Weddings have been taking place for many thousands of years, and that means there are certain traditions that immediately come to mind when you start planning your own. Whether it’s the type of venue you opt for, the outfits, the food, the extras like cake and a photographer, or anything else, your idea of what a wedding ‘should’ be is probably colored by everything that’s gone before. 

What if we said you didn’t have to think about anything that anyone else has done, and you could make your wedding as modern as you want – as personal and unique as you want? Would that be exciting? 

Of course, some people definitely want to follow tradition and do things the way they’ve always been done, and there’s nothing wrong with that – a traditional wedding can be a wonderful thing, and the couple and their guests will probably have an amazing time. But if you want something a little different, don’t worry; you can modernize your wedding and ensure it’s exactly what you want it to be. With that in mind, here are some ways to have a modern wedding that you’ll love now and when you look back on it in years to come. 

Mismatched Wedding Outfits

There are lots of things to think about when you’re planning a wedding, and although everything will seem important, there are clearly going to be some elements that are more important than others, and the wedding outfits – the bride’s dress, the groom’s suit, and the wedding party’s clothing – has to be close to the top of the list of things to put in place. 

If you want to make sure you’re having a modern wedding that’s going to be beautiful and unique, one option is not to go with the traditional idea of matching outfits where everyone in the wedding party looks the same, but instead, try mismatched outfits. You can stick with your color theme (which generally makes things easier), but rather than everyone having the same suit or dress, they can choose outfits that suit their body shape and comfort levels. Everyone will enjoy the day much more wearing clothes they actually like, and you’ll have a modern wedding to look back on. 

Interesting Wedding Rings

Wedding rings don’t have to be boring bands of gold with no unique features – modern wedding rings can look however you want them to, and, perhaps more interestingly, they can be made of up-to-date and beautiful materials as well. 

You could choose a wooden wedding ring, for example, or a black one, or a wedding ring with pieces of meteorite in it, and so on – these days, a modern wedding ring is an exciting purchase, and if you want to wear something you’ll love for many years to come, staying away from the standard gold band and going for something a bit more interesting does make a lot of sense. 

Don’t Have Flowers

Traditionally, a bride will hold a bouquet of flowers, and her bridesmaids will have similar bouquets or perhaps baskets of blooms. There will be flowers in the groom’s buttonhole. There will be flowers all over the venue. In other words, in a standard wedding, there will be flowers everywhere you look.

If you don’t like that idea, either because you’re allergic to pollen, you think it’s a waste, or you’re just not into flowers, there’s absolutely no rule whatsoever that says you have to have flowers at your wedding. So don’t do it! 

You can choose to have nothing to replace the flowers with, but if you’re looking for a modern touch, there are a few options if you do want to include something else instead. One option is to have greenery rather than flowers (which is better for allergies, for example). Or what about paper flowers? Other ideas include fans, chocolate bars, fruit, candles, feathers, and so on. You can carry whatever you want, within reason, of course, so stop thinking about flowers and start thinking about anything else! 

Try A Modern Cake

Cakes are a very traditional element of any wedding, so your first thought might be to do away with the cake altogether – after all, you want to make things modern, so why have something that’s quite old-fashioned? 

The answer is that your guests (and quite possibly you!) may well enjoy cake, so it seems a shame to get rid of it if it’s something people want. That’s why, rather than foregoing the cake altogether, you can just make it more modern instead. That could mean a modern design, different ingredients, or perhaps you could have cupcakes, donuts, or churros instead of an actual cake. In that way, people still get a sweet treat, but you’ll have the modern twist that you’re looking for. You could also consider modern luxury NYC wedding cakes, which offer innovative designs and bold flavors. This way, you can keep the cake tradition alive but with a contemporary twist that feels fresh and exciting.