Ideas to Make Your Wedding Unique

When I was planning my wedding, I could not believe how difficult it was to personalize my day. So many friends and family members had either just walked down the aisle, or would be soon, that it seemed impossible to make my day stand out. So aside from choosing bright and unique colors, I had no idea what to do to show that this day belonged to my husband and me. And so began months of research. Here are some ideas that really added something special to our wedding.

A nice treat after a long drive. We have numerous friends and families who had to travel to get to our wedding. At the hotel they were greeted with a goodie bag and personal thank you note. The goodie bags were filled with local favorites - gooey butter cake and a popular soda, aromatherapy candles and matches, bottle openers (for the soda), toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, Advil, and other snacks. For the rooms with kids, we added a couple card games.

Give your guests the low down. After traveling so far, there is nothing worse than feeling like you aren't part of the celebration. In addition to the goodie bag, my husband and I created a newsletter to get everyone up to speed. It included the story of how we met, the engagement story, information on the local treats in the goodie bags, a timeline for the wedding day, a history of our town and the Church where we were married, and names, addresses and phone numbers for local restaurants, stores, movie theatres, and pizza joints.

Just a little thank you. Our moms have been by our sides for years, and a wedding can be bittersweet for them. I wanted them to feel loved and thought of on the wedding day. I had my personal attendant leave a handkerchief at each mother's seat. I tied each one with a pretty ribbon and included a note with the wedding date. For my husband's mother, I wrote "Thank you for raising your son to be the man of my dreams." For my mom, I wrote, "Thank you for being the perfect example of a wife, mother, and friend. I hope to be half the woman that you are."

Don't underestimate the ceremony music! I cannot even remember how many people commented on the beautiful music at the ceremony. The extra time that went into selecting musicians and music really helped make the day more memorable for everyone. If you aren't musically inclined, find a friend that is. Selecting the right music really helps to set the mood for your day. And don't be afraid to mix it up and have fun - our recessional song was the "Hallelujah Chorus!" It brought a smile to every face!

Menu cards and programs are expensive these days! I found designing my own saved money, and only took a little extra effort. There are tons of websites out there that design and print these for you, but look at their websites, and mimic a design that you like using your own computer software. You can make them as simple or creative as you like. And to give your menu cards and programs a professional look, be sure to carry a common theme through out the day.

Don't forget the kids! Remember how boring weddings were when you were a kid? I do. So I wanted to make sure the little ones at our wedding were taken care of. I bought small canvas bags, and stamped each child's name on a bag. They were then filled with all kinds of tropical goodies - a lei, sunglasses, activity books, pens, light up bracelets, and some pirate goodies for the boys. The kids had a great time with all their goodies!

Give your girls a reason to dance! I borrowed this idea from my sister-in-law who borrowed it from her sister. Buy flip-flops at Old Navy in a color that will accent your bridesmaid dresses. Then pick a pretty ribbon and tie them up with a tag that says "_____'s Dancin' Shoes!" Leave the flip-flops at each girls seat at the head table. The girls can lose the heels, and enjoy the night! (Don't forget to have a pair for yourself - you'll need them!)

Leave a special treat for your guy. The first gift I ever gave my husband was a baseball cap for my (and now his) favorite sports team. After three years of wearing it almost daily, the navy blue cap was a nasty gray color. Since the cap meant so much to him, I wanted to replace it with one that would mean just as much. I left an identical cap on his seat at the head table. He was so surprised, and he wore it the rest of the night.

Forget table numbers! Certainly you have been to a wedding where table numbers have been replaced with names of favorite drinks, vacation spots, dates, etc. Be creative and find something that means something to you and your fiancé. We named all of our tables after towns in the county where we were engaged. It is a beautiful and special place, and we wanted to share it with all of our friends and families. I also wrote a note to be placed next to all of the name cards, explaining where the table names came from. I put it in an 8x10 frame, and now everyone at the wedding knew where the table names came from.

This is the day that you have been dreaming of for your entire life, so make it special. And I know a lot of people will tell you that the details aren't important, and no one will notice if they aren't there, but I disagree. The details meant the most to me, and by the all the smiles on my guests faces, I knew my hard work was appreciated and did not go unnoticed.