When you’re planning your wedding, you might feel pulled in many different directions. Your mother-in-law wants to make the cake, but it has to be a fruitcake, your confused by what parts of a traditional marriage you should and shouldn’t keep, and to top it off a distant aunt is insisting on creating your centrepieces, even though you don’t see eye-to-eye on the choice of flowers!

We say, do away with stuffy conventional wedding roles and customs, say a polite ‘NO,’ if you don’t like fruitcake, and make the day truly your own! There are no rules when it comes to your wedding, you decide what and who you want and don't let others dictate your dreams.

Your wedding day should be a unique celebration of your love, so there’s nothing wrong with including your interests in the celebrations.

Here are just some of the ways brides and grooms can do away with tradition and host a wedding as unique as their love.

Put On A Show

Wedding entertainment doesn’t have to follow any rules. Let your musical tastes shape the ceremony and reception to make the day truly unique to you. It doesn’t matter how cheesy your tastes are, it’s your wedding day, and the entertainment should reflect your interests.

Far too many couples opt for a string quartet when they really want a foot-stomping folk band. Or they hire a DJ because they assume wedding bands are too cheesy.

If you’re looking for alternative wedding entertainment, check out, Fira Events, a London-based violin, and flute company that provide exceptional performances for celebrations, events, and weddings. From Coldplay to Abba, Avicii to Pharrell Williams this musical ensemble is a guaranteed addition to your dream day.

Non-Traditional Cakes

Tradition dictates that a wedding cake should be a stodgy fruit cake coated with marzipan and smooth royal icing. But what if you don’t like fruit cake? It’s your wedding, and you should have a cake that makes you want to go back for seconds.

This could mean light and airy Victoria sponge smothered with a thick layer of tasty buttercream. Or an indulgent red velvet cake with creamy white frosting. Essence of Cake can help you to create a cake that reflects your tastes and personalities.

Some couples choose to save money on a grand multi-tier cake by having a smaller cake for the cutting ceremony and then offer cupcakes to their guests. And some couples do away with the cake entirely, opting instead for wheels of cheese in the middle of an on-trend grazing table.

Put A Personal Spin On Your Décor

Many couples are turning their backs on traditional decor to help create a memorable wedding that feels more personalised. This could mean ditching the seat covers and embracing a rustic feel. Or it could mean choosing themed table names in line with your shared interests.

Whatever your tastes and preferences, a wedding decor service like Love Lilly can help you to bring your ideas together. Choose from light up letters to decorate your dancefloor or beautiful bespoke place settings with hand-written name cards. Whatever rough ideas you have about how you want your wedding to look, Love Lilly can help to bring your ideas to life.

Embrace Artificial Blooms

Your wedding bouquet can add a lot of stress to the big day. It has to be prepared the day before or the morning of your wedding, which means the flowers you want might not be available. And if you are having a destination wedding, you might have to compromise entirely.

One simple way to take the stress out of selecting your wedding flowers is to choose an artificial bouquet. They won’t wilt, they travel well, and you can order well in advance. This means you can have exactly the flowers you want without worrying about availability. First Floral offers an amazing range of artificial flowers and bespoke bouquets to help you create your dream wedding.

Do We Even Need Flowers?

Another idea is to throw away with having flowers completely! Think about replacing the traditional garlands and adornments, with something else such as:

· Leaves, Lanterns, Beads or Pearls

· Hang something above the table, such as lanterns or a unique chandelier

· Miniature trees make a good stand-in for flowers, and you can hang things from them

Signs

When it comes to pointing people in the right direction, why not use a neon-lit wedding sign, instead of a carved wooden one.

You could even opt for a white lettered, frosted signs to give instructions to your wedding guests on where to go. Check out Cloud Made Designs for further details. This unique seller specialises in bespoke wedding signage, personalised and printed as requested by each individual couple.

Make Your Own Rules

Want to tie the knot surrounded by art at a gallery, or would you like cocktails instead of a champagne toast? That’s your choice. Prefer it if your guests kept their phones out of sight during the ceremony? Ask! Remember, it’s your wedding, so you get to make the rules.

Remember, just because you don’t want to stick to tradition doesn’t mean you have to throw a totally off the scale, crazy wedding. Here’s some ways to be different but not to off the wall!

· Provide unique food, drinks, and fun

· Dress your bridal party in non-traditional attire

· Choose a wedding theme

· Find a non-traditional wedding venue

· Have a different kind of reception - try a wine tasting or reserve a room at your favourite restaurant for brunch.

To Conclude…

There’s no right way to have a wedding, even if it feels that way at times.

Ross Wilsher (Ross Wilshire Photography), who has written a book called 'How to Have a Wedding as Individual as You Are' says,

"I always advise couples to make decisions based on their own values and priorities and not feel pressure from others to conform to their vision of ‘The Perfect Wedding.' We can get so caught up in influences around us that it can drown out the real importance of the day”

The most important thing to remember when planning, is that we all deserve to have a wedding that celebrates our unique qualities. So, if you think your choices will do just this, and make your wedding more memorable, go for it and don’t be afraid to say goodbye to tradition!

For more advice and inspiration to help make your wedding day a unique and memorable occasion, make sure you’re following the Infinite Wedding Co blog. We share helpful insight and inspiration to help make planning your wedding a breeze.

Ping us an email here: hello@infinitemangementco.com, if you have any other questions, we’d love to help,

Debbie and Becca x