Alternative Weddings Inspiration

There are always people in life who want to do things differently and weddings are no exception. For some couples, the idea of a traditional tiered cake, white meringue dress and walking up the aisle in a church simply doesn’t appeal.

Of course, there are still those who would rather celebrate their big day with all of these things, but as alternative weddings grow in popularity, increasing numbers of Brits are daring to be a little different and try something unusual when they say their vows.

Many of us are inspired by celebrities — whether it’s because we’re copying their hair or their latest outfits — and it seems as though those who are keen to inject a unique element into your ceremony can follow suit.

As APP reports, a number of famous faces have gone down the alternative route when it comes to their big day. Most recently, Katy Perry and Russell Brand said “I do” in India with a Bollywood-celebration.

For brides and grooms-to-be who cannot afford to jet off to some exotic location, they could copy Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz, who ditched the traditional pastel hues, white and green, for a venue decorated with black and red accessories.

And celebs are not afraid to try something new with their wedding dresses either. The publication points out that Gwen Stefani wore a pink and white frock when she walked down the aisle with Gavin Rossdale in 2002, while Ellen Pompeo donned a black gown in 2007.

Plus, ultimate fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker’s decision to wear a black wedding dress is well documented.

One person who has decided to do away with tradition is Samantha Tuminaro from Old Bridge in the US. She is planning to theme her big day in 2011 around a rock concert and create wedding invitations that resemble ticket stubs with VIP passes as table cards.

“Weddings now are very different, people are always trying to pull their personality more into the wedding,” Ms Tuminaro told APP. “We just wanted to do something a little different.”

If you are planning an alternative wedding, invitations and placements can be a good place to start when it comes to incorporating a theme and sense of occasion.

When Devin Reynolds – formerly of a band called Kessler — and his girlfriend Kelly Knickerbocker decided to become husband and wife, they wanted a ceremony that reflected the long-distance nature of their relationship at first due to the time David spent on the road with his group.

Their travel-themed ceremony included airplane ticket invites, place mats that could be folded into paper aeroplanes and table decorations made from vintage postcards and stamps, D magazine reports.

The couple also decorated their wedding venue with globes and suitcases, while larges maps were used to wallpaper the back of the photo booth.

D Homes and D Weddings art director Jamie, who helped to arrange the nuptials, said the pair wanted something different as they are “not a very traditional couple”.

“[Kelly] started telling me about the long-distance aspect of their relationship and that they’d found out they were moving. Travel-themed weddings can be a little hokey, but we kept it simple and tailored,” she stated.

Whatever you choose, alternative weddings can be an easy way to create a memorable occasion that really celebrates the unique aspects of your relationship. Plus, the event is bound to provide plenty of stunning photographs to treasure for years to come.