The Wedding Traditions We Will & Won't Be Doing
There are a crazy amount of traditions surrounding your wedding day and it’s fair to say they’re not for everyone. More than ever brides and grooms are pushing back from the traditional norms and doing things their way which is awesome to see as there’s no way all those old traditions could make sense for everyone and your wedding day should be exactly what you want and not what you’re told you should want. During the planning process, we’ve naturally come across some of the most popular and well-known traditions for your wedding day and these are the ones that we will and won’t be doing.
THE TRADITIONS We will FOLLOW
TAKING MY HUSBANDS NAME
Something that I’ve always been quite sure about is that I wanted to take my boyfriend's name if we got married. I’m not particularly attached to my last name and I don’t use my full name anywhere for my work so that isn’t something that I have to take into consideration so when my name changes it won’t make a huge difference apart from obviously having to change my passport and driving license. The option to double-barrel our name is there but it’s not something that flows amazingly well and I’m happy enough taking his name but there is no pressure to take it which is the most important thing.
MY DAD WALKING ME DOWN THE AISLE
One of the biggest reasons apart from Josie and Edie for having our wedding in the UK is that I want my dad to walk me down the aisle. Not only will it be really special for me but as I’m the first child to be getting married in our family I think it will mean a lot for my dad too. Someone else who is going to be coming down the aisle with me too is Josie, which I’m sure to many might seem like a really weird thing to do. But, Josie was my first dog and it will mean a lot to have her walk by my side as she made our little family feel so much more real. Undoubtedly one of the hardest things about getting married is my mum not being around anymore, it’s something that I wish more than anything she could be here to see.
having a maid of honour
I’m having two maids of honours because I’m not having any bridesmaids, well technically Josie and Edie are my bridesmaids but they are dogs so won’t exactly be very useful with helping me plan the day. I’m having my sister and my best friend as my maid of honours and I cannot think of two better humans to help me plan our wedding and there is no way I could have ever chosen between the two of them as they’re both so important.
having a wedding cake
The tradition of having a wedding cake is something that dates back to the ancient Romans when it used to get smashed over the bride's head. Now, we won't be keeping that tradition but we are certainly going to be having a wedding cake because who am I to say no at the chance for a beautiful cake? As we’re not having a big reception afterwards with a huge amount of guests something we will be doing is cutting and sharing out the cake on the day as otherwise we’ll be eating it for months and would rather share it with our guests as we wouldn’t be spending so much money on it otherwise.
the traditions we won’t be following
throwing my bouquet
Even if we were having a big wedding party something that I wouldn’t want to do is throw my bouquet. It’s something that I want to keep and preserve in some way as it’s something that I’m looking forward to designing so much that I want to keep forever. I’m not sure how popular it is to do this really now but I know was once the done things at the end of a wedding.
having a reception after the ceremony
This isn’t so much a tradition but it’s very much the norm for a wedding and it’s something we’ve chosen to skip. We’ve always wanted a small wedding and to be honest the thought of a reception fills me with dread and that is not how I want to feel about our wedding day. It obviously bumps up the cost a considerable amount and we’re trying to spend as little as possible and a reception makes it so much more expensive. Not only is the cost something that puts us off but we’re not big drinkers or partiers either and prefer quite social occasions so a meal with our loved one is probably what we’re going to do instead of a big reception.
not seeing each other before we get married
I want to get ready at home with my sister and best friend so my boyfriend and I will be spending the night before we’re wed. It honestly wouldn’t bother me at all if we got ready together although I won’t be showing him my dress before I meet him at the alter. If we were having a bigger wedding and staying in a hotel or something then maybe spending the night before apart might be something we’d do as I’d spent the night with my maid of honours instead but because of the type of wedding we’re having it’s the easiest option to be together. And I can’t deny I probably will feel a little nervous the day we get married and he’s the person that I want to wake up when I’m feeling a little nervous.
being carried over the threshold
We’re more than likely going to be spending our wedding night at home, that might change but that’s our plan right now. So I can’t imagine when we drive home that my husband will carry me into our kitchen as we park on the drive at the back of our house. I think being carried over the threshold is a super sweet tradition but we’re not doing this out of practicality to be honest as I fear that I’ll hit my head really hard on the door which isn’t how I want to enter our house as a married woman.
throwing confetti
The original tradition was to throw rice over the newlyweds as they left the church which was said to encourage fertility and it was once common to throw plastic confetti but that isn’t something we want to do. However, I absolutely love confetti photographs so will find a biodegradable option like dried petals to give out to our guests for them to throw as then we can still get one of those lovely photographs without putting loads of plastic on the ground.
