20 Unique Wedding Ideas
There are so many popular Wedding trends – some you may love, and some you may be sick of seeing – so it can be hard to know how to make your day stand out & how to create something truly memorable. I think drawing inspiration from yourselves, your interests and your journey as a couple is always a good place to start – as well as considering your guests enjoyment. Of course, the day is yours and should be everything you both have imagined it to be - but you also want your guests to have fun and to take home some special memories at the end of the night!
Below I have listed 20 ways to make your Wedding day special, unique and meaningful. I hope they give you some new ideas or inspiration on how to make your day stand out. Remember - your day can feel and look however you want it to, so don’t be tied down to any traditions or ideas that don’t feel right for you as a couple.
ONE – TAKE SONG REQUESTS
This is a really fun way to include your guests in the planning process. Have a little note at the bottom of your invitations where they can write their favourite song or artist, collate these all into a list and play them at your evening reception! Guests will love hearing their request being played and will feel like they had a part to play in the Wedding itself - and getting this playlist made by your guests will take the pressure off you and your partner to come up with music options too.
TWO – HAVE A UNIQUE CAKE TOPPER
There is no need to have the traditional ‘Bride & Groom’ icing figurines stuck on the top of your Wedding cake these days (unless you want them of course!). You can have custom toppers made almost anywhere – Etsy is a great place to look – that suit you and your partner’s style or the theme of your Wedding.
THREE – SKIP THE CAKE ALTOGETHER
Don’t love cake? No worries – why not have a dessert table instead? Grazing tables have grown in popularity hugely and are a great alternative to your traditional 3-tier number. You can have all of your favourite sweet treats laid out for everyone to share – delicious and so stunning! I also love the idea of skipping the sweet stuff altogether & having big wheels of cheese layered to look like a cake instead…Serve them with some lovely chutneys, breads and crackers and you’re onto a winner in my eyes!
FOUR – MAKE THE TABLE NAMES STAND OUT
Instead of just numbering your tables for your Wedding Breakfast, name them things that share a little bit about you as a couple. This could be your favourite song titles, countries you’ve visited, your pets’ names… anything at all that makes the names a bit more fun and personal! A nice extra touch would be to have a few lines written on the back of the table names with a description of what they mean to you as well.
FIVE – CREATE PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
Everyone loves getting pictures for Instagram these days, so why not create a unique background for pictures or even have a photobooth with props for everyone to have a bit of fun with? A lot of couples also choose a ‘Wedding Hashtag’ and encourage anyone uploading pictures of the day to use it so that all of their snaps can be found in the one place, like a little online Wedding album!
SIX – SERVE YOUR FAVOURITE CUISINE
I love seeing Wedding menus that show a bit of character and offer something different to the traditional options. Perhaps you have a favourite cuisine from somewhere you holidayed together, or you want to serve a menu of food you grew up with – working with your caterers/venue to come up with a range of dishes you feel portray a more personal side is a great way to make your meal memorable and delicious!
SEVEN – DITCH THE FAVOURS
Let’s be honest, unless they’re something really special, Wedding favours are usually left behind or stuck in the back of a drawer never to be seen again once the day is over. Instead of spending money on these, you could donate the same amount to a charity dear to your heart and leave a little note at every place setting to explain the cause to your guests.
EIGHT – HIRE OR CREATE ENTERTAINMENT
The period of time between your ceremony & meal is a great time to provide some entertainment to your guests. You will be busy getting pictures taken and trying to catch up with people, but often guests find this time just a bit of a waiting game. Having something to keep them busy will be much appreciated and a nice change! You could opt for hiring a magician to walk around the cocktail hour amazing your guests with their tricks, or a caricature artist to give them something to take home with them. If the sun is shining, you could buy some giant Jenga or lawn games to keep people entertained outside!
NINE – MIX UP THE GUEST BOOK
Instead of leaving a little book out on a table for guests to sign, you could mix it up and use an object that you’ll want to display in your home instead. Something like a globe for a travel-loving couple would look beautiful with guests signatures scattered across it, a copy of your favourite record would add a fun retro touch, or a polaroid camera with lots of film could be used so that you can create a large picture frame with dozens of your favourite people’s pictures inside.
