Why You Should “Do You” at Your Wedding

The countdown is on! I have just less than a year until my wedding day. Doing what I do for a living, I’ve seen it all. I’ve witnessed so many great weddings days, with countless ideas, details, approaches, and traditions. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, and I’ve been taking notes in the back of my mind, knowing that soon enough I’ll be doing it myself.

There’s one thing, above all else, that sets the good weddings apart from the FABULOUS weddings.

Is it the food? No. The decor? No. The music, the dress, the venue, the flowers? No.

The best weddings are the ones that are a true reflection of the couple. Full stop.

There are so many things we think we “have” to do when we get married. But seriously, stop and ask yourself. “WHY?” Are the wedding police going to bust in during your first course because you decided to skip, or alter, certain traditions? Probably not.

I just attended the wedding of one of my best friends in Bermuda. They wanted to do something different, that felt good for them. So they rented a big AirBnB on top of cliff that overlooked the Atlantic, and had 65 of their closest people dance the night away on the lawn and stuff their faces with a Brazilian food buffet. The whole night ended with 20 people swimming in the ocean, champagne bottles in hand.

I had a client a few weeks ago walk together down the aisle, because they wanted to symbolize entering the marriage together, by mutual commitment.

I had another wear a deep purple wedding dress.

And just in a few weekends from now, I have a couple swapping out their first dance for a Light Saber fight. Hey guys, you do you.

It’s also worth saying that sometimes “doing you” is following tradition. You shouldn’t feel pressure to come up with something no one’s ever done before, or think outside the box. Many people are classics when it comes to weddings, and that’s great too. OWN IT.

People who follow their gut when wedding planning have given me pause to really think about what’s important to me and my fiance when our day rolls around. To be honest, I think I do fall on the more classic side. I want the white dress, the champagne toasts, and the pretty flowers. But on the other hand, the thought of swirling around the dance floor while 100 people watch me makes me a little nauseous.

Maybe that’s just the point. Everyone is different, and no couple should feel the need to fit into a wedding box.

Just do you. You won’t regret it.