WHAT IS A NON-TRADITIONAL WEDDING?

Simply put, a non – traditional wedding is where a couple plan a wedding that does away with traditional wedding norms!

You don’t need to look a certain way, dress a certain way or be anything other than yourself. It just means you don’t want to do the standard church ceremony, a sit-down meal three course meal (with your run of the mill chicken main course, and roasted vegetables) and to finish the day off with a cheesy DJ in the evening. (Grease medley, anyone?)

How do you go about creating a non-traditional wedding? Well, start with thinking about the location. Do you want a city-based wedding, with dark industrial vibes? Or a country wedding with beautiful views? Is this wedding going to be indoors or even, outdoors? Get married in meadow, or even under the stars! Think about where you first met, and how you met, this may inspire your location!

Once you have an idea for location, think about what you want to do on your wedding day. Do you want a sit-down meal? If you do, have you thought about the theme of the food? Think of the different cuisines around the world, and any family connections. (Why can’t you do Greek, Italian, Indian or Spanish food for your wedding day?) Or, you could opt to go for food trucks and do something completely different, serving street food like burritos, pizzas and gyros!

Then think about the entertainment. Do you want a wedding DJ in the evening, or do you want to throw your own wedding festival, with live bands, and artists on a stage? Or do you want a more chilled evening with a big campfire? You could create your very own nightclub, with banging tunes, strobe lights, all your best people and of course, shit loads of shots.

Finally, how do you want to capture the memories? Consider the wedding you have pictured with the above examples; would a traditional photographer capture the essence of your day? Overly posed pictures and group shots? Or would you want a non-traditional photographer at your crazy wedding, capturing the raw emotion of the day itself, laughter, and all? Take a look at my brochure, see the weddings I shoot, and you’ll see that I love to be there in amongst the madness to capture the crazy, the unique, and the different!

My point is this, you can think outside the box and approach your wedding day however you like! Include some traditions, or non. Pick a dress code you like. (We’re now seeing people choose wacky styles for their wedding day!) Whatever you choose, make it special for you both as a couple. You have permission to be different. It’s your special day. Make it about you.

Blog Writer - Jon-Jo Armstrong

Photographer - Chris Thompson