As team of Arizona wedding planners, we have seen hundreds of variations to some of the most classic wedding traditions. In fact, we love finding ways to help our Sip and Twirl couples express their personalities and create new traditions on their wedding days. Here are a few simple ways to modernize your wedding day that even the most traditional couples will embrace.
Swap your white veil for flowers, greenery, or bling in your hair
Veils can be an absolutely beautiful adornment to any bride’s final look, but if a traditional veil isn’t for you, consider a more updated look by weaving desert-inspired eucalyptus leaves, wildflowers, greenery, ribbons, or other organic materials in your hair. Alternatively, if you are going for a more glamorous look, pin some bling, such as stones or delicate headband chain. If you are in Arizona like us, we are in love with using desert-inspired tones, such as sage, nudes, and yellows. Here are some of our favorite looks from our gorgeous Sip and Twirl brides!
Bridesmaids don't need to be female, nor do groomsmen need to be male
You don't need to confine your wedding party to your female friends (and vice versa for grooms). If you have a life-long friend that happens to be the opposite sex, you can still include them by making them a bridesman or a groomswoman. Have fun by coordinating their outfits with the rest of the wedding party through your color theme, or floral accessories.
Hold cocktail hour before the ceremony
We’re willing to bet that the majority of the weddings that you have attended have started with the ceremony, continued with cocktail hour, and are followed by the reception. Holding cocktail hour before the ceremony has a few benefits. First, your guests won’t be rushing to get to the ceremony in time. Instead, they can have a refreshing beverage before the ceremony and visit with some of the other guests they may not have seen in a while. Further, starting with cocktail hour can break the ice and raise the energy leading into the ceremony. In Arizona, you can count on about 300 days of beautiful sunshine, so this is the perfect opportunity to offer a sparkling drink to get the celebrations started.
Upgrade your theme by going with a palette of colors
Choosing just two colors for your decor will feel dated. Instead, update the look and feel of your wedding by opting for a collection of hues that compliment each other. Some of our favorite color pairings include grouping bold tones with complimentary nudes or mixing different soft shades of blues and purples with bright floral yellow and pinks. Another option is to build a monochromatic palette. Choose one color to which you feel most drawn, and perfect your look by incorporating light and dark variations of that same color. You can also look to your environment to play off of the tones in your venue. Outdoor Arizona weddings often carry tones of copper, reds, golds and sage, and many Arizona brides that we have worked with have chosen to work with this pallet alongside of their preferences, rather than masking it. Finally, adding metallics, colored glass, and reclaimed wood creates an interesting balance of tones and textures, such as this Sip and Twirl couple's wedding, pictured below.
Give your bridesmaids the freedom to choose complimentary dresses
Asking your bridesmaids to wear identical (or nearly identical) gowns is a waning tradition. Instead, try giving your bridesmaids guidelines to use when shopping for a dress. You can narrow down a few major areas such as the dresses length, color palette, how formal or informal, a print or a solid, how the dress hangs (form-fitted or flowy), and the texture of the material. Bonus, your friends will likely end up shopping for a dress they actually love and will wear on multiple occasions with greater flexibility.
If you are recently engaged or in the thick of planning your Arizona wedding, let's chat! Sip and Twirl is a passionate and creative group of Arizona wedding planners. Our wedding planning showroom is located in Scottsdale, Arizona. Check out our Facebook page to hear what real Arizona brides and grooms have said about our services. We plan for both small and large scale Arizona events, and genuinely love what we do. Reach out to us at (480) 648-0663 or email us at info@sipandtwirl.com.