Being Nosey - What is different in your wedding to the traditional theme?

Doesn't sound weird to me.It's your day, you should have it how you want it, not stick to what is considered to be tradition. i hate traditional type weddings, thats why i'm shunning the "big do", and we're going to Las Vegas.

Everyone is different so its hard to stick to ideals, just have what makes you and your h2b happy.

Nothing. We are having a traditional wedding with all the traditional trimmings. Yours doesn't sound weird at all, a lot of it is dictated by family circumstances and there's nothing you can do about that. It gets up my nose when people try to be different for the sake of it though ?

Fairly traditional too, but BMs wearing black and I'll be making a speech.....

i love black :-)

We are getitng married in a cottage

We are getting ready together

No speeches

No evening disco

No sit down meal

probably more to add to the list!

I thought about me doing a speach, but not sure yet not mentioned as not to confident what to say. Thought it make it a bit better with h2b doing the only one. Black dresses will be lovely it is classy all the way. I want black and white for our bedroom classic colours (sorry totally none wedding related lol)

I don't think there's too much that's going to be different about our wedding, the only different thing I can really think of is that I'll be giving a speech. We're not bothering with the traditional wedding car either, and probably the same for a receiving line. Can't really think of anything else but I'm sure someone will remind me of something now!

Fiona - not sure what I'm going to stay but something along the lines of thanking all my girl mates + my mum + remember my family who couldn't make it and also do a small reading from me to OH - a pablo neruda poem or something else that I liked but can't do in the service as we're having a civil ceremony so no religious bits.

Our colour scheme is black + white

Thats a really nice idea, like that. We are having 2 reading in the service. But the same civil service so nothing religious. H2b is 40 the following month, wonder if I could incorporate something into that me thinks???? I sit here scrathing head lol

This is a subject quite close to my heart at the moment! We were down at the in-laws at the weekend and my mother-in-law was a bit shocked at things which we are doing which are different! Problem is that her two daughters got married about 15 years ago and they had very traditional church weddings - which we're not having as I'm not religious!

So here's what's different - (as far as my mother-in-law's concerned!!)

1: I'm driving myself to the venue in my own morris minor

2: I'm not having bridesmaids

3: We're going to walk out of the ceremony to "bring me sunshine" by Morecambe and Wise!

4: No receiving line

5: Making my own cake (not using "suzanne's cakes which are what Iain's sisters used 15 years ago!! I mean they're probably not even in business any more!!)

6: Eating the top tier of the cake and not saving it for the christening! (give us a chance for goodness sakes!)

7: I'm going to make a speech. (didn't mention this at the weekend, as thought it might send them over the edge!!!)

8: I'm not wearing a garter as I think they're tacky!

9: Not having buttonholes for every guest

10: Not having carnations as buttonholes! (apparently this is really strange!)

There are probably many many other things which I'm doing all wrong!

Don't get me wrong, I love my in-laws to bits, but my mother-in-law has a very fixed idea of what a wedding should be, and that doesn't really fit in with what we want. As my fiance's sisters both got married within a year of eachother and had identikit weddings (same church, flowers, car, photographer, video, cake etc etc) that's what they have in their head. It's ok though, they just need to get used to the idea!

Phew!

Ali x

Ali - right with you on the garter front, plus will show under my dress - and most likely yours too. Also with you on the buttonhole front - Stupidboy doesn't want one. Am also making speech.

And if I want to eat the top tier of my cake on the day I bloody will!!!

You make me feel so much better, I think mil2b is thinking some things of ours is strange. But hay its our wedding I don't we will be having a receiving line. Forgot about that till now!

I love the male bridesmaids and female ushers

x

Knew another one would pop up that I'm not doing - this one! I don't see the point, they are annoying and cost money! So just going to have button holes for the wedding party.

Okay so we're having a church although I want to arrive in an Escort Cosworth - Simply adore these cars.. if it cant be one of those then an RS focus ?

