What does “wedding tradition” mean to you? Does it mean that grooms should not lay eyes on their brides until they are both at the altar? Does it mean that there always has to be 1 best man and 1 bridesmaid? Or does it mean that the bride’s family must pay for everything? Well, news flash: times have changed. A lot of these old wives tales have either been challenged or completely overhauled in recent years. In the age of social media and smartphones, brides and grooms are marching to the beat of their own drums; and for most of them, there’s no mention of these old “traditions” in their songs. Here’s 3 classic traditions that you can skip if you want to.
You Shouldn’t See Each Other Before You Say “I Do”
Have you ever heard that it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before they meet to say “I do”? Today, most couples believe in doing a “first look” instead. This is a moment where the groom sees the bride in her wedding dress before the main event begins. It’s a great time for friends and family to take pictures and shed a tear or two out of joy. Once this moment passes, you’ll have some time to spend with your guests.
One Family Pays All the Finances
This might work in mob movies, where the father of the bride is worth millions, but in today’s day and age, lumping all of the financial burden on one party isn’t expected anymore. More and more couples are paying for their own weddings, and if relatives decide to lend them a hand, both sides will usually contribute. If you are planning on paying for your wedding yourself, then rest assured that your guests will likely give you money as a gift anyway. This way, you should be able to use at least some of the funds to pay for the event.
You Must Have Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
Whether you want to keep it more casual, or you just don’t have a big enough circle of friends and relatives to make an even number of bridesmaids or groomsmen, you shouldn’t feel that this must be part of your wedding’s set up. Some people just have a best man and maid of honor, some have 2, and some have no real wedding party at all! In addition, if you are going to have bridesmaids and groomsmen, then you don’t need to have men on 1 side and women on the other either. Sometimes couples have close friends of the opposite sex that they want on their side. We are not living in a hetero-normative society anymore: it’s completely ok for men to stand beside the bride, and for women to stand beside the groom!
