Weddings are a reflection of the happiness two people bring to each other, a reflection of their commitment and increasingly they are becoming a reflection of their personalities (and budgets).
Gone are the days when a wedding was always a standard traditional issue event with big white dresses, stylish cars, beautiful flowers, women in matching dresses and a church, followed by a standard reception at a local club.
Today’s wedding is becoming more and more about the couple themselves.
Even if they do choose the traditional route, a couple may add their own touches – bunches of buttons or shells have replaced traditional flowers for some couples while having a family heirloom brooch or ring in a traditional floral arrangement has also become popular in recent times.
Even the traditional wedding cake has been given a shake-up.
Some years ago it was unusual to have anything other than three tiers of white-iced fruit cake but these days anything goes with couples increasingly looking for something different.
And with Melbourne boasting some of the most creative cake makers in the country, the sky is the limit.
Two decades ago asking for a cake shaped like a castle or reflecting a favourite television show or movie might have drawn a blank stare but these days creativity is the key.
Couples are increasingly looking for that little something that makes a wedding special to them and not just another standard issue event.
Bridesmaids dresses may all be in the same style but in different colours or all the same colour but different styles.
Some people may even go as far as to theme their wedding – medieval, Star Wars, Great Gatsby, tropical island.
This can be as simple as having a cake shaped like a dragon and keeping everything else traditional or as elaborate as making everyone dress up in costume and forgoing knives and forks and eating with fingers or having bridesmaids dressed as Jawas and Ewoks at a ceremony conducted by Darth Vader.
Choosing a theme could end up cheaper with costume hire costing less than the traditional suits and gowns for the wedding party though once down that road it is sometimes hard to stop and what was just dressing the bridesmaids in medieval style gowns could turn into a recreation of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.
However, whether a bride and groom choose to follow tradition to the letter or head to Las Vegas and be married by an Elvis lookalike, it’s all about what they feel comfortable with both now and when they look at their wedding pictures in the future and what suits their budget, family and lifestyle.
Ultimately, it’s all about having an event they will look back on and remember fondly.