TEN – PROVIDE HIS & HERS COCKTAILS
If you both have a favourite spirit, you could work with your caterers/venue again to create two unique cocktails just for the day – the His & Hers. This is a fun way to show a bit of personality to your guests and means you can offer something else for the cocktail hour aside from a traditional glass of champagne!
ELEVEN – CREATE A ‘CHILL – OUT’ ZONE
Having a little area at your venue where guests can go to sit down, relax and chat is a lovely touch to include at your Wedding. Make it cosy with blankets, cushions and comfy chairs and they won’t want to leave! Whether it be to take a break from the dancing, for the kids to wind down and relax or for the older guests to have a little bit of peace & quiet, this area will be much appreciated by all of your attendees.
TWELVE – WRITE YOUR OWN VOWS
A lot of people do this now already – but it’s worth including in this list for anyone who hasn’t already planned to do so! Writing your own vows to your future husband/wife is such a special touch that guests absolutely love listening to and being a part of. Not only this, but it’s a great way to share the love you have for your partner and to let them know how much they really mean to you on the most important day of your life together so far.
THIRTEEN – SERVE EVENING SNACKS
A lot of couples opt to serve a mini buffet during their evening reception, but why not mix it up and provide something your guests will find fun and delicious? Bacon rolls, little cones of chips with different sauces or even takeaway pizzas are all things that the majority of your guests will absolutely love being surprised with in the evening – especially after a few drinks and a lot of dancing!
FOURTEEN – HOST A ‘PUB QUIZ’
I love this one! Prepare a list of quiz questions about both of you/your relationship and make each table a team. Have them work together to write down their answers, then after the speeches you can reveal the answers and find out who knows you the best. A little novelty prize for the winning team would go down a treat too!
FIFTEEN – STAY SUSTAINABLE
You can create so many decorative items for your Wedding sustainably from home. You could use dried leaves or petals to create eco-friendly confetti, repurpose old glass wine bottles to use as flower jars along your tables or even use recycled paper for all of your invitations, menus and place names. There are so many ways to make your Wedding more sustainable and it’s well worth looking into some of these ideas before buying new pieces!
SIXTEEN – HIRE LIVE MUSICIAN(S)
Hiring a live musician to play for your ceremony or cocktail hour is a lovely extra touch to opt for if your budget allows. There is something so special about hearing live music in such a romantic setting – you and your guests will absolutely love it! You could ask the musician to play an acoustic/slow version of your favourite song to add an extra personal touch that only you and your future spouse will know about.
SEVENTEEN – CREATE BATHROOM BASKETS
This is a fairly inexpensive addition to your day and is something that your guests will be hugely thankful for! Pop a basket in each bathroom at your venue with a few essentials to see people through the night. Things like blister plasters, spray deodorant, hair pins, wipes, painkillers (away from children of course!) and sanitary items are things that a lot of people will no doubt need at some point during the course of the day. If you have thought ahead and already have them ready & waiting you will have some seriously grateful guests.
EIGHTEEN – SHAKE UP THE FIRST DANCE
Instead of having a traditional, slow routine for your first dance why not shake it up and prepare something more lively & fun? Choose a popular song that people can sing along to and come up with a routine to surprise all of your guests or even better, why not work with your bridesmaids/groomsmen to create a dance to surprise your spouse with on the day itself!?
NINETEEN – KEEP THE KIDS HAPPY
If you are having children at your wedding, it’s a great idea to create an area with some toys, books, colouring in pages and games to keep the little people happy. A Wedding is a long day for anyone, but especially kids! To keep them entertained and not causing too much mischief, designating an area specially for them is a great way to go. You could even set up a little table for the kids to eat their meals at right next to their entertainment - in the hopes that the parents get enough time to eat their own meals before being called back to parent duties!
TWENTY – HAVE A SPECIAL SEND-OFF
Sharing a special moment with your guests before they head for home is a great way to ensure everybody ends the night on a high and takes home some lovely memories. Fireworks, sparklers or sky lanterns all are things that will make for a pretty unforgettable end to the night. If you’re not staying at the venue, then waving your guests farewell in a vintage car or taking them on a party bus to drop them all home will make for a super fun end to your Wedding!
I think all of these ideas are a great way to add something unique to your Wedding and will definitely give your guests something to talk about for years to come! Adding in extra touches will make the whole day feel that little bit more you and will add to the incredible memories you’ll forever have from your big day.
Daisy x
