It’s no secret that weddings come with a lot of traditions and a lot of expectations. A lot of the time, it seems like all these weddings blur together in a sea of white – but shouldn’t your wedding day be about expressing yourself and expressing your love for each other? Here are 10 creative and unique wedding ideas so that you can have the wedding of your dreams, and leave a lasting impression on your guests!

1. Rock Bold Colors

Gone are the days when everything had to follow a muted, pastel color palette. Bold colors like reds, yellows, and oranges can look absolutely stunning in floral arrangements, and even your wedding attire doesn’t have to be white! Lots of brides are choosing to rock black or colored wedding dresses, and making a statement with their gowns! Mustard, ochre, and other shades of yellow are especially popular this year, and a colorful, unique wedding dress is the ultimate way to stand out on your wedding day.

2. Write Each Other Letters

In the midst of thinking about your guests, make sure you take some time to think about yourselves too! A lot of couples feel a mix of terror and excitement at the thought of saying their vows in front of all those people – and if your mix is a little more terror, I can’t blame you! Stage fright is real, so you can exchange traditional vows at the ceremony, but read the letters to each other beforehand. That way, your partner will still get to hear how excited you are, without the audience.

3. Get Married Outdoors

With the rising costs of wedding venues, more and more couples are opting for alternative locations, like national parks! If you’re having a smaller ceremony, consider getting married with a view of nature as your backdrop. Each park has different rules and regulations on how large of a group they will allow, so make sure to do some research!

4. Rent a Food Truck

When it comes to unique wedding ideas, you can get creative with anything, including food! Instead of traditional catering, surprise your guests with a food truck! You could even have a traditional meal for dinner time, then have a food truck ready for the after party. What could be better than street food after a night of dancing? 

5. Use Lavender for Your Exit

We’ve all heard the tradition of throwing rice after a wedding, but this is actually really bad for birds! Sparkler exits are popular as well, but many venues have restrictions that don’t allow for sparklers. So, here’s a fun, unique wedding idea and a great way to end your day – have your guests line up with small bags of lavender or flower petals, and toss it in the air as you and your partner make your exit! 

6. Live Music

A DJ is a great investment for your wedding, but nothing compares to live music! Whether it’s a harpist for your ceremony, a band for your reception, or even a karaoke machine for the after party, live music is one unique wedding idea that’ll have everyone dancing!

7. Commission a Wedding Portrait

Did you know that you can hire an artist to paint your ceremony? This can be a really unique way to capture the memory of your wedding day, and give you a souvenir to take home right after the wedding! Your guests will love watching the painting unfold as you tie the knot, and you’ll get a beautiful portrait of the day.

8. Use a Map for Your Guest Book

If you have guests coming from all over the country, or even all over the world, for your wedding, it can be really fun to see where in the world people came from to celebrate! Have a map where people can sign their initials or write their well wishes for you on your wedding day.

9. Polaroid Cameras

One unique wedding idea that I absolutely love is leaving polaroid cameras around for guests to use! You can leave them at each dinner table, or at the gift table, or by the photo booth. Ask guests to take selfies and photos of each other throughout the night, and have a spot where they can put their photos. They’ll love the instant gratification of printing polaroids, and at the end of the night, you’ll end up with tons of fun photos of all your guests!

10. Donut Display

Instead of a huge cake to serve to your guests, grab a few dozen donuts! You can have a variety of flavors, shapes, and colors, and a donut wall can double as a fun decoration! You can still have a small cake for the cake cutting, but donuts are much easier to serve.

Planning Your Wedding?

Feeling inspired by these unique wedding ideas? If you’re ready to start planning your own wedding, reach out! This might be your first time getting married, but as a wedding photographer, I’ve done this before!