Couples today often look to traditions to assist them with their wedding planning. From ceremony rituals to a first dance, many ideas are implemented into the big day. Now though, couples are often wondering if proper wedding etiquette and traditions always need to be put into play.

Today’s generation offers so much more leniency when it comes to incorporating etiquette into the wedding day, and most often no one will be judging you for the decisions you choose to make for your special day. Accompanied by friends and family, you should certainly have all the support in regards to the way you plan to conduct your wedding. Free-spirited and out of the box is what Contagious Events strives for, we want to make your wedding unique, and true to your vision, just as it should be! Remember, this is your day.

Couples tend to align their wedding parties with the same amount of people on either side, but do the numbers have to be equal? If you are still having trouble on making this decision, read on to find out more reasoning to help make your choice:

Traditions and Etiquette.

Traditionally, wedding etiquette has always been incorporated as couples plan their weddings, and it is referred to as following a traditional approach. Today however, conventional weddings are becoming a thing of the past, as couples are incorporating their own ideas for a more unique and creative wedding. So, do not feel like you have to follow any “rules” when planning your day. When you think about it, do you want to go to weddings over and over that all do things the same way? Follow the same timelines? Or would you rather your wedding be different from the rest and one of a kind?

• One reason to not follow the tradition of having an equal numbered wedding party is because these are your friends and family members that are closest to you…would you really want to leave one out just person because you already had an even number? Or not include someone special because you wouldn’t want to off-balance the group? No! Create your own traditions and show your guests something they haven’t seen before by choosing as many or as few members as you desire.
• Also, who says you even need gender-specific wedding party members?! We say “out with the old and in with the new”! This is your wedding and you should have who you want on your side, whether it be guys or gals. Mix and match for a fun approach.
• A non-symmetrical look. Couples often fear that the look of their wedding ceremony will appear as “off” if they do not have a symmetrical bridal party. Keep in mind though that there are many ways to make this not even noticeable to your guests. Rather than having a straight-forward look, this offers more of a free-spirited approach and a sense of comfortability rather than formality.
• When your wedding party proceeds down the aisle, traditionally a member from each side walks together, however, consider the idea of having the members of your party walk down alternately, one by one and no one will be counting!
• Another idea is to have three wedding party members walk down the aisle, linking arms.

Wedding photos.

The way you remember your wedding day will be through your photos, so of course you want them to turn out perfect! Don’t fear that having an offset numbered bridal party will take a negative light on your pictures, in fact, there are many fun poses you can do to bring a great energy, as well as leaving no one to question the number of people included.

• A great idea to include is to have your wedding party spread about, doing their own unique pose for the camera. This provides a fun environment and a unique photo! Or, have your party tossing the bride into the air, what a great way for everyone to be involved, and no one will be focusing on even or odd numbers.
• Rather than having the traditional photos of the wedding party on two separate sides, consider intermingling them to create a picture perfect photo that reflects you and your important wedding party members in a very “free” way.

Are you starting your wedding planning journey? If so, allow it to be a fun and stress-free experience by working with Contagious Events. We ensure that the weddings we plan stand out from the rest and that all of your visions are incorporated. We stray far away from anything typical, and offer nothing but inspiration for your big day.