12 Ways to break free of the norm!

1. Flower girl turned flower man, dog: We have all seen these adorable little humans come wearing the cutest little puff dresses and let's be serious there is some serious cuteness there but that doesn't mean there aren't some epic other options. I am sure you have seen the hilarity of having a flower man and if you have not... um I'll wait just look for a hot min, it is totally worth the gander and laughs. But there are other option as well. You could have a flower boy, a dog that walks down. It could be a flower grandparent. You can also just ditch the whole thing as well!

2. White wedding dress turned dress that you love and screams you: White. Let's talk about white. A great and fabulous way that you can easily stand out from a crowd is by not wearing it. There are some epic designs with unique wedding dresses check out : Sweet Caroline , Claire Faye , Clarie Pettiebone , Tara Latour You can go so bold as full dress or simply accents of color and be a show stopper!

3. Garter and bouquet toss turned into yard games, photo booth, etc Unpopular opinion... Some people are single because they want to be. And it can get downright uncomfortable at weddings during these traditions. The joy and point of these traditions is to bring the guests in and have a great time. There are so many epic ways: Photo booths are a pretty common way now but there are other great options: you can have an improv group come in, you can play the newlywed game or family feud pulled from the crowd/guest. You can do karaoke. There are so many options to make your night epic and uniquely you while infusing your guests into you fun!

4. The Unity candle turned... tree planting, anything that represents both of you What are you going to do with your unity candle? Unity sand? What would you do with a clock that starts ticking the moment you say "I do"!! What would you do with both your parents or grandparents bringing a tea cup from their china and swapping saucers. What about trading jerseys for your favorite teams or unity tea. There are so many unique and personal ways in which you can speak to this new family that can be epic!

9. Inviting everyone turned to instead: limited list of people you really love: I know there is a lot of pressure on this one. You feel like if you invite Robert then you have to invite Zackery and if you invite those two then Melissa needs to come too... Or if your parents are paying there might be pressure there for who all should be there. A great way of limiting your guest list is actually sit down and think about who you would drop $150, who you would just hand that over with no issues. Because base you are looking close to that. Let your wedding represent your core, the people who would be most likely to be there with you at your wedding till the very end. Other people's opinions matter less than you think.

10. Instead of bridesmaid bouquets do Favorite books, balloons, wreath, a winter muff, tambourine, crossstitch, umbrella. As speaking as a person, a past bridesmaid and as a photographer: I totally get not knowing what to do with your hands. I honestly feel like this is why the bridal bouquet still exists. Stay with me, I'm not hating on flowers, but in a world where bridesmaids have been asked to wear matching dresses that often don't work for them, and there is a desire for the bride to stand out from the crown... wouldn't it be an easy option to just... have her be the only one with the giant bouquet of beautiful blooms?! It could allow you to have all that flower budget to do some epic work elsewhere in your wedding as well... So in lue of blooms... have you thought about having them carry a favorite classic book? Walk down with a wreath, or if it is a colder weather wedding a winter muff. Maybe if someone is crafty a cross stitch. You name it. If you are a HP fan girl like me, have them have a wand or some potion! lol I'm telling you the sky's the limit!

11. Traditional , Modern first look, or...: You all know the tradition of the big reveal, and you probably heard about the new take where you do it in a more private setting before the wedding BUT have you ever thought about how epic it could be to get ready together? I know... it's gonna take a minute to sink in... but imagine being zipped up by your fiance, imagine if you tied the tie for your fiance. Think about the anticipation and looks and intimacy that could be and the photos that would pull you back to that moment.

12. Walking down the aisle. The tradition stands with the father or father figure but it has become pretty normal to walk alone or with both parents. But maybe you walk down with your fiance. Maybe the bride stands at the front. It is your wedding, make it as you wish!

The whole idea of this blog is for you to feel set free. To break down the boxes that often make up our life and say: you only live once lets live it!