Weddings are that special day (or weekend, or..week?) that you can really have your personality as individuals, and a couple, shine through. There are so many special touches you can add to any aspect of the events to wow your guests and have them saying “oh that’s SO them”. From the invites to the food to the reception entertainment, there’s a million options and sometimes, it’s the little things that make the difference.
So how do you decide? Let’s break these ideas down by personality or traits:
The foodie
Splurge on a 7 course meal or specialty food stations for a buffet. Bonus points for corresponding wine or drinks! I attended a wedding at a guest with a multi-course dinner and I can confirm it was the best thing ever. Need wine pairing recs? We go over all of this in a blog post! Click here to check it out.
The Fashionable One
Pretend like you didn’t see this one coming: live guest illustrations! Photos are always nice, but custom art as favors is the icing on the fashion cake. Click here to learn more about live sketching.
The Influencer
Hire a content creator! It’s a great way to get all your phone coverage for you to post later, without having to worry about it on your big day. Have more questions about content creators? We have a blog post about that too, just click here to read.
The Boozy One
Cocktail hour idea: have a tasting! Wine, liquor, beer, whatever goes with your food or wedding theme. This idea also works great for a welcome party if you’d prefer a smaller crowd.
The "Extra" One
Go all in on a grand entrance or exit (forget the sparklers or confetti). Arrive in a carriage, leave in a boat, skydive into the ceremony, use a smoke machine down the aisle, pick your “extra” level and go for it. Or take a page out of the Southeast Asian wedding book and arrive on a horse or elephant (but be sure to check with your venue first).
The Kid at Heart
Two words for you: Bounce House. Yes, wedding bouncy houses are a thing and they look SO FUN. They come in all white and you can add extra florals around it for a special touch!
The Fearless One
Another trend that I’ve been seeing around: tattoo artists. We’re talking real, permanent actual tattoos. This idea is obviously for a very specific type of couple, but maybe you can add a temp tattoo station for those guests who…aren’t quite as adventurous?
The Eco Enthusiast
Nothing drives crazy a green movement follower more than being wasteful; and from that standpoint, yes, weddings can produce a LOT of waste. So why not cut down on that a bit? I’ll list a few ideas below, but the one I think is the most innovative is “seed paper”. Paper made out of actual seeds so you can plant and water them when you go home and look at that your place card turned into tulips. Here’s more:
“Paperless Post” save the dates (honestly, this is just easier for everyone)
Use local blooms
Reuse said blooms from the ceremony and bouquets into the receptions space
Pick a menu with seasonal, local ingredients
Rent, borrow, or thrift outfits, linens, and decor
Use biodegradable confetti or balloons
Hire a bus or shuttle for transportation to and from the venue
Plant a tree for your unity ceremony
The Dancer
This is fun for both you and your guests because everyone knows you’ll probably have the best music for the dance floor. But aside from that, why not do a choreographed dance with your new spouse? Or during parent dances. If you don’t want to do it yourself (or are unable), hire professionals! Guests will love the dinner entertainment. Take it a step further and get dancers that relate to your cultural background.
The Traveler
As an avid traveler myself, I LOVE this as a theme. Plus, there are a ton of ways to do it:
Make your invite suit into a passport with boarding passes
Create your table numbers based off all the places you’ve traveled together
Make a map as your escort wall
Use an atlas and polaroid photos for your guest book
Thrift vintage trunks and globes as decor
Speaking of globes, get a minimalistic or chalkboard one and use as a guest book
Which of these do you identify with the most?
Let us know in the comments below what special touches you added to your wedding! We’d love to hear from you.
Samantha Shammas, Author and Owner of SamiaLynn
