One of the best things about planning a wedding is that the bridal couple can integrate past traditions with new rituals. The blending of the old and the new, if done well, can take a wedding for ordinary to memorable and from stressful to just plain fun. Wedding planners tell us what bridal couples today are looking for is customization. They want to move away from what they "have to do" to what they "would like to do."
From the most crucial elements of the wedding to the accoutrements, bridal couples are looking for interesting options. Some couples are "making it legal," before their wedding day, at a courthouse, or in the presence of a licensed person of their faith. Then, they are having a friend, or family member officiating at their public ceremonies,
Man-gagement rings are becoming popular. There is a new twist on the traditional engagement ring presented to the bride-to-be. The ring is a symbol to the world that this man is taken. It further allows the bride-to-be an opportunity to present her future husband with a concrete symbol of their engagement, which heretofore was reserved exclusively for women.
Jewelers are also seeing today's couples pushing the envelope with regard to their wedding rings. Their feeling is that a wedding band is worn every day and should be a reflection of who they are. So, some couples are getting a bit edgier in making the choice of a ring, veering away from what is considered a tradition wedding ring. Among those styles are the "two-finger, tattoo-style banner ring" and rings that are customized for each bride and/or the groom with sayings and/or engravings that are personal to them.
Where traditionally the photographer would shoot the bride in her wedding gown, usually on her wedding day, before the event, now some brides are opting for a change, They are booking the photographer to take shots of both bride and groom, out of traditional wedding garb and in non-wedding type locations. They are eliminating the shots in gardens and in fountains, replacing them with couples in jeans who are mountain trekking, riding a zip line, or skiing down a mountainside. The alternative photographs help capture the fun side of the couple in a very different milieu than their wedding day. It becomes shots of who they are and emphasizes what is unique, personal, and particular to them, making for, what many feel are more interesting images.
In keeping with the concept of making wedding planning, new pre-wedding party ideas are surfacing. The Dad-chelor party is a celebration in which the fathers of the bride and groom celebrate the growth of their families. Unlike the traditional, no-holds-barred bachelor party, these get-togethers are sensitive and emotional in nature.
It may be an urban legend, so take this with a grain of salt, but I have heard that there is something new on the market. Every bride knows how difficult it is going to the bathroom once she is ensconced in a wedding gown. With that in mind, bridal diapers are being offered.
All in all, these few examples demonstrate that brides and grooms keep coming up with new traditions of their own, which can be fun and which mirror their personalities and uniqueness. This, after all, is what a wedding of two people is all about, since every couple is unique!
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