If you are like me, your family isn’t exactly rich
in tradition. The most long-standing tradition we have is
Christmas Eve with my dad’s family and Christmas Day
with my mom’s. I don’t even think that
counts!
Since I come from a pretty bland background, I envy those
whose families celebrate interesting cultural customs. As a
wedding planner, I see wonderful examples of tradition woven
into my clients’ wedding days. I love watching Jewish
families dance the Hora. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I
have to say I love watching the older generations and
younger generations come together on the dance floor for a
few moments that create a lifetime memory. And, it’s
so fun!
If you are from a background without formal wedding
traditions like mine, consider creating your own wedding day
traditions…
Instead of doing a bouquet toss, pass your bouquet to a
close engaged friend whose wedding is next. Hopefully,
she’ll do the same and carry on your tradition.
Take a photo of each side of your family or with groups
of friends during the wedding reception. Hand deliver the
photos in pretty frames to after the wedding and share your
fond memories of the day with them. They’ll be touched
that you thought of them after the wedding and hopefully a
tradition will be borne out of your thoughtfulness.
Instead of a massive head table with everyone in your
bridal party, choose a small group of friends or family
members to sit with at dinner. Your special guests of honor
will be thrilled to have some quality time with you and your
new spouse and they’ll always remember this about your
wedding. When one of them gets married, they may try the
same idea and honor you!
Choose a special (non-cheesy!!) song to be your family
dance song. Make sure that key family members know about the
dance ahead of time, and have the DJ or band leader invite
them to the dance floor. If you are stuck for a song, ask
your DJ or band leader for titles they’d recommend
that will be timeless and appropriate for family members of
all ages (not, “We Are Family”). At the start of
the family dance, make a big circle and sing along to the
song. This will be great for photos and an easy way to get
older family members out on the dance floor. Yes, the whole
thing borders on cheesy, but if you do it right, it would be
precious!
If you are the first of your friends to be married,
create a special scrapbook of memories of preparation for
the big day, favorite photos of you and your friends, and
special moments at the wedding. Pass the book to the next
girlfriend at her bridal shower, encouraging her to create
her own page of wedding memories.
After the wedding, throw a thank-you brunch for your
bridesmaids. The fun doesn’t have to end just because
the wedding day is over! Get everyone together and talk
about something besides your wedding. Your girlfriends will
be so happy to see you and surprised that your
thoughtfulness didn’t stop with the wedding. If you
really want to go over-the-top, give them each a special
little token of your affection (handmade jewelry or candy, a
favorite makeup item, or a cute little coin purse) to let
them know that you really appreciated having them support
you on your most important day.
If you have any other fun traditions that you’ve
created, email me at meg(at)blushandbashfulevents.com and
I’ll post them!
Cheers!
Meg
