Let’s be clear about one thing right off the bat. Wedding coordinators and planners are great, and we’re not advising against hiring one. The benefits of working with a true pro in the months and weeks leading up to your wedding (to say nothing of the big day itself) are too compelling to ignore.
All the same, most wedding planners and coordinators aren’t paid to think outside the box unless the client demands it. Usually, what you see is what you get — because that’s what works.
If you want your wedding to be more than an inoffensive inside-the-box affair, you need to get creative. Give these six alternative wedding accessories and apparel a try, to start.
1. Nameplate Guestbook
More than just about any other wedding accessory, the guestbook is ripe for “alternative” treatment. Just look at all these alternative wedding guestbook ideas from The Knot, a popular wedding website.
One eye-catching alternative is the signature nameplate. This is either a solid board or discrete collection of letters spelling out the couple of honor’s first names. It should have plenty of room for every guest to sign and leave brief well-wishes.
2. Wooden Wedding Rings
Wooden wedding rings are in right now. So in. Thanks to a modest price point and low carbon footprint, they could be here to stay. These affordable wood rings by Larson Jewelers, a wedding accessory provider, offer a great cross-section of the selection available to creative wedding planners.
3. Hair Combs
Who needs a headband when a comb will do? Combs are lower-profile, less showy, and arguably better at the job they’re meant to do — keeping your ‘do in perfect poise.
4. Sequin Table Runners and Trains
Sequins aren’t for everyone. If they’re not you, no need to force it. But if you’re known to flaunt a party-hardy retro look from time to time, now’s your chance to do it on the biggest stage of your life.
5. Literally Any Non-White Dress
You knew this one was coming. White weddings have been a thing for, oh, a few millennia; isn’t it time another color had a fighting chance? Light blue is a popular alternative right now. It’s not revolutionary, but it sure stands out from the crowd.
6. Paper Flowers
Keep your wedding’s environmental impact in check and control costs with this alternative to, well, real flower centerpieces. Honestly, by the time the reception is in full swing, your guests won’t remember (or care) that they’re chatting across the remains of long-dead trees, not freshly cut bouquets. Neither should you.
Earn Points for Creativity
Most of your wedding guests, if not all, have been to other weddings. Many probably have more than one wedding on the calendar this year. Why bore them with the same old routine?
You don’t have to. You shouldn’t. And it’s way easier than you realize to avoid doing just that.
These alternative wedding accessories and apparel items are guaranteed to turn heads and spark buzz at your nuptials. They might even inspire soon-to-be-married guests to add outside-the-box touches to their own wedding plans. Why not throw a few in the mix and see what happens?
