Allow Your Wedding To Tell A Story

Let’s face it! No one wants their wedding to be considered boring or, worse yet, the same as their friend’s nuptials. Everyone wants to avoid the trap of a “cookie-cutter” wedding, but few know how to actually go about it.

David Tutera, host of My Fair Weddings and international wedding planner extraordinaire, believes the key is creating a memorable wedding celebration is turning it into a story. As a child, he was captivated by stories. Now, he incorporates the same idea into plan ning weddings for his clients. “I believe every wedding is a story, too, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. And the storytellers? The Bride and Groom! Every couple’s wedding story should create a narrative that welcomes guests to join and enjoy its gradual, magical unveiling.”

So where does one begin in creating a story? Probably the best place to start is to think back to your relationship. What moments stand out in your history? What details are important to you? Ideas you may want to think about include:

• How did the two of you meet? Where did your first date take place? What made it significant or memorable?
  


• What kinds of things are important to the two of you? What are your favourite foods? Are there any special interests or hobbies that you share?
  


• Where did the proposal happen? What made it special?
  

The answers to these questions can act as the basis for your story and personalize your wedding to make it more unique. For instance, maybe your first date took place at an amusement park. What a fun idea to return to the same amusement park for the ceremony and reception. (Can you imagine the wedding pictures? It would also give your guests something to do between the ceremony and reception.) Other possible examples are the top of a mountain, or a beautiful lakeside ceremony.

Getting married in your tropical dream destination might be an important part of your story. If so, make sure to include cultural elements from the area to add to the atmosphere.One story-telling idea could be to include special traditions from the area. This can be especially meaningful at a destination wedding. Lisa and Kent recently married at the Marriott Waikoloa on the Big Island of Hawaii. It had been Lisa's dream to get married in a tropical location on a beach. After scouting a lot of potential destinations, they finally decided on the beauty of Hawaii. Once they decided on the destination, they wanted to make it a special experience for the two of them, but all of their guests as well, so they decided to include many of the local traditions that make Hawaii such a special place. Talking with Lisa recently, she said one of the best parts of the entire day was her reception luau. From the hula and fire dancers, to the food and music, it was a wonderful way to celebrate their wedding and include the culture of Hawaii in the celebration. Talk about creating memories!

Another example is from one of our recent weddings. The bride and groom wanted to bring out their "fun" personalities. It started at the beginning of the ceremony with a special video that the groom (and some of his talented friends) prepared showing him getting ready for the wedding. Prepared ahead of time, it gave the illusion of him getting up in the morning and working through a checklist of things to do berfore the ceremony, including getting his haircut, mowing the lawn, working out, and reading a manual on understanding women. Of course, he gets so involed with all of these other tasks, he's almost late for the wedding, and it showed him frantically trying to get to the church. It had the guests in absolute hysterics right up to the point where the video ends and he bursts through the side door of the sanctuary ready to get married. It was an absolute hit and the guests loved it!

At the same wedding, it was a well-known fact that the groom was a cookie fanatic. Capitalizing on the groom’s special interest, the couple opted to forgo wedding cake, and instead, broke a cookie in half, and dunked their portion in champagne flutes filled with milk. It was cute and memorable, but better yet, it suited the two of them perfectly!

There are so many ways a wedding can be made special and more meaningful. Your history with each other can serve as the basis for coming up with ceremony and reception ideas that are unique to the two of you and will make your wedding more memorable for your guests. All it takes is some brainstorming and some creative ideas, and before long you’ll be writing your own wedding story!
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Cathy MacRae is a certified wedding and event planner, and owner of Creative Weddings and Occasions and Del Sol Destination Weddings. Located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, she plans wedding for couples in and around the Calgary and Banff area. She is also a destination wedding and honeymoon travel specialist helping couples plan their weddings in paradise all around the world. For more information about planning your own wedding or for advice from Cathy, please contact her at cathy@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com .

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