5) Your Favours
Choosing favours can be difficult; do you buy the same gift for everybody? Do you try and personalise each one? There are story telling options for both. A very personal, (but time consuming option) is to give each of your guests a little note in a bottle with your favourite memory with them.
A more generalised choice could be based around your signature drink; if you wouldn’t be seen on a night out without a glass of champagne in your hand and your fiancee never fails to order a gin and tonic then how about a miniature champagne for the ladies and gin for the men?
6) Your Speeches
There are a few people that guests will expect to make a speech…the father of the bride, the best man and the groom!
Photo by Rosie Photography
A nice touch is to ask a couple of your best friends to say a few words; perhaps a couple that you socialise with regularly or the brides best friend?
The father of the brides tends to focus his speech on the bride, and the best man on the groom; a friend who knows you as a couple may have a few different stories to share about the two of you together.
7) Your Favourite Food
There’s no reason why you can’t incorporate your favourite food into your wedding breakfast. If you love nothing more than to have a Friday night in snuggled on the sofa with your fish and chips, or wouldn’t spend a Sunday without a roast dinner then don’t feel you can’t have these foods on your wedding day. Ask your caterer to make a ‘special’ wedding appropriate version…I’m sure your guests will love you for it!
8) Your First Dance
Perhaps the most obvious is the first dance. Choose a song that’s special to you. If you don’t want the moment to be too serious then surprise your guests with a planned dance routine; these have been a big trend this year. If there’s a song that you’re both known to dancing to after a few too many then start your party as you mean to go on…..
