Wedding traditions are a great way to add personal meaning to your wedding day. There are so many ways to celebrate your wedding, and each one is special in its own way. Wedding traditions stem from all types of cultures, and they are a great way to add your personal meaning to your special day. Some common wedding traditions used today are tossing the bridal bouquet, having a bridal party, doing a unity ceremony, the groom fishing out the bride’s garter from under the dress, and the classic something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.

Many couples aspire to be unique on the big day by changing up the traditional wedding celebrations and partaking in new wedding traditions.

From the last dance with your new spouse to having fun games for your guests to play, there are many ways to make your wedding day unique and authentic.

Here are 5 unique wedding traditions you can do on your wedding day:

1. Have A Last Dance With Your Spouse

Traditionally, the first dance is the big focus of the wedding reception, where friends and family gather to watch you take to the dance floor together for the first time as bride and groom. But what about the last dance of the evening? This is your chance to let loose and have fun with your new spouse or have a quiet moment to reflect on the day and the future together. You can pick any song you want or even have a DJ mix up a special last dance playlist.

If you wish for something more intimate and private for you and your new partner, you can wait until the guests have left and have the dance floor to yourselves. The last dance of the night is a wedding tradition that is both romantic and sentimental. This is a perfect moment to slow things down and share a dance as a newly married couple before finishing up your night.

2. No Assigned Seating For Guests

During a traditional wedding ceremony, when having a marriage ceremony in a church, the bride’s family and friends would be on one side of the aisle, and the groom’s friends and family would be on the other. During the reception, seating charts would keep close family units or friends clustered together so they may easily socialize amongst themselves.

One new unique wedding tradition is to have no assigned seating at your wedding ceremony or reception. This allows guests to mingle and move about as they please. It also gives the happy couple a chance to see how their families interact.

This wedding tradition is perfect for more relaxed wedding receptions. Because you have two families coming together through marriage, it can be important to have both the bride’s family and the groom’s family learn to know each other and create everlasting relationships for a harmonious life. Plus a bonus: that’s one less thing to plan and stress over!

3. Reserve Memorial Seating & A Memorial Table

A wedding is a special day, and you probably want all of your loved ones there to celebrate with you. Sometimes, however, we are missing someone close to us on our big day.

A unique wedding tradition is to have a special seat or seats reserved during the ceremony for loved ones who are no longer with us. This is a beautiful way to remember and honor those who are no longer with us, and still have them part of your special moment during your ceremony.

Setting up a memorial table at your reception is a wedding tradition that can be both touching and beautiful. This can be done in addition to or in place of memorial seating. This is a place where you can display photos of loved ones who have passed away so they can still be a part of your special day during your reception.

In addition to photos, you can display other small charms or flowers on the table. The ideas are endless on how you can honor and pay homage to important family members or friends on your special day.

You can also use this as an opportunity to share special memories of loved ones with your wedding guests.

3. Biodegradable Confetti

Throwing confetti is a wedding tradition that is both fun and festive, and has been happening for many years. However, traditional confetti, like rice, can harm the environment or wildlife.

One great option for newlyweds is to opt for biodegradable confetti instead. This wedding tradition is not only eco-friendly, but it’s also beautiful. You can find biodegradable confetti in a variety of colors and materials, or you can make your own.

To make your own, simply take a hole punch – it can be any shape you please – and punch holes in flowers, leaves, or natural paper to create your own confetti. If you want it to be extra special, take from flower petals or another plant that has some symbolization of something you wish to use, or use herbs.

4. Flower Symbolism

Below are some meanings of flowers, herbs, and other plants, according to almanac.com:

• Aster – love
• Basil – good wishes
• Calla lily – beauty
• White carnation – pure love
• Chamomile – patience in adversity
• Edelweiss – devotion
• Holly – domestic happiness
• Jasmine – love, grace
• Peony – happy life
• Rose – love, happiness
• Sage – wisdom
• Tulip – passion
• Violet – faithfulness

5. Games for Guests

It can be important to keep your wedding guests entertained with games if extra time is planned between the ceremony and reception. This is a great way to get everyone involved and have fun while waiting for food and dancing.

You can have various games for your guests to play, from classic wedding games like the shoe game or bouquet toss to more unique wedding games like wedding bingo or a wedding scavenger hunt.

Below are some fun outdoor games for you and your guests:

Giant Jenga

The yard version of the family favorite, Giant Jenga can be bought or you can build your own using 2x4s. Just watch your toes as it tumbles!

Cornhole (Bag Toss)

This midwest classic can help your guests kill some time while getting to know one another in some friendly competition.

Some party game ideas to get both the bride and groom’s family and friends participating and laughing:

Shoe Game

The shoe game is a great game to play with your spouse and your guests. The bride holds one of the groom’s shoes along with her own, and the groom holds one of the bride’s shoes with his own as they sit back to back. The DJ or a member of the wedding party asks the newlyweds a series of questions about the couple, and the bride and groom each hold up the shoe representing the person they think fits that description. Some examples of questions asked could be,

• “who is the better driver?”
• “who is the funny one?”
• “who is the better cook?”

This hilarious game helps the guests learn a little more about the dynamic between the newlyweds.

Wedding Trivia

An entertaining and insightful game to play after the wedding ceremony but before you eat is wedding trivia about the couple. Printable wedding trivia sheets can be put at place settings for guests to fill out to guess how much they really know the happy couple. Questions can range from about each person, to their relationship. Some examples of trivia questions can be,

• “Where did the couple meet?”
• “Where was their first date?”
• “Who kissed who first?”

Guests can play for prizes, or just for laughs.

Remember: Your Entire Wedding Day is for You and Your Spouse.

Your wedding day is a chance to celebrate your love and commitment to each other in a way that is special and unique to you. There are many wedding traditions to choose from, and you can mix and match them to create a wedding day that is perfect for you. If you want a traditional wedding ceremony for you and your spouse to be, it is all up to you. Wedding planning can simultaneously be the most fun or the most stressful part of an engagement. Weddings around the world vary. But always remember that this day is for you.

Do you have any unique wedding traditions that you would like to share? We would love to hear from you!