Non-Princess Bride: 11 Unique Bride Ideas for the non Traditional girl

11 Unique Bride ideas for the non traditional girl 

Carrie Bradshaw told us that we first have to love ourselves before we can find anyone else to love us. But, “if we find the one who loves the you, you love, well then, that’s just fabulous”. It can take a very long time to ‘find yourself”. At 36 years old, I realized something about that famous Carrie quote..it’s really true. I’m still working on completely finding ‘me’, but once I accepted the weirdness, and eccentricities that made up my composition, I found someone not just drawn to those eccentricities, but who came with plenty of their own. Now, as a new bride more realizations are to come. Although being engaged is, (I’m not gonna lie), an amazing feeling, it’s not one size fits all. And if you’re someone who lives outside the box, then planning and executing a wedding is less formality, and more fun. And can come with it’s own share of skeptical questioners. When I got engaged, much of the normalities that come with the title and the ring escaped me. I never made an official website. My husband to be, not me, ironically, is the one who posted our engagement on Facebook. I never did a crash diet. My registry is not Macys, or Crate and Barrel, but Zola. Again, fun over formal. A wedding can be a wondrous thing, but it’s also important to remember, it’s just a thing. It can’t feel, it can’t move, it can’t talk. It lives purely to serve and placate you.

So if you’re getting engaged, or about to start planning a wedding, and feel the walls closing in, remember, it’s not rocket science. You don’t need a degree or a brilliant mind to plan a wedding. But, a creative one certainly wouldn’t hurt. My mom always told me, don’t go with the flow, be the flow. If you’re someone who likes to fight convention, put that passion and creativity to work in the one place where you’re 100% sure to get a engaged, captivated audience, at least for one day. To get you started, here are 11 unique bride ideas for the non traditional or more laid back girl.

1. Forgo typical bridesmaids standards.  If you want to have a special few girls by your side, you should. But why burden anyone with unnecessary costs, or responsibilities. Good friends will volunteer to help, so utilize them for their specific skills, and then reward them with little gifts. Do let them know what you need from them. Don’t make anyone pay for anything if they don’t want to. Do tell them exactly how you want them to look, if you have a vision. Most friends will be willing to do whatever you want, as long as it doesn’t involve $500 dresses or shoes. Don’t force anyone to wear any one style. Each woman has her own look, style, and most important, body type. So don’t put your girlfriends in a box. Instead, set specific ideas or guidelines, and then let people pick themselves.

2. Skip cliched engagement pictures. They can be expensive unless you know someone and sometimes, unnecessary. Especially when you think about how many amazing pictures you have to take, coming your way. Instead, find a friend willing to take a few shots of you, and then take them to dinner or the spa as a thank you.

3. Use Zola for your wedding registry. ZOLA registry isn’t just convenient and easy, it’s cool. It takes boring convention out of wedding registries and makes things a little more fun and personal for both you and your guests.

4. Do your engagement party at home. Less money, way less formality, but instead, just a fun get-together. Unless you have someone wanting to throw one somewhere for you, in which case, forget everything I’m saying and enjoy!! People offering to do things for you doesn’t happen very often in life, but during this time, you’ll find it often. Host your engagement party at home, or at a friends home, if someone’s willing to host for you. You’ll find this kind of affair more casual, but way more intimate.

5. Have some fun with your rsvps. Instead of sticking with the ‘standard inclosed’ rsvp cards, go rogue, and get your own. I shopped at PapelLindo on Etsy for my Mad Libs cards which I enclosed with all invites. For only a few extra dollars, it makes for some extra fun during the rsvp process. Plus, responses you can freeze in time forever.

 6. Think out of the box with your wedding shoes. Again, this is a day for personal style. So ditch the dyeables, and go for what your heart says. My best friend’s sister in law wore wedge sneakers down the aisle. My cousin wore flip flops. Me? These SJP Mary Jane beauties which may not be the typical bridal shoe, but they’ll keep me sparkling forever. And unlike other wedding shoes, these can be worn again, and again, and again. Worth ever single penny. I’m such a Carrie.

7. Try Bridal Separates, a non white color, or funky shape. The point is two words; personal style. There could never be a more important day to reflect your personal style. So instead of sticking with what you think you should do, instead go with your gut. One of the coolest things about being a bride is that unlike the Rolling stone lyric, you can pretty much can get whatever you want. It’s the one time in your life where what you say, and want, goes first. Maybe it’s separates, a tulle skirt, or even a blue dress. Maybe it’s totally traditional, or totally out of the box. Whatever it is, make sure it’s  you.

8. Switch up your guest book. I’m going for this Tumbling Towers set by Jaques London as our guest book. Guests will sign messages on blocks, rather than the usual book or album. It’s more fun and gets people interacting, and playing the game, instead of burying their head in a book.

9.  Forgo typical traditions. While planning my own wedding, I hated feeling like there was one set standard I had to follow.  Weddings aren’t one size fits all, so why go by any one template. Instead, create your own. Plan your day your way, and do what you want. Be creative with your ceremony, or even skip standard basics like dozens of family dances, or typical processionals.

10. Surprise your groom and his men with personalized boutonnieres. One of the most important things on a big day like your wedding is, ironically, the little details. Add extra flare to a few special somethings wherever you can. One of the most perfect places to do that? Buy little accessories for the groom and his men, like bowties, pocket squares, or boutonnieres, and surprise them with the accessories that morning.

11. Break old school rules and stay together the night before. Forgive me, but the tradition seems a bit archaic to me. The chances that we sleep with our soon to be husbands every night is pretty high. So instead of separating in the hopes of following some old school rule, live it together. You’ll get to experience your last night as single people as a couple, which is exactly what you’ll be, hopefully forever.

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