My Top 10 Unpopular Wedding Opinions
When you’re planning a wedding, every decision seems like it is the most important decision in the world. I’m firm in my stance that you and your partner should do absolutely anything you want when it comes to your day. However—that doesn’t mean I’m not still entitled to my own opinion on widely debated wedding topics. I’ve never been one to shy away from the controversial, so I’m sharing my Personal Top 10 Most Unpopular Opinions: Wedding Edition.
Of course, keep in mind this is all in good fun. I am in no way calling out any individual I know personally or otherwise. So let’s get into it!
1. Wedding Hashtags #DontDoIt
Wedding hashtags started as a way for couples to track down all the photos guests were posting from their wedding by creating a unique, couple-specific hashtag. For wedding hashtags to work, guests 1. Must be aware of them, 2. Must actually use them, and 3. Have public accounts or be an account you already follow. In my opinion, wedding hashtags have strayed so far away from their original purpose I can’t stand 85% of them. Most wedding hashtags are either such an obscure play on words trying to incorporate the first or last names of the couple or a hashtag that has been used by countless couples before them. There are always ones that come up every now and again where I stop and think to myself, “Wow! What a clever and funny hashtag!” and then move on scrolling through my feed. To me, it seems the purpose of a wedding (or bachelorette party) hashtag has become something “cute” to use in your captions rather than actually a tool to view all of the posts of your day in one place.
2. Bridal Parties Are Not Necessary.
The history of the bridesmaid stems from biblical times, where the bride’s actual maids would serve them at the wedding. In Ancient Rome, it was believed bridesmaids protected the bride from evil spirits and danger. There was also a certain number of witnesses needed for the marriage, thus the bridal party was born and eventually evolved into what we know it as today. Between the color of the bridesmaid dresses, the cost of the bachelorette party, where they stand in the ceremony lineup, or who is named maid of honor, it can be rare for a bride to be stress-free during the planning process when it comes to their bridesmaids. Oftentimes, it may even be the cause of the most stress of the wedding. When it comes down to it, your biggest fans and supporters will be there for you whether they are in matching sage green floor-length dresses or not. Have all the pre-wedding celebrations you’d like, spend time getting your makeup done on the day of in the company of your best friends, and skip the stress that comes with the title of “bridesmaid.”
3. No One Wants Your Wedding Favors
Everyone knows weddings are expensive. If you are looking for the single best way to cut costs, do not offer wedding favors. You are already buying dinner for your guests for upwards of $100 or more per plate and treating them to champagne and cake. At the end of the night, few people will remember to grab the candles, personalized koozies, or shot glass with your wedding date on it. If guests can’t eat or drink it, you’ll likely wake up to your wedding coordinator dropping off a huge box of leftover favors the next day. If you feel like you must have something for your guests to take home at the end of the night, skip the personalization. People are more likely to use something again that doesn’t have “Savannah and Jake May 24th, 2018” written on it.
4. Weddings Don’t Need a Theme
The theme is “wedding.” There’s an extremely fine line between a Harry Potter-themed wedding and a 12-year-old’s birthday party. If someone asks you what the theme of your wedding is and you are stressed because you don’t have one, relax. There are already wedding “syles” to choose from (boho, modern, romantic, traditional, formal, etc.), colors to pick, and centerpieces to decide on. None of these things must be perfectly matching or fall within a certain “theme.” Trust me, you won’t miss it.
5. Signs with Cute, Rhyming Sayings Aren’t Cute
“Pick a seat, not a side, you’re loved by both the groom and bride!”
“To have and to hold, in case you get cold!”
These are the biggest offenders. If you want to get a point across on your wedding day or communicate details in your invitation, just say it how it is. We don’t need a cutesy way of you telling us kids aren’t allowed or whether guests should bring gifts to the ceremony. This may be a personal vendetta, but I have a strong dislike of cutesy signs and a strong affinity for being as concise as possible.
6. Not Everyone Gets A Plus-One
Here we go with what is questionably the most controversial wedding opinion out there (besides kid-free weddings, which I’m not even going to get into). My personal philosophy with plus-ones is as follows: Unless a person is 1. Married, 2. Engaged, or 3. With a long-term partner which the couple has a personal relationship, they do not get a plus one. However, I do allow one exception: if the guest is traveling from out of town AND will not have any friends in attendance as guests.
7. Activities and Games
Your wedding timeline is so jampacked. There is hardly time for the couple to eat and say hello to every guest, let alone dance and enjoy themselves. Adding in “activities” such as choreographed dances, get-to-know-the-couple games, even a bouquet and garter toss can be an unwelcome interruption. I always say, know your audience, and if your guests will absolutely revolt if there are no reception games and activities, feel free to set aside some time during your day.
8. Decor Fads
Namely, burlap. Please don’t use burlap at your wedding unless you can transport back in time to pre-2015. Trends like pampas grass, flower crowns, rose gold, and acrylic signs (I’m guilty of this one) are a sure way to date your wedding photos. This one is extremely personal though, and if you feel a calling to have a barn wedding with geometric centerpiece risers because it represents you as a couple, by all means, do!
9. Unplugged Ceremonies—you need one
I am the first to admit that my phone is always glued to my hand. Most things I do have to be documented to make them worth doing. The same thing goes for your wedding guests during your ceremony. The nightmare photos of guests sticking their hands into the aisle or above the crowd to capture the bride walking down the aisle or the first kiss—BLOCKING the professional photographer, physically hurt my heart. My advice: Assign a trustworthy friend to shoot the iPhone shots and videos so you can immediately relive your day before your photographer and videographer deliver their work, but make sure they are discreet about it.
10. Multiple Wedding Dresses
Here’s something everyone can likely agree on—wedding dresses are expensive. I rarely ever admit how much mine cost. Unless you’re Paris Hilton, please do your dress justice and wear it the entirety of your wedding! Barring any cultural traditions, I believe you should show that dress off for as looong as you possibly can. Most secular wedding ceremonies last less than thirty minutes with your whole day from start to finish clocking in around 4 to 5 hours. That’s already an incredibly short amount of time to wear one of the most expensive items of clothing you will ever own, so take advantage!
That’s it! My top 10 most unpopular wedding opinions, again all in good fun. Weddings can be such a cause of stress and strain to individuals and families alike. It’s nice to poke some fun at them every once in a while. Did I miss anything? Let me know your most passionate thoughts about weddings in the comments or send me a DM to share!