THE
WEDDING
ISSUE
SWITCH IT
or
DITCH IT
HERE’S HOW TO
KEEP WITH
TRADITION WHILE
KEEPING YOUR
WEDDING ON TREND
By Alexas Gregory
86 EXTOL : AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018
I’M AT THE STAGE IN MY LIFE where everyone
my age is making major life decisions almost
every day. Thanks to social media and my
phone’s notifications, I’m constantly getting the
updates: friends getting engaged or just married,
honeymoon pictures, new babies, first-time
homebuyers, new jobs, moving away and the list
goes on and on.
Since we live in the day and age where wanting
to be different is the new normal, we are all always
striving to find that niche or quirk about ourselves
that can make us stand out from everyone else.
I believe that this is true about every aspect of
our lives. I notice it every day in my workplace –
the wedding industry.
Every bride and groom wants that “wow” factor
that makes their guests leave the wedding and
reception wishing that the party had never ended.
So, who’s to say what’s overhyped in the world
of weddings? What are those new trends that
people are starting to gravitate towards?
I guess, for the moment, that person is me.
In my personal life, I’d say that I’ve been to
or been a part of five or six weddings, but in my
professional life, I can sometimes work that many
weddings in a weekend.
Being so involved in the catering part of the
wedding industry has allowed me to watch
numerous receptions from start to finish.
With all of that being said here is my list of
reception activities that are overhyped and ways
that new-age brides and grooms have switched
them up or ditched them all together:
• MUSIC PLAYLISTS
• TRADITIONAL ORDER OF EVENTS
• TOASTS FROM THE BEST MAN AND MAID OF HONOR
• BOUQUET AND GARTER TOSS
• SAVING THE TOP OF THE WEDDING CAKE
• GIFT REGISTRIES
• OUTDOOR WEDDINGS
Music Playlists
Whether it’s a band or a DJ, stay true to the music
choices you and your fiancé/fiancée prefer. If it’s
music that you all like dancing to and singing along
with then your guests will join in. If the bride and
groom are out dancing and having a good time,
then the guests will follow suit.
Traditional Order of Events
It used to be the guests would be the first to
arrive to the reception hall. Then, the wedding
party would be announced, followed by the bride
and groom’s entrance, dinner, cake cutting and
toasts, first dance, wedding activities and opening
the dance floor.
If you want all eyes to be on you during the
first dance, it’s best to do it at the beginning right
after the wedding party’s introduction. That’s
when you’re going to have everyone’s undivided
attention. The later you wait, the more people lose
interest because they’re in the bar line, restroom,
talking to other people or taking pictures. You
risk the chance of your guests already being
preoccupied by other things going on at the
reception. So change it up!
Toasts from the Best Man and
Maid of Honor
Everyone always loves a good speech that
has a couple funny stories about the bride and
groom when they were growing up or include a
life event that brought them together. But don’t
get long winded. When it comes to toasts, always
remember that less is more.
Bouquet and Garter Toss
This is just an activity that I honestly haven’t seen
done in a while. So, if your personality isn’t one
that feels comfortable having your new husband
seductively crawl up your dress in public with
everyone watching – don’t.