Wedding Traditions vs. Modern Changes

Photo By Shoot With Cass

Wedding trends are always changing year to year and some of the older traditions that you may have seen as a child or teenager are now becoming a thing of the past.

One big change that has come about in the last decade or so has been who pays for the wedding. Traditionally, the Bride’s parents would be the ones to pay for the wedding day. The Groom’s parents would typically pay for the Rehearsal Dinner. These days, couples are opting to foot the bill for their own weddings more often than not. When parents or other family members are paying for large portions of the wedding bills, this can also come with specific expectations, requests, and demands. Couples are now making the choice to pay for their own weddings to ensure they are able to maintain control over the overall concept and design of their wedding day as well as being able to express their unique couple style.

Photo by Morgan Taylor Artistry

Bouquet & Garter Toss

Another traditional wedding event that has lost its luster, the bouquet and garter toss. How many weddings have you been to recently that still did the traditional bouquet toss or the garter toss? This is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Traditionally, this was a big event in a wedding and all the single ladies were itching for a chance to catch the bouquet. Now couples are choosing to skip this event and add in some new flair with things like a wedding party choreographed dance. Without all these little older traditions, it leaves more time in the evening for the guests to really enjoy the dance floor. Which isn’t this one of the main reasons we all love attending weddings anyway? Dance it up!

Photo by Julie Floro Photography

First Look

Traditionally it was bad luck for the couple to see each other before the walk down the aisle. One of my favorite newer traditions is the first look. This is such a beautiful moment alone for the couple to see each other with just the photographer to get their reactions. What I also love about it is that it gets the couple’s intimate photos completed earlier in the day. Choosing to do a first look and then all the wedding party photos before the Ceremony allows time for the couple to join their guests at Cocktail Hour and enjoy all the things they spent time planning for months.

Another adorable spin on the first look I have seen is the bride and her father. Some brides choose to do a moment with their father or that special person that has the honor of walking them down the aisle instead of their future partner so they can still keep the tradition of seeing each other down the aisle but getting in some extra special moments and photos with someone they hold close to their hearts. It makes for such a sweet memorable moment and tends to be a tear jerker for sure!

Photo by Shoot With Cass

Let Them Eat Cake or...

Remember that beautiful tiered cake that was the center attraction for the later part of the reception? This tradition is not very common at all anymore. The dessert spread at weddings has really taken off, from donuts to ice cream bars to candy tables you name it! Couples are really choosing what makes them happy at dessert time and I am here for it. With choosing a different take with dessert comes the option of just announcing dessert or doing a silent cake cutting as well. Couples often choose the silent cake cutting option these days. It allows them to still capture the moment of cutting their cake and feeding it to each other without everyone standing around watching them. A lot of couples feel awkward about this moment being a spectacle during their Reception. It’s more intimate this way and then your guests don’t get pulled off the dance floor.

Photo by Shoot With Cass

What’s for Dinner?

Chicken, Steak, or Vegetarian is a thing of the past. Couples like to step out of the box when it comes to choosing what they want to feed their guests. Nowadays it’s more common for the couple to choose their favorite type of food for catering, whether it’s BBQ or Italian, or their favorite food truck option its a great way to wow the guests and customize the wedding to the couple. Also, I have seen choosing a more traditional option with the food and having a late-night food truck or snack bar for munchies on the way out of the wedding too.

Photo by Carly Landolt Photography

There is no right or wrong way of choosing your wedding traditions, whether you decide to keep some traditional ideas or change it all up to how you and your significant other want to do things, just remember this time is about you and making sure all of your dreams come true!

Happy Planning!

Love,

Naticia