5 ways to add some true personality to your classic day.

Sure, the year is 2012, but that doesn’t mean couples are steering away from the big white tradition wedding when it comes to the most important day of their lives. However, it is possible to stick to traditional while infusing a little unique pizzazz into your wedding mix. After all, no one blinks at the same old white wedding in a church with a traditional hall reception. It’s your very own special day and that means that it should include bits of flavor from your own individual personalities as well as your new life as a couple.

Here are 5 ways that you can add a hint of personal flavor to an otherwise traditional wedding day:

1. Pick a Unique Theme

   Think classic Hollywood, pin up, rustic country, or airy beach–a theme can work its way into your special day and subtly add some unique personality without interrupting the traditional wedding elements. For example, a gothic theme might be something you can incorporate in a tasteful way with a throw back wedding gown and bridesmaids dresses made of rich brocade, beautifully sinister wedding invites, classic shoes and jewelry, and an epic cake decorated Edgar Allen Poe style. You can really work any theme you like into the décor, venue, dress, flowers, food, and music of a traditional wedding without being too overzealous.

2. Add Some Personality with the Attire

   Just because you are having a (mostly) traditional wedding, doesn’t mean you need to stick to tradition when it comes to wearing a snow white wedding dress. You can bend tradition to suit your skin tone with egg shell, light pink, light yellow, ivory, cream, or even push tradition with a white dress with colored elements–such as red trim, black lace cut outs, or sequins or feathers along the border of your dress. You can also infuse vibrant colors into your bouquets, jewelry, shoes (I wore leopard print), and nails and makeup. As long as the bridal party matches in some way (i.e., same flowers, matching ties and vests, bridesmaids’ gowns) it will look like a seamless match.

3. Infuse Words From the Heart into the Ceremony

   Traditional weddings typically take place in a church or religious chapel of some kind. However, if you choose to maintain tradition with your ceremony location, you can still make the ceremony your own by asking permission to add some special poems to the mix (for your readings) or write your own vows.

4. Pick a Unique Reception Spot

   That being said, you can choose a traditional ceremony location (like a church) and bring in some modern elements by holding your reception in a museum, art gallery, classy bar/lounge, or a converted loft. You could also select a breezy outdoor location in a park, garden, or on the beach as long as there are washroom facilities available.

5. Impress with the Décor

   If everything else at your wedding is traditional, you can still do a lot with the decorations. For example:

   • Cover chairs with linens and themed bows and flowers
   • Use mini antique frames as your place card holders
   • For rustic weddings use kitschy flower pots filled with dried flowers
   • Table centerpieces of the first flower your husband ever gifted you
   • Use mini cakes or a cupcake tree as the centerpieces
   • Use paper lanterns or twinkle lights to enlighten your outdoor ceremony
   • Infuse elements from your first date into the décor (i.e., a beach date could use shells as placeholders, candle holders filled with colored sand, etc.)
   • Make the guest gifts something really special–like seeds to grow flowers that you had in your bouquets, chocolates or soap made by the bride and groom

This is a guest post by Evelyn Luo, a writer that has turned her love of shopping into a freelance career as a contributing writer for Style Cynics, a fashion and celebrity gossip site that features the latest star buzz and the hippest and hottest styles.

Photo by Andrew_Maidanik/Flickr