1. Skip the Cake

Cake is kind of a hassle at weddings, right? First, they cost a fortune. Then, you have to make a big show out of cutting it and feeding it to your new spouse. Then, you have to find someone who can cut and distribute the slices of cake to your guests, only for half of your guests to skip the cake altogether. If you want to forgo that tradition altogether, get something else instead of a cake, like an ice cream bar or cookies and milk. It’ll be easier to distribute, and your guests will appreciate the creativity!

2. Let Your Bridesmaids Pick Their Dresses

If you really don’t mind whether or not your bridesmaids are uniform, what’s the harm in letting them pick out their own bridesmaid dresses? Give them a color family to stick to, and obviously make sure that you have the final say (you don’t want any dress that’s too inappropriate walking down the aisle), and then let them run wild! You can ensure that they’ll pick a dress that they’ll wear again, and it saves you a lot of stress!

3. Hold the Party Somewhere Close to Your Heart

Anyone can have his or her wedding at a big hall or barn that they’ve rented out. If you want to do something really special, hold it somewhere close to your heart. If you’ve spent a lot of time on a family farm either growing up or with your significant other, have the wedding there. If your family home has a huge backyard, have it there. It feels so much more intimate and personal when you’re getting married somewhere that feels like home.

4. Provide Some Entertainment

As much as you’d like to be around for the entire party, keeping things flowing smoothly and making sure everyone’s entertained, that’s just not possible. You’re going to be whisked away multiple times for so many different things, from small issues to pictures and everything in between. To ensure that your guests aren’t bored during those lulls in the party, provide games for them to play, like a scavenger hunt or even outdoor games! They’ll be so glad that you did!

5. Invite Close Friends and Family to the Courthouse Wedding

A lot of people prefer courthouse weddings. That’s perfectly fine, but there are a lot of people who care about you and want to see you get married on the happiest day of your life! A lot of people take care of that issue by having a party later, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t invite your parents, siblings, and lifelong friends to be there for the ceremony as well!

6. Get the Videographer for the Ceremony Only

People tend to get, well, sloppy at receptions. We’ve all seen the wedding videos that feature two or three minutes of awkward dancing from random party guests. It’s probably just as embarrassing for you to watch it as it is them, so there’s no need to include that in your wedding video. Ask your videographer to leave after the important dances are done to save your friends from a little embarrassment and yourself from a bigger bill!

7. Have a Brunch Reception

Who doesn’t love brunch? Brunch is the best, and I’m sure that your guests would be so happy to go to a brunch reception for your wedding. Serve waffles, mimosas, and anything else that you think is absolutely essential to the perfect brunch for the best reception ever!

What’s your favorite nontraditional wedding idea? Will you incorporate any of these into your big day? Let me know in the comments!