Though we would never argue with tradition, at Olivia Restaurant, we believe it doesn’t hurt to add a few new twists to time-honored practices and routines. After carefully sifting through hundreds of wedding blogs and listening to countless stories from friends and family members, we have compiled a list of the most exciting ways to set your wedding apart from all others; make your special day even more memorable with this unique rituals.
Share Your Story. Even guests that know you and your fiance well will swoon when you tell the story of how you fell in love as part of your rehearsal dinner, ceremony, or reception. This not only reminds attendees of your love through beautiful storytelling, but can also be a hilarious way for couples to learn new things about their future husband or wife (“Before I got the courage to ask her out, I bought five suits from her store, and I don’t even wear a suit to work!”). To achieve the most memorable punch, we recommend that “how we fell for each other” stories always begin with a funny anecdote – self-deprecation is a sure-fire way to win an audience over early – and progress into heartfelt confessions of love. In other words: open with laughter, close with tears.
Letters From Loved Ones. Often, it’s not possible for all your family and friends to attend your ceremony and celebration; distance, career or family-related conflicts, and unforeseen circumstances can prevent loved ones from being present for your wedding. To make sure that everyone is included in your big day, encourage the “Not Attending” RSVPs to write a heartfelt letter – or better yet, record a video – that can be read aloud or played during your rehearsal dinner or reception. Though a small gesture, this makes people who can’t attend still feel special, and goes a long way to mitigating the sadness you might feel at a loved one’s absence.
The Fight Box. Thinking about a day, sometime in the distant future, when you may have a big fight is not something most couples want to acknowledge during their wedding ceremony; however, everyone knows that, realistically, an extremely difficult fight is probably going to happen eventually. So why not be prepared for it? To construct a fight box, place a bottle of wine, a corkscrew, two wine glasses, and notes addressed to your future selves (with messages reminding the other how much love and commitment you feel on this special day) in a wooden box and take turns hammering in the nails in front of friends and family members. Then, when things get rough (hopefully many, many years down the road), crack open the box, drink the wine, and give your marriage a much-needed jump start. In our opinion, we think guests will appreciate the honesty and “we can get through anything” message a Fight Box symbolizes!
The Flame Of Love. Everyone knows how a traditional Unity Candle works: The mothers of the bride and groom each light a candle, then the couple uses these two flames to light a larger candle symbolizing the “two becoming one.” In our take on this time-honored tradition, the couple starts with one flame – which, for the sake of symbolism, we’ll call “the flame of love” – and uses it to light the small candles given to everyone in attendance, beginning with their bridesmaids and groomsmen and allowing it to spread throughout the congregation. In this way, your love doesn’t contract down to one, but instead expands exponentially, encompassing all the friends and loved ones who have helped your relationship grow and flourish during your courtship. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Note: This unique ritual is especially fantastic for outdoor, evening weddings.]
Wedding Pinatas. Weddings are stressful, no doubt about it. What better way to release unwanted tension than by hacking apart a paper effigy of a unicorn or cake as part of your wedding reception celebration? And there is no symbolism here; it’s just good, clean fun.
Other Unique Wedding Rituals You Might Want To Try:
- When the bride and groom exit the chapel, it’s tradition to throw rice or birdseed. Guests should blow bubbles (for summer days) or light sparklers (for night weddings) instead to create dazzling pictures and a one-of-a-kind experience.
- Write your future hopes and dreams on the side of a chinese lantern, then release it sometime during your wedding reception (assuming the party lasts into the night). Even better, bring enough lanterns for all your guests, and release them simultaneously. The results will be spectacular.
- Instead of pouring black and white sand into a container to symbolize the combining of your two lives into one, our good friends dumped their respective Lego collections into a giant tupperware container at their wedding. “From this moment forward, my bricks shall be yours, and yours shall be mine…”
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