Memorable New and Classic Wedding Ideas

Now that the annual engagement season is over, wedding planning is surely full steam ahead for many couples. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to attend, be in, and coordinate quite the variety of weddings over the past four years. While each wedding that I’ve been a part of has been wonderful in its own way, here are some sweet ideas that I have particularly enjoyed.

1. Throw lavender at the bride and groom as they exit the church: there’s no smell like it, plus it’s ecofriendly.
   
2. Do a yoga class the morning of the wedding with any interested wedding party members, friends or family members.
3. For a summer wedding, design a classy and useful combination program and fan.
4. Incorporate the phrase “Eat, drink and be married.”
5. Share different spice mixes as favors: love is the spice of life. The wedding I attended gave out a choice of barbecue mix, Italian herbs, or chai spice. I’m still enjoying mine!
   
6. Incorporate eucalyptus into your wedding flowers—it's hardy, beautiful and it smells great. As with lavender, you also get some nice aromatherapy.
7. Have the parents of the groom pray over the bride and the parents of the bride pray over the groom during the ceremony.
8. If you have musical skill or perhaps a hidden talent, surprise the class by sharing it on this once-in-a-lifetime day! I’m thinking of a particularly great evening where we got the groom to do an encore of Bennie and the Jets after serenading his new bride with a love song.
9. Play the couple's dance game to see which couple has been married the longest. I was truly impressed by the married-for-75-years grandparents at the most recent wedding.
10. Place infused water dispensers around the ceremony and reception to keep everybody hydrated and happy throughout the celebration. Try cucumber, lemon, mint, raspberry, grapefruit or almost any fruit combination.
11. Green tea cupcakes. I’m not going to offer any explanation.
12. As you’d like, incorporate groomswomen/a best woman and bridesmen/a man of honor: if the bride has a best friend that's a guy and the groom has a beloved sister, put them in the same clothes as the groomsmen and bridesmaids, but let them stand on the most appropriate side.
    
13. Start a train, ideally one led by a grandparent or an elementary-aged cousin—you won't regret it.

Happy 2017 wedding season to all!

Photo credits go to my wonderful former Furman University photography classmate, Hannah Woodard Lockaby of Hannah Woodard Photography. See more of this beautiful wedding day of my sweet friends here.