Five ways you can have an alternative wedding

5 Ways you can have an alternative wedding

 When it comes to having a completely unique celebration tailored to your own personality, I’m here to show you what’s possible and give you the most wonderful ideas🏹!

If you feel you don’t fit into having a typically traditional wedding, then an alternative wedding may be more up your street. Below you’ll find all of the alternative ways you can celebrate your love and have a wedding that is truly unique – and you!

When you are throwing out the rulebook on planning a traditional wedding, it can be daunting where to start! First, think about why you are getting married? What do you want to do as a couple on your day? Being clear on a vision for your wedding and asking yourself those important questions is the best way to start planning for your alternative wedding.

Questions to ask yourselves as a couple should be along the lines of:

“What defines you as a couple?”

“What do you want your wedding day to represent? 🎉”

“What kind of style do you have?”

“What’s the overall vision of the day?”

“What are your non-negotiables?’

Once you have answered those questions, you’ll have a better idea of the kind of day you are putting together and will help you make decisions down the line during the planning process.

One important thing to remember as well, is how you want your guests to remember your big day. If you have read this far, then you aren’t a wedding by numbers kind of couple. You want it your way.

The beauty of having an alternative wedding is that anything goes! Here are some ideas to help you when it comes to planning an alternative wedding that’s memorable – even in years to come!

1. Have a non-traditional ceremony

 Alternative wedding ceremonies can be anything you want them to be. If you aren’t the church type or traditional manor house kind of couple then choose somewhere that represents you as a couple. You can also set the timings of your day. Always fancied a twilight wedding 💍? Then do it, it’ll make for some gorgeous and romantic images! Want to make your wedding a weekend affair, go for it!

If your love is as much into Vikings, Picts and Celtic majesty as you are- what about a handfasting?

2. Choose an alternative theme

Themes are really fun! Choosing a theme will make it easier to choose colour schemes, venue choice, entertainment and much more! They can be incorporated as much or as little as you like and can really reflect you as a couple.

If you are Scottish, of Scottish heritage or just love Outlander, then what about a theme around tartan, Quaichs (pronounced kweɪx btw) and ceilidh dancing- you can read about 9 reasons to have a ceilidh in one of my other blogs, there is a link at the end of this one to it.🤟

Themed weddings don’t need to be tacky – you can incorporate your chosen theme in elegant ways and really create a memorable experience for your guests.

Have we met?

I’m Schuggie, and I run Schuggies-Ceilidhs (it’s pronounced ShUUg-eees – Kay-Laes btw🎉). I’ve been hosting wedding ceilidhs for over ten years, and that means the experience of well over 120 weddings in all sorts of themes and venues from cosy wee village halls to majestic castles over that time. Don’t just take my word for it; check out these reviews over on my Pinterest📌Board, you can find them as well on Google My Business and on Facebook (Wedding Ceilidhs).

3. Wear alternative outfits 🔥 

You want to feel your absolute best on your wedding day – and what better excuse than your wedding to wear whatever the heck you want to☘️! There’s no rulebook – wear what makes you feel fabulous. You don’t even need to wear white! Choose outfits that will complement each other but find ways to infuse your personalities in your choices for the day.

Keeping to the Scottish theme, kilt or plaids for the guys in your bridal tribe. Tartan in your dress or as part of your florals works really well.

Coloured petticoats, leather jackets, fabulous shoes, stand out neckwear, alternative bouquets – the options are endless!

4. Alternative entertainment🎵

One of the things that people remember about your wedding long after the day is the entertainment. There are so many quirky and alternative entertainment options out there from space hoppers to palm readers to fire eaters🔥. Having alternative entertainment will not only make your wedding stand out from the crowd it’s a really easy way for you to get your personality across in a fun way.

This is where a ceilidh 🎶stands head and shoulders above everything else. Social, inclusive and soooo much fun. That also gives you the option to steer away from the cringe-worthy traditional first dance.

Skip to the end for a couple of my other blogs on ceilidh entertainment. 👇👇👇

5. Hire a celebrant

Your ceremony and who presides over it is so important. A celebrant is someone who can perform your wedding for you. Although in the UK celebrants don’t usually have the power to legally marry you, they have the unique privilege of being able to conduct a truly unique and completely personalised ceremony. Celebrants are able to incorporate spiritual or religious elements into your day.

The words during your ceremony will be the first words of the rest of your life together. So they better be good ones.

How often do you go to a wedding and think “great wedding but the compere, minister, celebrant or humanist could do with a good banter injection”. These words aren’t mine, they are from Humanist Celebrant Andrew D Scott based in Scotland who has a marvellous way with words, his banter is epic as well😉.

If you are having an alternative ceremony such as a Handfasting, getting the right celebrant that you both click with is hugely as important.

So in conclusion: Be YOU! The most important alternative wedding advice

The most important piece of advice I can give you when planning any kind of wedding or special event is to be you! Don’t give in to having traditional elements that mean nothing to you – or worse, make you feel uncomfortable – just because you feel you should. There are often pressures from family or friends to have a particular kind of wedding but just keep in mind that it’s your day. At the end of the day, what matters is celebrating your love for each other. Your day can be as alternative as you like; as long as you’re doing that, then the rest doesn’t matter🥂!

If you have read this far, here are the links to my two other blogs to help you with how ceilidhs🎵 will take your celebration to totally another level.

Here are 9 Reasons You Need A Ceilidh Dance At Your Event and Ceilidh Dance – Your First Dance Alternative!