A timeless wedding can be difficult to achieve in our ever changing world of trends. How can you make your special day be the most beautiful event that will not make you cringe with regret ten years down the line? Nobody wants to look back on their wedding photos and ask themselves “What was I thinking? That was the most hideous trend of the century!” Luckily there are a few simple rules you can follow to make your dream wedding stand the test of time.

Rule 1. Make it MEANINGFUL

This is the most important rule! When something is truly meaningful to you, then it won’t ever go out of style in your eyes! While planning every detail ask yourself how you can make it meaningful. What family traditions from both lines do you love and want to incorporate? Is there a dress from your mom or grandmother that you want to wear? Do you have meaningful jewelry? How about the venue, do you have a location that is near and dear to your heart? A place where you first said “I love you” or even a dream vacation spot you both share.

Every part of the planning process can include some meaning. Even colors can have meaning! For my own timeless wedding I chose the color turquoise because I grew up going to Jackson Hole. Every summer my parents would buy me a little turquoise ring and the color has been my favorite forever. It never goes out of style to me!

How can you add meaning to your day?

Rule 2. Make it YOUR OWN

In the same vein, we can get overwhelmed with lots of traditions coming out of the woodwork from all the loved ones in our life! And, IT’S OKAY TO SAY NO to long lived traditions that don’t hold meaning for you. Remember this is YOUR day! You and your fiance are the only ones that need to approve of the details. Granted, you should always respect the feelings of your loved ones, but you can kindly decline anything that doesn’t fit your style or mean much to you.

While planning my timeless wedding I said no to the traditional receiving line reception. This long lived tradition of standing with our parents for 2-3 hours greeting everyone at the door of our reception seemed so boring and painful. I knew that I wanted something different. I did get a lot of loving concerned comments from family who didn’t want to stray from the ritual, but I held my ground and I’m so happy I did. My wedding was exactly what I wanted!

Adding personality to your wedding can make it fun and enjoyable for everyone! I have been to some really unique weddings where the couple added personal touches to their event. And those things made the day much more fun and meaningful. I have seen couples cut the cake with a sword or not have a cake at all! I’ve had couples enter their reception on horseback and other couples ride off into the sunset in an old pickup truck. There have been gorgeous weddings at the base of the mountain where he proposed, on the red rock shore of Lake Powell were they first met, or in the garden of a grandparent’s backyard.

For my wedding, we had a ceremony in the Logan LDS temple that held great meaning for both me and my husband. Then our reception was held on a ranch with horse drawn wagons to take the guests from the parking lot to the venue. We had a gallery of own art as well as submissions from my college friends. Brown craft paper covered tables with crayons for the guests to draw and write on. And my favorite part was out dance! I wanted to celebrate by dancing with our friends and family. I knew my husband, our friends and I would have the best time on the dance floor and make the night a party. That single addition to our wedding made our day so much fun and that was the part we loved the most.

So, what can you do to add your personality to your wedding?

Rule 3. Keep it TRADITIONAL

By traditional, I don’t mean old, boring, doing what you’re “supposed” to do because your mother and grandmother did. Like I mentioned in rule two, you aren’t just following the traditions that have always been done (unless you LOVE those traditions). This rule is meant to help you not get sucked into something too trendy.

Trends come and go as fast as the wind. The goal is TIMELESSNESS. Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t have the modern things you truly want. This is just a rule to help you check yourself! Do you really love this latest trend? Does it have any personal meaning to you? Do you and your fiancé connect to this trend at all? Above all, make it meaningful, make it your own!

My hope is to inspire you to create the timeless wedding day of YOUR dreams! I want to give you the encouragement to say no to the trends of the times that don’t fit your personal style. As well as the confidence to say no thank you to the family traditions you aren’t connecting with. This day is about you two and your love! Make it your own celebration.

Planning your timeless wedding? Reach out!