We're having 2 best men - my OH couldnt chose and at the moment im having one possibly no bridesmaids!

We're getting the vicar to same so lines so we can get the engagement ring back on (if it ever gets sorted) and Im seriously thinking of saving my OH form a speach!

We're having a small dinner (40) unlike all my family and we're not having the recpetion in the same place as my cousins (which has casued a few issues!) oh and alot of my cousins arent invited!

The same here, this has caused one hell of a row with my dad this weekend! I have 6 3 of which I have attended there weddings, but they are only invited to our evening

I never thought about buttons holes for all the guests, can not afford anyway only the main bridal party

We're hiring a venue which includes a cottage wich sleeps 22 plus anyone who wants to sleep on the floor and has room for camping so everyone can stay over the night before.

We're not having a 3 course it down meal (hog roast instead).

Having a Barn Dance not a disco.

Not having a best man.

Sleeping in the same bed the night before and therefore seeing each other the morning of the wedding.

Having a chocolate cake.

Black Cabs instead of wedding cars.

Bubbles instead of confetti.

Friends are performing a caberet as part of the reception.

No first dance.

Think that's it...

Heres mine, although got married in june

got married in red

bridesmaids wore black

eldest son gave me away

my dad didn't do a speech, but my eldest son did

hubby and me woke up together the morning of our wedding

no parents on the top table

wedding cake was chocolate

didn't have all the bms and me getting ready together - met up at the hotel

elvis impersonator in the evening, although not an elvis fan, he was fantastic and got everyone up on the dance floor and as he is a friend, just added to the whole feeling of family, friendship and celebration!!!

lawn games and craft table to entertain kiddies

think thats everything, lol

Didn't have a first dance.

Didn't even have an evening do.

Mum walked me down the aisle.

Wedding cake consisted of 'Mini' wedding cakes so every guest could have one each.

Your plans seem great and besides what is traditional these days anyway?

We aren't having an evening do, just a late wedding with evening hog roast

No recieving line, going round tables instead

Possibly no top table, just sweetheart table

Either my mum walking me down the aisle or both my dads (stepdad and dad..love them both the same!)

I will be making a speech, I have to...I can't keep my mouth shut haha

I think one the few traditional parts of our wedding is having a priest. We're getting married on a beach, in a different country and with no family present - just randoms! A wedding is what you make/want from it IYSWIM!

This is a great thread, shows you don't have to go with tradition to have a great day!

We're not having a sit down meal

H2B's 13 year old son will be his best man

No first dance (because i can't dance to save my life ?)

No planned speeches, we're just going to let anyone who wants to say something do so if they want to

No adult bridesmaids

No maid of honour

I think that's it! ?

Can i be really stupid and ask what a receiving line is?u

nothing out of the ordinary for us, its a small thing during the day, only 32 with everyone and their granny at night.

i have 3 venues (church, sit down meal and night do.)

oh im not having a champange reception, having pints of tennents lager and woo woo's.

x

My bouquet was woven straw rather than flowers (see pic) and table centres were potted plants - no cut flowers anywhere

Got married in red

We spent the night before together

Mum gave me away

No speeches, favours buttonholes or first dance

bubbles instead of confetti

chocolate M and S cake

I drove down to the hotel got ready there and H was the one who came down later

afternoon wedding followed by a hot buffet and ceilidh

table numbers were motoGP rider numbers with rider bios on each table (MIL was convinced we were going to do a quiz and made all the people on her table memorise the facts!)

walked down the aisle to 'moulin rouge' and had a female barbershop quartet singing whilst we signed the register

We did things the way we wanted to rather than tradition and it was a fab day!

Mmmmmm

We didn't have a recieving line, we couldn't be ar$ed and quite frankly they take up too much time and I was starving so just wanted everyone seated for my dinner!!

I did the groom's speech - my H is very shy. I said all the things that he should've said but it came from me. I thanked him saying that I wouldn't be there getting married giving the speech if it wasn't for him. I also thanked all our attendants/parents etc and basically just said what he should've.

