If you're new to this Blog then you're likely unfamiliar with This Planner's dislike for following wedding trends. And if you follow this Blog (bless your lil' heart), then This Planner's dislike for following wedding trends comes as no surprise. While I try to avoid wedding trends where I can, sometimes clients are adamant about incorporating them into their wedding. And that's OK.
However, there are some wedding trends out there that have been done over and over again, making me want to tear my eyes out. And so, without further delay, here are the top six wedding trends that, in my opinion, have seriously met their expiration date:
WEDDING SLIDESHOWS
We've all had to sit through at least one wedding slideshow in our lives...oh who am I kidding? You have likely had to endure a wedding slideshow at almost every wedding you've attended. Yes, we get it that you have been together for what feels like eons. Yes, you were adorable as children. Do all three hundred of your guests want to sit through ten minutes of you reminiscing about how your lives came together?
Nope. Remember that feeling of having to sit through Aunt Bessy's vacation photos? Yah, that's kind of how your guests feel.
If you absolutely must share your life story, find a more creative way to do it other than making guests sit through 15 minutes of photos when all they really want to do is hit the dance floor...or the bar. Even a bulletin board collage that guests can view during the cocktail hour is less painful than making them sit through a slideshow.
CASH BARS
Seriously? I mean...seriously? If you're going to charge your guests to drink alcohol at your wedding just because you decided to have a giant dinner party in a fancy venue, then please, charge your guests who come to your home for dinner too. If you're going to be an ass, at least be consistent.
'DANCING ON A CLOUD'
I try not to smirk when a DJ tries to sell my clients on the whole "dancing on a cloud" thing as though it's the most magical, most brilliant, new concept, when in actuality it's been around forever and it's been done a hundred times over. Hey, I'm all for jazzing up the First Dance if that's what you want to do. And OK, the fog (let's just call it what it is shall we?) can look pretty in a photo. But really, fogging up the place is not the most original way to go. Not to mention a potential safety hazard depending on what's used to make the fog. In my personal opinion, it often looks like you're trying too hard to make an already beautiful moment, beautiful.
Opt for something different. Maybe a video montage of memorable moments playing in the background. Maybe a more unique song choice to dance to. At this point, anything is more original than 'dancing on a cloud'.
PHOTO BOOTHS
Can we end this trend already? Ok fine, photo booths can be entertaining to a certain degree, but there are so many other options out there to entertain guests during the cocktail hour rather than have them pose for photos. While I am slightly (read: slightly) relieved that "live photobooths" (a backdrop and a live photographer) have taken over from the literal "booths" that you have to cram yourself into, it's still a photo booth nonetheless. And it's so common place now that it almost seems as though photo booths are a prerequisite if you're hosting a wedding.
Why not take the $1000+ that you'll be spending on a box that takes photos and spend it on entertainment that will...well...actually be entertaining? There are countless options out there from musicians and entertainers to aerobatics and interactive food/beverage stations.
Oh, and the mustaches on a stick? Stop it. Just stop it.
BOUQUET TOSS & GARTER REMOVAL
Oh sure, being in a gaggle of women elbowing each other for an opportunity to catch a bouquet that will seemingly end your singledom was a ton of fun...when you were fifteen.
Let's face it ladies, the novelty of the traditional bouquet toss has lost its momentum and nowadays the DJ literally has to drag women onto the dance floor in order to get them to participate. If you're in your mid-twenties and up, this is likely a trend that can be tossed (literally).
One of my favourite alternatives to the bouquet toss is simply handing the bouquet to the couple that has been together the longest. They're not expecting it and it truly reflects what marriage is all about.
Then there's the garter removal...Is there anything sexier than the groom diving under the Bride's dress in front of her parents and grandparents to remove a piece of fabric from her leg with his teeth?
Yes. Yes there is.
I don't think there's one guest that can honestly say that this isn't at least slightly awkward. So unless you're a die-hard traditionalist, I don't think any of your guests will miss this little part of the itinerary.
BALLOONS AS PROPS IN PHOTOS
Sigh. Why not just stick a clown in there while you're at it? Balloons as props in photos has been done, done and done again and again and again. It's not at all an original concept anymore. It's time to deflate the trend ladies and gents! Move on to new and exciting props (if you must) or here's a novel idea: no props at all! Aim for exciting and unique photo locations that draw out your joint interests or personalities.
Forgo the typical floral garden or urban downtown locations and choose an alternative, more personal or visually unique location that doesn't require inanimate objects. Sports lovers? Why not take photos of you and your wedding party out on a football field pretending to have a game of football? Animal lovers? Why not have your photos done at a petting zoo? Do some fun and quirky activities with your wedding party and capture those moments that truly reflect you as a couple and your circle of friends. Why? Because those are the photos that you'll want to print and hang on your wall. Having photos that look like a cross between a wedding and a child's First Birthday are easily forgettable.
Obviously wedding trends exist because a once-unique concept was a big hit at someone's wedding and now every Bride and Groom on the planet wants to have that same 'big hit' at their wedding. But if your guests have seen that 'big hit' over and over and over, it's lost it's momentum and it'll merely be a "oh that again" at your wedding. If there's a trend that you absolutely love, try to come up with a creative twist to it. The overall concept will still be there but it'll be fresh take on an old trend and a new experience for your guests.
