8 tips for planning the perfect wedding ceremony

You’re planning the biggest day of your life. The venue is booked, the dresses are ready, and the menus have been scrutinised and changed a dozen times. You’re almost ready, but you still need a few personal touches that let guests know exactly what your quirky, wonderful relationship is all about.

While some couples do stick rigidly to tradition, most are keen to inject a healthy dose of fun and personality into their wedding ceremony. From rainbow coloured carpets to ring pillows shaped like bird’s nests; your big day can be colourful and unique, while also remaining elegant and romantic. These handy hints and tips for personalising your wedding day will help you create a ceremony to remember.

1. Give the Alter a Makeover
If you really want to make a statement and start your new life together in style, design your own altar and walkway. There are endless possibilities; you could have a patterned carpet laid for the aisle, decorate your altar with flowers and streamers, or scatter rose petals about the walkway. If you’re getting wed outside, hang decorations from the trees too.

2. Create Some Lasting Memories
With a plethora of photo booth hire companies on the Gold Coast, you can give your guests a memento that they’ll adore. There’s no fiddly set up either, because the company will bring the photo booths to your venue and construct them, on your behalf. Then, you can pile in with hubby, mother in law, and your favourite cousins for some silly snaps.

3. Reinvent the Ring Pillow
Why settle for drab ring pillows when you can reinvent yours and turn an old tradition into something uniquely you? There are all kinds of ways to jazz up the handover the jewels. If you’re a bookworm, you could fit your rings neatly between the pages of a beloved novel. Or, if the great outdoors makes you feel alive, slip them into a sea shell or a faux bird’s nest.

4. Intensify Your Senses
A modest sprig of rosemary, sage, or lavender nestled between the flowers of a wedding bouquet can really increase its sensuality and add a whole new dimension to its beauty. As long as you don’t go overboard or pick something too overpowering, it should delight guests as you walk past them, on your way down the aisle.

5. Seat Guests in a Circle
This will be much easier if you’re holding your ceremony outdoors, because you’ve got more room to play with. If you do have the space, it can be a lovely change to have friends and relatives sat in a semi-circular fashion, around the altar itself. It feels more intimate and allows parents and siblings to get a better view of the action.

6. Start the Party Right Away
While not all venues will allow this, it’s worth asking if you can have a small drink handed out to guests immediately after the vows are finished. That way, you can lead the wedding brigade in a collective toast to the start of your new life together. If there are strict rules on alcohol, you could swap it out for sparkling grape juice or virgin cocktails.

7. Choose a Song That Says ‘You’
The wedding march might be one of the most recognisable tunes in the world, but it doesn’t necessarily represent you as a couple. This is your time to shine, so don’t be afraid to give your entrance music that personal touch. Choose something that will always make you smile and think back fondly when you hear it on the radio in years to come.

8. Colour in Your Bridesmaids
If you’re determined to have the biggest, boldest wedding of the year, an easy way to inject some serious colour is to dress your bridesmaids in different shades. They can still wear the same outfit, if you’re concerned about having them match, but just buy the dresses in different colours. That way, everybody can pick the shade that they love the most.

Embracing the Unusual on Your Wedding Day
It’s becoming a lot more common for couples to eschew tired traditions and go their own way when it comes to the wedding ceremony. Ultimately, it is your big day and you should do what makes you happy. If subtle and delicate is your thing, go for it. But, if colour and personality if what you want, don’t be afraid to bend the rules and create something unique.