How to Modernize Classic Wedding Traditions
From bouquet tosses to cake cuttings, it’s hard to come by an event with more traditions than a wedding. Some brides choose to carry out certain traditions because their families have been doing it for generations, but others include them simply because it is what is expected at a wedding. But if certain wedding traditions don’t vibe well with your personality as a couple, who says you can’t put a modern twist on classic customs? We’re here to give you some ideas on how to modernize classic wedding traditions to make your big day completely yours.
1. The Three-Tiered Wedding Cake
Although we love a simple, three-tiered wedding cake, Mackey House couples are continuing to surprise us with their creative spins on traditional wedding cakes. Colorful and architecturally extravagant wedding cakes are becoming more and more popular, while we are also starting to see more grooms’ cakes that are specific to each couple. Some couples are also choosing to completely do away with the wedding cake, and are instead setting up dessert bars with cupcakes, cake pops, mini pies, and more, so guests have more options to choose from.
2. The White Dress
When the bride makes her way down the aisle, all heads turn to watch her walk by in a classic, white wedding dress. Although the white dress is probably one of the most-expected traditions at a wedding, brides are beginning to surprise their guests when they make their entrance by wearing more personalized wedding dresses. From choosing a subtle hue like eggshell to incorporating a colored floral design into the veil, a bit of color keeps the dress traditional yet intriguing. Meanwhile, completely overthrowing the idea of a white dress and choosing a dress completely flushed in a bright color will really let your bold personality shine.
3. Matching Bridesmaids Dresses
Matching bridesmaid dresses give your wedding a perfectly symmetrical look, but mismatching bridesmaids dresses is starting to become one of our favorite trends. Some brides have opted to allow their bridesmaids to choose from a few different styles of dresses in the same color, while others are letting them choose both different styles and different colors that complement each other. Not only will this make your wedding day photos stand out, but when your bridesmaids get to wear a dress that flatters them most, they will also be feeling their best and happiest on your wedding day.
4. Father Giving Away the Bride
The tradition of the father giving away the bride stems from the days when brides were considered their father’s property until he gave her away to a husband. Even though this is not the case in today’s weddings, the idea of being ‘given away’ might still seem dated to the modern bride. Nowadays, we’re seeing brides walk down the aisle with both parents, a stepparent along with a biological parent, or even just on her own. At the altar, we’re starting to hear less of “who gives this woman to this man in marriage” and more variations of “who has the honor of blessing this marriage.” We have even seen brides just give a quick hug to their escort when they get the altar, without any formal messaging from the officiant at all.
5. The Bouquet Toss
Another expected moment at a wedding is when the bride throws her bouquet to a crowd of single women, apparently giving whoever catches it good luck in finding love. While this can be a fun, competitive moment, many brides are nixing this tradition from their wedding and finding a more modern action to fill the void. Instead of including a bouquet toss in your wedding, you can separate the flowers in your bouquet and hand them out to your loved ones, give the full bouquet to your grandmother or another important person, or forget the flowers in general and invite all the women, whether single or not, to the dance floor to have a more all-inclusive moment with your girlfriends.
No matter how you decide to structure your wedding, The Mackey House staff is here to help you throw a beautiful wedding. We hope that these tips on how to modernize classic wedding traditions helped you with your planning process. We work closely with brides’ wedding planners to make sure that everything is in place and ready to go, whether you need space for a full dessert bar or are planning on switching up any other traditions. We also welcome your own vendors, caterers, and more, so your wedding can be completely customizable. For more information on our wedding venue in Savannah, Georgia, click here!
