Tradition is out and over-the-top is in. The newest trend in I Do’s involves moving away from cookie cutter nuptials and towards more personalized, even outrageous affairs. From elephants marching down the aisle to a reception involving DJ’s spinning the post-wedding playlist from the back speakers of a car, brides and grooms are going big, bold and totally off the wall. We took a deeper look into this new trend to see why more and more couples seem to want to spice up their big day like never before.
Thinking outside the box
One place that knows all about off-the-wall weddings is 1-800-Registry, an event planning company that goes above and beyond the call of duty to make even the most over-the-top wedding requests a reality. SheKnows spoke with head concierge, Brian Mijo, about some of the stranger requests they’ve received. “Every day we get more requests for out of the box things,” he says. Currently they’re pricing out the aforementioned elephant for a prominent LA family and trying to figure out where to hold a traditional Polynesian wedding, complete with a pig cooked underground, flame throwers and Hawaiian fire dancers. Check out some other more unique requests they’ve had:
- A couple having a very exclusive, upscale outdoor wedding wanted fancy (as in marble and gold) port-o-potties for their guests to use.
- One couple requested a red Tesla Roadster at their reception for people to sit in and take pictures with.
- A couple planning a renaissance theme wedding wanted to find old style church pews to rent.
- The theme of one couple’s wedding was blue, so they requested blue roses, blue tulips, and blue lilies along with a romantic butterfly release.
- A couple having a Wiccan wedding on the beach requested all four elements be represented – earth, wind, fire, and air.
Moving beyond the basics
More and more couples want to say “I do” a little differently, a trend that Gerald Fierst, a wedding officiant in the NYC metro area and author of The Heart of the Wedding, is witnessing firsthand. “Most of the over the top moments come from location,” he says. “I have performed weddings amidst the dinosaur skeletons at the Museum of Natural History. I have had couples marry in Grand Central Station. I have had brides arrive by boat on the Jersey Shore. I had one couple with a dozen trumpeters on balconies and a wedding party of 24.”
Trumpeters and unconventional locales aside, Fierst’s goal is to help couples move past cookie-cutter ceremonies to put together a day they’ll never forget – and one that best embodies their relationship. “This is really what ceremonies are becoming; creating something that represents the couple.” The bride and groom who tied the knot in Grand Central Station is a great example. The location meant a lot to them because New York was an important part of their lives and story, so as unconventional as the venue was, it made sense for them. “People want to get away from the pre-packaged wedding that can tend to be generic,” Fierst says.
Up next: More out-of-the-box wedding ideas >>
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