I recently planned an outdoor wedding for 400 guests. The bride and groom were in every sense of the word, nontraditional. Big dreamers, huge hearts, each with their own quirks and free spirits that made them so enjoyable to work with. The bride in particular, had these really big ideas for her outdoor wedding and outdoor reception. Both of them taking place in this enormous open field near the college soccer fields.
Her ideas included some sort of "tent" thing, just not a tent because of the cost. But still with the lights, the paper lanterns and gossamer. And for the ceremony she wanted a canopy/pagoda built for her and the groom to stand under.
The whole wedding had so many little things that were a reflection of the bride and groom, and that is what made the wedding different and cool. That is what made the wedding stand out.
Here are some of the things they changed that made their wedding...THEIRS.
In a normal wedding, the pastor, groom and groomsmen enter from the front right side of the church and walk in a line to their ceremony positions or they enter down the isle with their bridesmaid.
Well, beyond the ceremony location, about 50 yards behind where the pastor would stand, there was this huge hill that dropped from the wedding field down into this valley. The music started for an instrumental version ofLinkin Park's song Numb and as it played the groom, by himself, slowly started walking up that hill and toward the ceremony. It was so neat to see each guest in their seats slowly start to rise up and point and whisper as the groom made his way up that hill. Then after about 10 seconds of him by himself, you start to see his 9 groomsmen and the pastor all coming up that hill, scattered about, coming at different times, in different areas of this large field. They all slowly, followed their best friend to the place where he was about to start the rest of his life. I was standing in the back of the ceremony, directing music, and about to direct the girls, and as I watched those men come up that hill, it gave me chills. I even knew it was coming, I had seen it before during the rehearsal. But that is just how cool and unexpected it was to do something so different.
The other really neat thing they did was at the end of the ceremony. There was the kiss, the pastor announced them, and the recessional began. The new husband and wife walked off down the isle, and ducked into the wooded trails parallel with the ceremony. The groomsmen and bridesmaids still continuing down the isle, it helped that there were 9 of each. After the parents and grandparents made it down the isle, everyone stayed seated, waiting to be dismissed to the reception. As they were sitting there, again facing that big hill. There in the distance, past the big hill, you can see two figures which look like they are on a dirt bike, you then realize it is the bride and the groom. All of a sudden the engine starts revving, and they take off right toward the ceremony. They come up that big hill that just minutes before the groom walked up with his groomsmen. They travel under the canopy and continue all the way down the isle, their faces were lit up with joy, people were cheering and clapping. Their closest friends and family were truly celebrating with them.
The whole wedding and reception carried on like this. They made their wedding theirs, and I have never received so many compliments in my life on how beautiful the wedding was. But the thing that made the wedding really stand out was the bride and groom celebrating in their own fashion.
Moral of the story: If your a soon to be bride, make your wedding YOURS, choose your own music, change things up to fit you and your groom. If you are a planner, help your clients understand that same concept.
