Show Notes
Wedding trends come and go, with a few that have the staying power of becoming a “tradition.” We compiled a list of wedding traditions & trends that we’re happy to see are on their way out or that we’d love to see on their way out. In no particular order, they are:
- Receiving Lines
Why don’t we love receiving lines? Simply put, they don’t provide you a valuable use of your precious time on the wedding day. A better option is to provide yourself with ample cocktail hour/reception time to greet your guests and mingle.
- Dollar Dances
Tacky. Besides the fact that this would need to be adjusted for inflation, doing any game on your wedding day to “ask” for money is tacky.
- Garter & Bouquet Tosses
As a culture, we’re starting to admit the cringe factor that is involved with this tradition. Whether you cringe because you think it’s sexist or you cringe just because it’s outright awkward, let’s let this one go.
- Send offs and other activities that require the participation of all wedding guests.
The difficulty of coordinating all of your guests into an organized activity is a stress that you can easily remove from your wedding day. Along with this point, most weddings are missing some guests already by the end of the night which can mean an anticlimactic send off.
- Sparklers & alcohol
Somewhat on the same note as send offs, planning a sparkler send off is problematic, especially because the guests have been drinking. It’s not only difficult to coordinate, it’s also risky.
- Best man first looks
A little because it’s cringy, a little because it could indeed be a disappointment for the groom.
- Cheesy signage
I take issue with signage that errs on the “cutesy” side rather than the elegant side. Personal opinion :).
- Cake smashes
Not the best way to begin a happy marriage. Preserve that makeup right up to the end of the night and savor the cake instead.
- Advice to run from marriage
- “Yes dear” comments
These last two are basically in the same category. Negative comments about marriage are not life giving in any context, but they are especially inappropriate at a wedding. Culturally, we’ve allowed ourselves to promote a lot of negativity about the partnership & commitment of marriage. It’s time to start making life giving, encouraging comments about marriage again!
What is Radiant Weddings?
To me, a wedding is not only a beautiful event that allows me to exercise every organizational trick that I possess. It is the beginning of a union where new families are formed and a one-of-a-kind love is celebrated.
As a recent bride, I got to experience being on the “other side.” My experience as a wedding planner and my husband, Joe’s, experience as a wedding photographer allowed us to have a unique perspective for our own wedding. Now, together, Joe and I want to share what we know and what we've learned with engaged couples who need to know how create their perfect wedding day. My goal is to give every couple the means to have as few “things I’d change if I were to do it over” moments.