Each year, 2.5 million weddings take place in the United States alone. Many of these ceremonies share certain elements, thanks to wedding ?rules? we?ve come to accept over the years. The bride wears a white gown. The couple stands at the altar with a group of their closest friends. Inevitably, the DJ will play Uptown Funk or the Chicken Dance. But here?s the thing: there are no hard and fast rules for putting on a wedding (except for signing the marriage license, of course). If you want to make your wedding a truly unique affair, here are a few traditions you can happily put aside.
1. Wearing White
The white wedding dress was first popularized in 1840 when Queen Victoria wed Prince Albert. The young queen wore white because the color highlighted the lace details on her gown. However, the decision was a peculiar one at the time, as most brides wore brightly colored dresses for their weddings. After Victoria, white wedding gowns became synonymous with purity?and more importantly, became the standard in bridal fashion. But it?s important to remember why Victoria selected the color: because she liked it! If you?d rather wear a red, blue, or black dress on your wedding day, you absolutely should.
2. Wedding Favors
Bring me 100 people who?ve been to a wedding, and I?ll show you 100 people who don?t care about the favors they received. Wedding favors are often cheap, meaningless gifts that sit in your guests? purses until they eventually throw them out. Worst of all, buying these...