Images Emily Johnston Anderson from via Ruffled
I had a recent chat about weddings with my mother-in-law. We rarely get this opportunity. She’s never been much into weddings, even her own (she eloped.) But her best girlfriend’s son is getting married (or rather got married last weekend) and my mother-in-law was telling me about all of the fantastic and creative details, including:
- She was astounded by the idea of having mix-and-match bridesmaids dresses.
- She thought the fact that they would be tea-length was pretty cool and different.
- She was excited and impressed that the parents of the groom had custom 12-foot long picnic tables made for the backyard wedding, (OK, that IS impressive.)
- She thought it interesting that they would serve “bar food”–hamburger and pork sliders — during cocktail hour.
- She thought I would like the fact that theyset their for votive candles and flowers on top of cut wooden rounds. “Remember how you did that?” she asked.
- And she thought it wonderful that they used potted plants as centerpieces.
Images from Javier Tomás Photographer via Sara’s Party Perfect + Designs by Nina
Out loud I exclaimed, “Oh!,” “Ah!” and “Wow!” “That’s cool” and “what fun!” In my head I was thinking:
- Yup that’s been trending for over a year now.
- Those are all over the blog-o-sphere, too.
- A picnic-inspired wedding, I love those. They’re all over the internet, as well.
- I remember when those started trending in 2008.
- Yup, 2008.
- A very clever, well used money-saving trick.
Images from For You Love Me via Ruffled
Don’t get me wrong – it was a sweet, totally personalized and sincere wedding. But did any of the details wow me like it wowed my mother-in-law? Not really. Why? Because I’m a blogger who looks at weddings all day, every day.
That’s when I realized: Your wedding guests won’t know or care if your mason jars and wooden rounds are brilliantly original or not. They won’t be thinking, “Oh my God, this wedding is so 2008; I was hoping to be titillated with design elements that are fresh and new”. In short, your wedding guests aren’t professional wedding bloggers. (Well, for some of you, maybe a few are bloggers.) But who cares. Your job is to make your wedding great for you and your guests. If mason jars and hay bales are totally you, you go on with your mountain-bride self!
So don’t worry about finding some new alternative to mason jar centerpieces. If you like them and they fit into your budget (which they do for everybody) by all means, go for it. Don’t deny yourself a favorite flower, or cupcakes, or bunting, or wooden rounds just because it’s been done before.
Nobody’s pouring over wedding blogs like you are. They’re not even cracking open a bridal magazine. They don’t care; your guests are there for you. Unless the main goal of your wedding is to get it published, then design your wedding in a way that reflects who you both are as a couple, mason jars, BBQ sliders, wooden rounds, cupcakes and all!