Unique/alternative Weddings

I think I stuck pretty traditional when it came to my wedding. One of the only things I didn’t do was be walked down the aisle by anyone and I skipped parent dances.

We're sticking pretty traditional. We were thinking something unique in the beginning but just couldn't think or find anything that was us that we liked to incorporate wedding wise.


My step dad will be walking me down the aisle and like Melle, we're skipping parent dances so instead of dancing with my bio dad, I figured maybe we could recite a collaboration piece (poem). We both write and I think it would be a nice personal touch to still include him.

Hmmm good chance I am walking down the aisle alone but for the most part like Melle keeping it traditional. No first looks and walking into with music. I think the only thing non traditional is doing an elopement but with hints of a wedding rather just running of to the chapel or courthouse which is still the stigma behind eloping.

Besides the fact that we were not the "traditional" man and woman wedding... we kept things fairly traditional. We did skip the garter or bouquet toss, though. We also did a unity puzzle (puzzles are significant and special to us) instead of the common sand or candle ceremony. My mom and dad walked me down the aisle, as well as my wife's mom and dad walked her. So I guess that is a little outside of the norm.

The Only Things Not Traditional For Us Is That For Our Unity Ceremony We Will Be Using Glass. It Will Be Made Into A Vase Afterward. And I Will Also Be Collecting Half Of My Bouquet From Family Members As I Walk Down The Aisle.

We initially wanted to have contortionists or some sort of dance group, but it was really hard to find any sort of vendor and it gets pretty expensive and I think it will take away from our wedding day seeing as how it’s only going to be less than six hours. Certain traditions that we are ditching however will be the garter toss and we’re not really doing any sort of sendoff. We did want to have fireworks at the end of the night but again finding a vendor as well as the cost was just not worth it. Plus a lot of people will leave by the end of the night before we would’ve had the fireworks anyway so not really worth it. Other than that, it’s pretty traditional for the most part.

This is our fun take on a cake topper. We had them designed for us.

I mean, we're two dudes so that's kinda non-traditional. Other than that, I think we'll keep it pretty recognizable. We're going to do personalized versions of things, but those elements will mostly still be there. We're even talking about doing a garter bit, for the lolz. No idea what we'd replace the bouquet with tho. We were thinking a puck but don't want anyone losing a tooth.

I’m walking down the aisle by myself, we’re skipping the first dance and parent dances, not doing a bouquet toss or garter toss, doing all of our pictures before the ceremony (including family photos), no grand exit, no special transportation, and not having a cake. I’m sure there’s more but that’s all I can think of right now. We’re basically cutting out anything that would make either of us uncomfortable or serves no purpose for us.

View Quoted Comment You should both wear garters!

I wore a colorful dress, and my bridesmaids wore white. We didn't do the garter/bouquet toss, and both of my parents (despite being divorced) walked me down the aisle. We wrote our own vows, his friend was our officiant, and my brother was my man of honor. The rest of it was traditional? We had a black and white party too. It was a small and intimate wedding, and our friends and family had a great time with it! It was also in a library

View Quoted Comment A library sounds like an absolute dream wedding!


We based our theme off of my cosplay Captain America shield. I’m sure my FMIL is thrilled but she hasn’t complained, yet. Instead of the traditional wedding cake, my children’s stepmother is making a Captain America shield cake. We definitely aren’t doing the garter/bouquet toss. I also have a Man of Honor along with my bridesmaids. I’m really trying to convince FH we should just sneak off to Colorado and elope (CO doesn’t require witnesses or an officiant) but he wants some sort of ceremony.

I am planning a traditional wedding with a NON traditional reception... although i ABSOLUTELY HATE THE HERE COMES THE BRIDE SONG... i am walking down the isle to "Throne Room Suite" from the end of Starwars Ep 4 A New Hope (where Princess Leia hands out the medals)

My family doesn't dance, so no dancing/no alcohol, most people we are inviting are married, so no garter/flower toss, i hate wedding cake and fondant so we might have a friend make cupcakes...or choc. covered strawberries... , and NO feeding each other (i hate that), no send off, and i pray that no one ruins our car with stupid stuff they call "decorating for the newly weds"

we are a nerdy/gaming couple so our theme is Lord of the Rings/Starwars/ and Elder scrolls Skyrim with maybe a few other nerdy elements tied in... while we are getting pictures done, we will have card/board games available for the guests while they wait, like Apples to Apples, Dutch Blitz, Uno, Exploding Kittens, Scatagories, and such. also my boyfriend and i CANNOT STAND the high pitched clinking noises to make the couple kiss, so we will have a D20 die at our head table to roll. 1-10 the bride/groom kiss. 11-20 the person who rolled it has to kiss THEIR spouse!! (yes, most of our guests will be fine with ALL of this, as they are nerdy too)

With the whole COVID concerns... we are having everything outdoors. to make everyone feel comfortable and "safe" we are having a masquerade reception. Covid mask, surgical mask, masquerade mask... whatever everyone is comfortable with wearing mask wise and we will all blend in together... should be alot of fun and the older adults can protect themselves. we just want to have a good time! being thats its October its like a fancy Halloween party/ball.

I will walk down the aisle to a heavy metal song. We won't be dressed in a dress and suit. My bouquet will be a bunch of wooden roses that he got me for Valentine's day, and won't be thrown. There will be no wedding party, and no reception. I'd like to have fun after the ceremony by going to the cinema or hitting a games arcade or funfair.

We used the form of a traditional wedding to have nontraditional themes - Phillies and theatre.

Oh, right, and then there was this:

The swordfight during the reception.Bridesman got possessed by Voldemort, Imperio'd some of our guests into fighting us... y'know, the way things happen at a theatre wedding.

Ours is a mix of traditional and non traditional elements- No tosses, no speeches, no parent dances, no DJ, yard games, self catering, friendors...you know...all the things the people on WeddingWire freak out about....

View Quoted Comment

These are so cool.

My FH plays with Lego.

Not my wedding bout our friends. Their theme was irrational, as it was on pi day. They had pie not cake, they had a choreographed sword fight instead of a first dance, and the reception was everyone playing cards against humanity. Oh and everyone was encouraged to dress irrationally. Lots of different outfits from different time periods. Girls in flapper dresses, people in togas, I wore my Renaissance Faire outfit, and lots of other things. It was very cool!

We are doing a mix of both, no garter or bouquet toss, while I dance with my mom we are going to have a slide show of my family running behind in memory of my dad. During the ceremony all music used will be songs we sent to each other throughout our relationship (both obsessed with music, I majored in performance lol). Our mutual friend is the officiant and we are going to be combining wine during the ceremony to drink as our unity portion. My mom will walk with me, but the will be no mention of being "given away". We are also planning on signing the license during the ceremony as well, that was important to my FH. I've always been a fan of people doing what makes sense to them