In episode 3 of the second season of the popular Amazon Prime, Heidi Klum and Tim-Gunn co-hosted TV show, Making the Cut, the talented contestants are tasked with creating a pair of modern wedding looks. They were told to think and design outside of the box, and to reflect what a wedding looks like today.
It wasn’t about fitting into the traditional norms of a wedding, but rather reimagining to show that different people want different things, that brides and grooms come in a wide variety, and they want their weddings to reflect their unique personalities. What this challenge so perfectly demonstrates is that weddings as we know them, in today’s society, have become incredibly different from past decades. We’re seeing weddings in a new way, they’ve taken on a whole new meaning and people are truly creating the wedding of their dreams.
So what’s driving this alternative wedding movement, and how can you and your partner create something that matches you?
A New Perspective
The overarching reason why weddings have changed so much is that people are choosing a wedding that makes them happy, instead of focusing on pleasing everyone else. There’s been a lot of talk about the expense of weddings, and the stress and difficulty that comes from planning one. As a result we’ve started asking the question “what if I had an amazing wedding but did it differently?” With years of seeing other people have weddings that didn’t turn out so well, those lessons have been learned and are now being applied to the weddings we’re having and attending today.
Authenticity Beats Fitting In
Back in the day, the idea of what a wedding looked like was very narrow, and informed heavily by TV and magazines. You had to wear a certain type of dress, invite a certain number of people, have the wedding at a certain venue and tick certain boxes in order for it to be considered a success. As the world becomes more accepting of different kinds of people who care about different things and live their lives in a myriad of ways, nuptials have followed suit. If you want to have a Game of Thrones-themed wedding, you can. If you want to wear a jumpsuit instead of a gown, you’re free to do so. If you want to have 20 people at your wedding, it’s a lot more socially acceptable, and if you want to have one of those fun, glamorous and memorable Las Vegas weddings, you’re free to do as you please.
There are less rules now, it’s more about what makes you and your partner happy and what shows your loved ones who you are. People are able to truly have a wedding that authentically has personality, instead of a cookie-cutter event that has been done before.
Pinterest & DIY Influence
It’s no surprise that weddings are a big content category on Pinterest. With millions of people looking for ideas and inspiration, HOURS are spent on the site looking at what other couples have done. Pinterest is filled with amazing alternative wedding images and is the perfect jumping off point for creating the wedding of your dreams.
One of the greatest trends that has emerged from Pinterest is actually DIY weddings, where people choose to create a lot of the key pieces for their wedding themselves, from centerpieces, invitations, and decorations to cakes and even upcycled, repurposed wedding dresses in lieu of brand new ones. Many brides want something different and thanks to the internet, they have the courage, inspiration and the tutorials to create it.
So how do you create the wedding of your dreams? First of all, throw out the guide book and start with what you want. You and your partner have your own unique style and sensibilities, things you want reflected in your big day. Think about what those things are and how you might want people to engage with that. Is it a TV show, a genre of music or a certain period of time or era?
Think about how you can bring that into your decor, the outfits you’re going to wear, the music and even the activities your guests are going to take part in. Remember, your wedding shouldn’t primarily be about pleasing other people, especially if it means following trends and traditions that don’t really suit you or showcase who you are.
You truly have the freedom to have the wedding of your dreams, and if you let your creativity run wild, it can still be a lovely event for everyone.