Apart from that we went quite traditional, I love a traditional wedding!!

We are not having a receiving line either

We are having speeches before the meal

We are having h2b's 1972 VW camper restored for my wedding transport (we were getting her done up anyway)

Oh and AliLindsey just to be an annoying googler and cos I did giggle at all your MIL's suggestions............is this the Suzanne?

http://www.cakesbysuzanne.co.uk/

?

Sorry, couldnt resist ?

I guess some of the elements of our wedding are unconventional...but only because it means something to us...

- Best Woman instead of best man

- Rock cakes and English sparkling wine instead of canapes and champagne

- No top table (this seems to be a hitched theme!) as were having trestles and want to sit with our guest so we can have a chat!

- B2B is walking down the aisle to Boyzone ?

- Homemade chutneys and jams as favours

- A lot of the guests are contributing their skills instead of presents (My mother doing favours above, friend singing first dance, friend playing trumpet, other relatives doing cake decorations, room decorations, photography, rock cakes above...)

I guess for us its about involving family/friends and doing what feels right for us rather than feeling we have to conform to whats expected...not that we have any problem with the traditional model, we're just kinda making it up as we go along!

Ha ha ha! I don't think so, as I think the shop must have been or be in Surrey somewhere. And actually they look quite nice!

I have enjoyed this it has given me some more ideas to ponder with x

We did a traditional wedding with a twist...

we walked out of the church to Canon in D but this version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA5faZF1A8

my FIL made our wedding cake

my dad and i did our dance to Morecombe and Wise 'Bring me Sunshine'. He used to sing it to me as a little girl (we even did the funny dance at the end)

we had wooden flowers as opposed to fresh flowers

I didn't wear my garter

we didn't hire a professional photographer (we still have over 1400 photos from our day - being married to a graphic designer helps though!)

didn't have traditional favours - we had personal ones to us (yorkshire teabags and tarporley chocolate)

we didn't have a wedding car - we borrowed a friend's BMW and just put a ribbon on it

there's probably loads more but i can't think of them. we did a lot people expect at a wedding but we did them because we wanted to. we did away with the bits we didn't need.

Cx

I haven't given a second thought to tradition but I guess the biggest thing against 'tradition' is having our 2 children there!!

Yes, that's right, we had sex out of wedlock!!

* Not having a head table, instead we are moving to a different table for each course

* I'll be doing a speech

* We'll be going to the pub next door to the church for a quick drink and maybe some nibbles before heading off to the reception venue

* If the weather is good we'll be going to a nearby castle ruins for some photos whilst everyone is at the pub.

* Will be hving some extra entertainments such as garden games, casino, and maybe some more.

* Depending on where I decide to get ready may be walking to the church.

Apart from that everything is very traditional, although would only be the 2nd church wedding we've been to out of 12 in the last 5 years!

Hiya

Doesn't sound weird at all, you do what makes you happy I say.

My untraditional things are:

• I have written a poem and will be learning it off by heart (hopefully) within the wedding service
• Going to venue in a traditional london cab (midnight blue) with ivory ribbon to celebrate our London life together
• Not leaving venue at night but staying in venue accommodation with 14 rooms for friends and family and all having brekkie together the next morning

That's it really, ;-)

As someone else said, what is tradition anyway?! Maybe in 20 years time, things we're listing here will be the norm and things the masses think are "traditional" today will be scorned by the future brides and grooms of the world! I guess its all grandparent/parent led, tradition - so as parents/grandparents of the future we are going to be leading the way! Woo hoo!

I suppose the least traditional thing for us was the fact we got wed on our own, abroad, with no family/friends invited.

We did have a humanist blessing / handfasting ceremony when we got back .... and for that we didn't have a top table (and I have never heard of a 'sweetheart' table?!!), not a carnation button hole in sight, didn't have a 'first dance', oh and my husband didn't mention me in his speech .... ?