Our team has always been passionate about creating weddings that are true to our couples. It’s our planning philosophy. We strongly believe that weddings should be a true reflection of the couple — even if that means side-stepping some of the more traditional elements people expect in a wedding. Over the years, we’ve had so much fun planning non-traditional weddings with our couples. We’ve introduced unexpected entertainment highlights, planned small and intimate elopements, and have taken our couples and their guests to new and unusual locations. 

Are you a couple that likes to live outside the norm? We love that. As you plan your wedding, here are a few areas in which you can be the anti-bride (or anti-groom, or anti-couple). 

Attire

Choosing your wedding outfit is a perfect way to express your own taste and personality — so don’t be afraid to do things a little differently if you don’t feel like a white gown is your style. If you want to add colour, go for it! If you want to get married in a beaded short party dress, why not? 

We’ve worked with brides that have chosen dresses covered in floral details, and it’s such a fun way to add a touch of whimsy to the big day. 

We’re starting to see bridal designers embrace non-traditional wedding styles, and it’s been so fun to see them play. The new bridal collection from Jacquemus is just one example of what high-end non-traditional bridalwear can look like. Take a look at the Vogue Wedding Instagram account and you’ll see other examples. 

Timeline

What will your wedding day look like? Are you planning on sticking to the standard ceremony-cocktails-reception structure? Or do you have something else in mind? 

Your wedding can take whatever shape you want it to. Whether you want to keep it simple and just have a garden party with close friends and family, like Defne and Ryan did, or you want to host a multi-day event, the choice is yours. 

One of our couples, Annie and Andrew, extended their celebration by hosting guests at a yacht party the day before the wedding. The theme was Palm Springs meets Beverly Hills Hotel, and it was a blast.

Size

One thing that the pandemic taught the wedding industry is that a wedding doesn’t have to be big to be important or memorable. We’ve hosted a number of elopements and small intimate weddings over the last few years, and they have all been really meaningful experiences.

One that I will always remember is Jillian and Matt’s elopement at Hycroft. Even though it was just the two of them, really, their day was absolutely stunning. Listening to their vows, and seeing how much they each meant to the other, is a moment I will remember for the rest of my career. 

Ceremony

Regardless of the cultural influences or traditions, ceremonies always have a number of little elements that you can change up and make your own. 

  • Walking down the aisle: We’ve seen some brides (like Nina) choose to walk down the aisle on their own and have it be a stunning moment.
  • Vows: Maybe you’d like to sing your vows to your partner? Or have them performed as an impromptu skit with some guests in the know?
  • Wedding party: We’re seeing way fewer people have wedding parties — and if they do, they just choose to have one or two people. It feels like they’re being way more intentional. Others, like Martin, have opted to have their dogs as their best men.
  • Wedding party attire: If you do have a wedding party, you could bend the norm and let them wear whatever they feel comfortable in.

Venue

Why not break tradition with a non-traditional wedding venue? Vancouver is full of beautiful spaces that could easily become the wedding venue of your dreams — even if that’s not its sole purpose. Some that come to mind for us include: 

  • The Vancouver Public Library
  • Pipe Shop Venue
  • Science World
  • Rocky Mountaineer Station

You can also take over an iconic city space — like the Vancouver Art Gallery — and make it entirely your own.

Photos

Your photographer can also help introduce some non-traditional elements into your big day. Take your time choosing a photographer that fits your vibe, and work with them to plan out the types of images you want to remember your wedding day with. 

For example, you could take dark and moody wedding portraits in edgy places, like Emily and Ben did, or even do nighttime portraits outdoors under torrential rain. (Photo below courtesy of Tara Lilly Photography.)

Decor

The style and decor you choose for the wedding design will be another great way to introduce new and unexpected elements into the big day. Some examples of unique design features that we’ve included in past weddings include: 

  • Black statement pieces (e.g. candles)
  • An art deco style with jungle greenery 
  • Fruit on table
  • A massive circular floral arrangement hanging over a rotunda
  • A giant cherry blossom tree with hanging paper cranes at the head table
  • A champagne tray hanging from a tree
  • Unique seating charts
  • Baby’s breath, everywhere

Guest treats

How you choose to thank your guests for being there at your wedding is entirely up to you. Many of our couples have been really intentional about wanting to elevate their guests’ experience, so they leave some of the budget open for this. Our recommendation? Choose something that the guests will truly want and value. 

Some of our recent favourites include personalized cookies by the amazing Rain Bake Shop, personalized leather luggage tags for guests coming in from out of town, and mini champagne bottles as part of the invite package. 

Entertainment

More and more, we’ve found that couples want to pull out all the stops for their guests. They don’t just want to host a wedding, they want it to be an experience. At one of our recent weddings, we included immersion entertainment with ballerinas and a string quartet in the foyer, a unique performance during dinner, and robot dancers at the after party. This was so much fun, and really showed how the couple loves to be the life of the party.

Other couples have opted to fly in musical artists to serenade guests throughout the evening. We’ve also had couples include whiskey tastings, a comedian, and a disco afterparty. 

Make your wedding your own

The way we see it, couples should never feel like they have to do something as part of their wedding because it’s always done. This is your day. You get to set your own rules and craft a day that is entirely your own. And if what you feel reflects your partnership the most is a traditional wedding, then that’s fine, too! Regardless of how traditional or non-traditional your wedding is, the choice should be entirely yours.

Are you thinking of hosting a non-traditional wedding? We’d love to help bring your ideas to life. Get in touch today.