8 Tips for a Personalized Wedding

If you want to write something like “We’d like to invite you to our wedding” on your wedding invitations, then you should also make sure that’s exactly what it is—your wedding. But what sets a wedding apart from *your* wedding? How do you make your personalities, your wishes, and your styles an integral part of the celebration?

In addition to the classics—such as a custom wedding design, choosing the right wedding venue, or even a specific wedding theme—small, personal touches and ideas can also give your wedding a unique flair. Here are 8 tips for a personalized wedding.

1. First her, then the traditions

The wedding day is often filled with customs, rituals, and traditions. That's why it's just as important to know exactly what you don't want as it is to know what you do want.

Feel free to skip any traditions that don't resonate with you—especially if they don't fit who you are or what you want. There's no law that dictates how a wedding must be celebrated. It's entirely up to you.

Sit down together and discuss what’s important to you. This will help you figure out which traditions you can skip. If certain family members have expectations that you’d rather not meet, then don’t. Other people’s expectations have no say in your wedding.
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2. Write your own wedding vows

Sure, this part can be a little intimidating at first. But don't worry—you don't have to be a brilliant writer or an eloquent speaker to tell each other what you mean to one another.

Your own words lend the wedding ceremony a sense of solemnity, meaning, and personality in a way that a simple “I promise to always be there for you” simply cannot.

Here you'll find instructions on how to write personal wedding vows.

3. Write thank-you cards before the wedding

It's actually customary to thank your guests for coming after the wedding. But you could also write your thank-you cards in advance so that guests can take them with them right after the wedding. Tell them how happy you are that they're there.

If you want to take it a step further, write personal anecdotes on the cards. These could be, for example, inside jokes, quotes you’ve chosen yourself, or song lyrics.
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4. Adds personal items

You can add a personal touch not only to the content but also to the wedding decorations using simple methods. For example, you can incorporate personal items into the decorations. These can be all sorts of things, such as:

• a cherished heirloom
• Grandpa's favorite shirt or his wedding shirt
• Seashells from your first vacation
• the movie ticket from the first movie you saw together
• your favorite books
• Tickets to the first concert you attended together
• Little love notes that you wrote to each other at some point (you can also print out digital messages for this)
• Posters of your favorite movies
• Pieces of clothing that you wore when you first met could be sewn onto the inside or in inconspicuous places on your wedding outfits.
• A coin from a country you visited together can be worn as a locket.

Of course, these are just a few randomly chosen ideas. Take some time to think about items that hold special memories for you and how you can incorporate them into your wedding.

5. Hide a message in the bridal bouquet

Of course, this idea only works if there’s going to be a bridal bouquet toss at your wedding. You can hide a little note for the catcher inside the bouquet. What you write is, of course, entirely up to you. It could be a joke, a quote, a secret, a printed meme, or a gift certificate for a future outing with you.
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6. Photo Wall for Those Who Couldn't Be There

Unfortunately, at very few weddings can everyone the bride and groom would have liked to have there actually be present. To give deceased family members a place at the celebration, for example, you can set up a table or decorate a wall with photos of all the people who are there—at least in your thoughts.

7. Let your pets join in

For couples with pets, these animals are just as much a part of the family as their own siblings. But while dogs—depending on the venue—can attend most weddings, it’s a bit more difficult for cats or hamsters. Still, you can make them part of your celebration by, for example, naming a cocktail or a sweet treat after them.
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8. Bonus Tip

Just as with traditions, you shouldn’t let these ideas put pressure on you. Take what appeals to you, ignore what doesn’t suit you, and dare to come up with your own unique ideas. Ultimately, you don’t need elaborate plans or special touches to make your wedding personal and special. Sure, details help, but the simple fact that you’re saying “I do” and that your loved ones are celebrating with you is what makes your wedding unique.