Traditional or Trendy: Which is for You?

Weddings have long been steeped in tradition. But when it comes to your wedding, it’s your decision whether to follow the rules of yesteryear, go a bit more contemporary or do a combination of both. Whatever you decide, your wedding should express "you."

ENGAGEMENT

Traditional: The bride and groom call everyone they know to share news of their engagement.

Trendy: The couple decides to marry and the news is distributed in a mass e-mail to family and friends.

INVITATIONS

Traditional: Invitations are formal, engraved and mailed by the bride’s parents.

Trendy: Invitations reflect the spirit of the celebration. They may be etched on glass, printed on the computer, a collage of memorabilia from the couple’s courtship or lettered on scrolls.

PLANNING

Traditional: The bride plans full-time.

Trendy: Hire a wedding planner.

THE WEDDING GOWN

Traditional: The bride wears a white, floor-length gown.

Trendy: Brides opt for off-white, light pink or another color for their gowns. Hems hit at different heights, from mid-calf to the knee.

GROOM

Traditional: The groom is to show up on the wedding day.

Trendy: The groom takes part in planning numerous aspects of the wedding, from interviewing photographers to screening bands to deciding the wedding menu.

THE CEREMONY

Traditional: Couples marry in a house of worship, hotel, banquet hall or at home.

Trendy: Couples marry at sites which evoke a sense of history or aesthetic appeal — an elegant mansion, a museum or a loft, for example.

VOWS

Traditional: Couples say "I do" with old-fashioned vows.

Trendy: Couples alter or rewrite wedding vows. Some add "inside" jokes. Other changes modernize vows to include wording like, "wife and husband."

CAKE

Traditional: The cake is a white, tiered confection with white frosting and a plastic bride and groom on top.

Trendy: Cakes are creative works, decorated to complement the wedding theme. Flavors are for sophisticated palates — spice, carrot, cheesecake, lemon, orange, mocha or a
combination of flavors. Toppers include crystal swans, Disney figurines or custom-made bride and groom figures.