We are knee-deep into the wedding season and loving it! Love is in the air and people are starting to attend their friends' weddings and imagine their own special day. This usually brings up a question for me that I have been thinking about quite a bit lately-- it's the 21st century and people are breaking tradition and going with something a little unconventional.

Since forever, people have revered the wedding ceremony as the utmost sacred rite of passage. In many cultures, every nuanced gesture must be taken with all of the intentionality and care as humanly possible to avoid any kind of offense to others. Now as a wedding event planning company, tradition is what keeps us going. However, if there's one thing that I know about 21st century millennials, we secretly adore tradition AND we love being the game-changers. Here are a few things I'm noticing in recent weddings that are "tradition-breaking":

1) Bridal/Groom Parties-   This started with the old tradition of the "bride's knights" aka the groomsmen back in the day. Their role was to make sure that the bride would be escorted safely throughout the wedding ceremony OR to assist the groom with kidnapping the bride if the bride's parents opposed the marriage. Weird, huh? Obviously, that doesn't fit into today's society. Man of Honor, Best Woman, Bridesman, Groomswoman-- ever heard of these? Besides in the movie Made of Honor, how many weddings have you attended that actually had co-ed or opposite sex members in the bridal/groom parties? 

2) Dresses- A long time ago, women wore wedding dresses that represented your family in a favorable light. So for example, back then, if your family was wealthy, you would want to wear things that represented "luxury" like furs and silk. White in Western cultures in recent generations represented the purity of the bride though traditionally, baby blue was the color of purity. White was supposed to be a symbol of the Christening gown. White dresses only became the fashion norm in 1840 after the wedding of Queen Elizabeth to Albert of Saxe-Coburg was widely covered by press. I guess our "traditional" is not so traditional after all. Moreover, in a culture that supports women individuality and empowerment, does this make sense anymore to limit yourself to one style?  If white isn't your thing, wear what makes you feel beautiful, even if it's not white! 

3)   Parents Paying for Wedding Cost- This is a touchy subject. Money always is. However, more and more we are seeing people break the archaic rule of "his family has to pay for this, her family has to pay for that". There are so many different dynamics in relationships that weren't as common before, like the woman who is the bread-winner or couples who want to fund their own weddings without burdening their parents. Pay for what is most essential and important for you as the couple. Also remember--budget, budget, budget! 

Traditions are always and have always been changing but I'd like to think that the important values have stayed consistent. Eat, drink, be merry and get married. Aren't weddings about surrounding yourself with loved ones who are supporting you onto your next chapter in life? What are your thoughts about tradition-breakers? Let us know.

-Annie (Intern @ It's Your Day Events & Expressions)

Reference:

http://weddings.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Wedding_Party_History

https://www.marryjim.com/en/page/show/id/30/template/history