What did you do on your wedding day to make it uniquely yours?

[NoEffingWay]

DP and I are getting married next year, and I'm a bit worried that it's all a bit generic 'nice' wedding.

I have toyed with various ideas but worry they are a bit twee, like having a glitter bar or an ice-cream van for dessert (though would still like ice-cream in my wedding dress!).

What did you do to make the day a bit different from the instagram weddings that all look the same?

Listen to the people on this thread who are speaking from the guests' perspective.

All the brides talking about how quirky and fabulous their wedding was have very little idea what it was like for the guests.

Of course your friends are going to tell you it was the best wedding they've ever been to. That's what we all say!

One thing that was amazing at a wedding I went to. They’d hired proper childcare - as in nursery nurses and loads of activities. No idea how and must’ve cost a fortune but the kids had a dedicated room in the hotel where the Reception was and when we arrived, it was set out with games, crafts and activities which the staff were supervising, and then they ate their meal there so they didn’t have to endure the speeches. It wasn’t compulsory to put your kids in it but mine loved it and it meant DH and I got a lovely little bonus break for a few hours.

@20viona yes, I included in my comment that you mentioned the saxophonist….

agree with the ice cream van and the white bouncy castles too; seen a few of them.

What kind of wedding games? Sounds fun

A live band that did blues but also played a rock set for us at the end just for us as lead used to be in a rock band and DH loves that music. Was a massive hit.

We had a juke box instead of a disco and a birds of prey display as the evening guests arrived.

I married my husband. No-one else has ever done that or ever will (we’ve been married for a lot of years)

I got married 25 tears ago before instagram existed and before people were making millions from couples desperate to be 'unique'.
We got married in church, had traditional photographs, a reception at a hotel with a sit down meal and a disco in the evening. Just like our friends did.
And it was brilliant fun, and we had a wonderful day and we are still happily married!

Blimey "Wedding Games" would have me hiding in the loo!!

As a guest I agree that all these extra touches are quickly forgotten. Having been to many weddings in my 20s and 30s (a while ago admittedly), the ones that stand out are the ones where we were left thirsty or hungry for ages whilst expected to admire photos of bride and groom etc etc.

Why does everything have to be unique? Getting married is a very traditional and conformist thing to do so let it be that. Enjoy your day and ensure your guests have plenty to eat and drink, somewhere comfortable to sit and nothing that requires enforced "fun", would be my advice.

From a guest perspective the location matters most in terms of enjoyment and uniqueness. Wedding in the zoo was most unique and memorable. It was also great as we got a free trip to zoo when everyone was getting photos taken.

This. (Also, didn’t tell anyone about it for years, though that wasn’t a conscious decision.)

Which Zoo was this @AllyCatTown ?

Wondering if you were one of our guests

We had a free bar (reception in village hall so we bought in kegs and wine and spirits, much enjoyed by all, in fact the beer lasted for several days.

@Backtothenineties we got married in Bothwell Castle (quite outing)
and it was back in the 90s (best decade)

Marry my husband!

The majority of the weddings I remember are the ones when I spent the day either freezing cold or starving or both.

Your guests will be thrilled if you lay on plenty of canapés whilst the photos are taken and make sure there isn't too much standing around in the middle of nowhere.

We were lucky enough to get married by a lake surrounded by mountains on a gorgeous summer day. After the wedding breakfast, we hired a beautiful old wooden boat and took all our guests out. We served champagne and had a disco. It was a surprise for everyone and it really was the most amazing way to end an incredible day. Everyone dancing on the boat in the sunshine, surrounded by mountains. It was expensive but SO worth it; the memories we have are wonderful.

Haha, yes: I split up with a boyfriend at a wedding with games because he refused to take my no for an answer that I didn’t want to put on a sumo suit and wrestle. So, it did add a touch of unique to the occasion.

Honestly, OP, the best weddings I’ve been to have had: lots of good food, lots of good music, lots of good people. Venues personal to the couple that have added ambience have been nice – an orchard next to a donkey field, a Greek beach with peacocks, a field behind the bride’s parents’ house – but the weddings would have been as lovely without, because: food, music, people, joy. Not once have I come away from a wedding thinking “What incredible favours/oh, the table names had a theme!/gosh, a caricaturist/saxophonist/themed anything”. Just get married! Have fun doing it!

The best wedding I went to had been catered by the close family, with quite a few of them chipping in a tray of food. It was incredibly simple and very relaxed because of it.

I got married abroad, we had a simple outdoor ceremony, then a champagne lunch for 12. The guests buggered off and me and my husband went on one of the tourist boats on the lake then on to a restaurant for evening meal. Easy and stress free.

You can see the theme here....

I got married to my husband - I hope that was unique and no one else is intending on marrying him :)

Seriously though what most people care about is good food, not standing around hungry for too long waiting for the photos, short but sweet/funny speeches and some music/dancing in the evening