POINT OF DIFFERENCE
Setting your day apart from the rest doesn’t have to cost the earth. here are 30 ways to individualise your day one Spend-savvy idea at a time
30 ways to individualise your special day one spend-savvy idea at a time
You’ve weaved 15 dream catchers, hand- painted your seating chart on a rustic window pane and shopped the charity stores clean out of vintage china. You’re fairly certain your wedding is going to be that extra bit special, until you rock up to your friend’s the month before – she’s also got dream catchers draped above her gift table. Her windowpane seating chart is propped confidently at the reception entranceway and tins of no-two-utensils-the-same vintage cutlery sit smugly beside the buffet. cue panic. You blew the last of your décor budget on stripy paper straws (the same ones she’s got nestled beside her beehive drink dispensers) and now your wedding is going to look like a carbon copy. fret not – there are ways to set your day apart that won’t leave you on the brink of bankruptcy. Here’s our guide to personalising your day with extra-special touches that don’t scream big dollars.
1 Stuck for menu inspiration? round up the three most significant meals you’ve enjoyed together as a couple – what you ate on your first date, the meal you savoured after you got engaged and a favourite dish discovered on an overseas trip – and offer these as main-course options.
2 food is at the heart of any family celebration, and your wedding is the perfect chance to relive jubilant parties gone by. instead of paying for catered desserts to satisfy sweet tooths, ask cousins, grandparents, uncles or aunties to provide dishes they’re family-famous for. Serve buffetstyle, and label platters with the contributor’s name and the title of their treat – Katy’s Lemon Meringue or dylan’s eton Mess.
3 Unique cocktails comprised of ingredients you and your man enjoy best take on added personality when they’re given a special title. name your creation after yourselves (Markarhita, Bellaini – some names are more cocktail-friendly than others) or brainstorm for a special word or phrase that sums up your relationship. 4 There are few big-day elements that can’t come in a colour to suit your palette – raise the bar by tinting sugar or salt with food colouring and asking the bartender to use it to rim cocktails. 5 Limit your wine selection to drops from the year you first met, and make mention of this special touch on menus. 6 in lieu of a wedding gift, invite friends and family to share their artistic talents – a brilliant vocalist could sing you down the aisle, while a clever illustrator could sketch a cartoon strip of your love story thus far. include the sketch in your order-of-service for an added point of interest.
7 Sharing the love beyond your nearest and dearest imbues your day with extra good vibes. Scrap the gift registry and have guests bring their favourite childhood book as a donation to a children’s hospital. 8 Say it with love – leaving heartfelt, individualised thank-you notes at every place setting leaves no doubt in guests’ minds that you’re happy to have them there. 9 Underneath names on the seating chart, include a sentence to describe each person – use words that invite further probing from fellow guests for ice-breakers. 10 Place conventional decorations in unexpected settings. Saying ‘i do’ on the beach? Bury your bloom-filled mason jars in the sand instead of sitting them atop – they’ll look like they’re sprouting from the ground especially for your big occasion. Alternatively, forgo a few centrepieces and instead hang long-stemmed roses upside down from the ceiling – your reception will rain style from above.
11 Seen one string of vintage-handkerchief bunting too many? Thread together favourite photos from your love story instead, and drape the creation above your head table. 12 Sometimes it’s the smallest touches that make the deepest imprints on guests’ minds. include pressed flower petals with your ceremony programme in a hue that matches your colour scheme. 13 instead of extravagant floral centrepieces, cluster together items that reflect your personalities – brass animal figurines for nature lovers, flower-filled watering cans for keen gardeners. combine your selections with framed photos of yourselves along with quirky extras such as your favourite fruits or lollies. 14 no one said guests have to place their gifts on a table – use a bookcase to reflect a love of reading or writing, or wine barrels if you’re a budding connoisseur. 15 instead of a timeline, draw a map of a city or country and label places that you and your hubby-to-be have shared special moments or adventures: the cinema in which you watched your first flick together, your favourite restaurants, the spot at which you first met. include a copy of the map with each order of service.
16 Think of a novel way to set up your ceremony chairs. Sit guests in a circle around an archway that marks the spot for ‘i do’, or arrange a single row of seats in the shape of a spiral – each facing the centre, so all your guests will get a front-row view as you loop your way to the altar. 17 create a collage on the back of your order of service with excerpts from love notes you and your groom have written each other throughout the relationship. 18 Screen a pre-ceremony slideshow to tell your love story, and keep early-arriving guests entertained – include photos from your respective childhoods as well as from your time as a couple. 19 including a ritual in your ceremony is a special touch that’s sure to leave an impression on guests. Seal a time capsule to be opened on your 10-year anniversary or jointly bury a small potted tree in soil from both your hometowns.
20 collect stones or shells from your favourite beach and leave one on each person’s ceremony chair. invite guests to bless the item before placing it back in an allocated bowl as they leave. display the bowl pride of place at home on a mantelpiece or outdoor dining table. 21 Pick an unconventional start time that has special significance. did he propose at 3.38 exactly? Your first child was born at 4.12? Schedule your vows for the exact same moment. 22 Let your bridal party’s personalities shine by playing part of their favourite songs as they are each announced into the reception.
23 infuse your ceremony with charismatic colour by asking your celebrant to retell stories or anecdotes from your relationship – for added authenticity, invite a special friend to get ordained and marry you themselves.
24 research cultural customs of countries you descend from, nations you’ve visited or plan to visit, and include them in your day – incorporate the cuban rumba or the irish jug to your first dance, for example.
25 find special ways to involve relatives who will be with you in spirit on the day: wrap a grandmother’s handkerchief around your bouquet, or have your groom wear his grandfather’s cufflinks. 26 Have your ringbearer carry the rings on an item that has shared significance – a favourite book, a shell from your local beach or souvenir from a special getaway. 27 choose a first dance song with significance for the whole family – the same one your parents had on their wedding day, or a tune that’s been a long-standing favourite at family events. 28 instead of matching bouquets, have your bridesmaids hold blooms that carry different meanings – white chrysanthemums indicate truth, calla lilies say beauty and peonies promise a happy marriage.
29 Struggling to find a unique walk-up-the-aisle song? if your father will be on your arm, why not pick his brain? it’s a big moment for him too, so selecting his favourite tune will imbue the moment with another layer of sentimentality. furthermore, his choice is unlikely to have done as many rounds as the tunes selected by modern-day brides.
30 Your budget won’t stretch to a string quartet, but you love the idea of live music as you make your ceremony exit... borrow tambourines, maracas and glockenspiels from friends with children or a local primary school – leave them on guests’ chairs, and have your attendees send you down the aisle to a triumphantly unruly tune. W