Spice Up Your Wedding
With all of the Pinterest-crazy brides out there {don’t get us wrong, we love to pin!}, it can sometimes be difficult to find ways to make your special day stand out among the rest. The professionals at Style-Architects Weddings have simple changes to the typical wedding that make a big difference!
1. Play with timing
Who says that your wedding has to be the traditional order of ceremony, cocktails, and dinner? We sure don’t. Why not have a cocktail hour before the ceremony? A pre-ceremony cocktail hour is ideal for Friday evening weddings where most guests will be coming from work and really need a drink! This also eliminates guest anxiety about walking in late to a ceremony by using the social hour as a buffer.
And..Who says all the toasts and dancing need to be at the end of dinner service {no offense but delaying the fun even more!}? Mix it up and have your first dance right after the grand march. This opens up the timeline and allows you to pepper the dances and speeches throughout the dinner service.
2. Ditch traditional food/bar service
No one is going to complain about being served chicken at a wedding. Chicken is good. But it probably won’t wow guests either, and that’s your goal right?! We love the idea of themed hors d’oeuvres and alcohol pairings. Tequila and mini tacos, sushi and sake? The possibilities are endless. Ditch the traditional sit-down dinner {which invariably takes two hours from start to finish and results in food coma} and let your guests mingle with whomever they like through food stations.
Once it gets to be the wee hours of the morning, after all that dancing and ehem...celebrating, guests might be in need of a late night pick-me-up. Pull up your favorite local food truck in the parking lot of your venue and let the midnight snacking begin!
3. Mix live music and DJ
It can be elegant to have your first dance as a couple to a beautiful live rendition of At Last, but sometimes guests need to let loose with a little Uptown Funk. Hire a Dj to play your favorite current tracks {or a little throwback Britney!} during band breaks and for late-night. This ensures the energy stays high all night and your guests never want to leave the dance floor!
4. Add special entertainment
Stilettos don’t allow for five hours of dancing so give your guests other entertainment options to keep them occupied {and present} at your wedding. Play up the location of your wedding with a horse drawn carriage that takes guests around the block or gallery tours for museum receptions. This gives guests a chance to appreciate your venue as much as you do.
Rather than the standard photo booth, consider video confessionals. This new trend engages guests and creates a fun keepsake in lieu of a guest book. How fun would it be to watch those videos on your anniversaries to come?
Be creative and choose something that speaks to your personality as a couple. By incorporating some of these “spicy” changes, your guests are sure to remember your day as effortlessly unique and future couples will be looking at your wedding as a source of inspiration {look out Pinterest!}.
