Category Archive

traditions

Folks having offbeat weddings often wrestle with questions like, do I have to include wedding traditions? What if I don’t want my dad to walk me down the aisle? What if I don’t like the garter toss? What if I don’t want to do a cake cutting (or even have cake!?). This archive is our collection of posts about how to choose which wedding traditions to include, and which to skip.

How we decided which wedding traditions to uphold or scrap

How we decided which wedding traditions to uphold or scrap

Sorting through wedding traditions is a Sisyphean task. American wedding traditions are a conglomeration of hundreds of different cultures, not to mention the endless traditions from our individual backgrounds. Traditions, especially ones associated with major life events, connect us with our past, reinforce our cultural values, and hold our communities together. We want to make sure we include elements of both of our families’ cultures, but how do we figure out what to include and what not to include? Here’s how…

Is it cultural appropriation to have Japanese paper cranes at my wedding?

Is it cultural appropriation to have Japanese paper cranes at my wedding?

I started folding origami cranes obsessively back in elementary school after reading the very sad story about Sadako, a Japanese girl who survived the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima only to develop leukemia and die while working to fold 1,000 cranes. As a result, I would love to use origami cranes in our wedding. Is this cultural appropriation?

Ring toss glass clinking wedding game as seen on @offbeatbride #wedding #glassclinking

A Bozo Buckets or ring toss wedding game: your new glass-clinking alternative idea

In case you’ve never heard of it (it’s totally regional), the tradition of guests tapping their glassware and making the couple kiss is A Thing. And when you’re trying to eat your high-priced dinner, kissing every two seconds can get tiresome. So we rounded up some ways to save the glassware and make it a challenge to make you to kiss at the reception. Andrea’s idea was to use the concept of Bozo Buckets/ring toss. Toss ping pong balls into numbered buckets and set up the rules for each.

Does anyone have offbeat ideas for newspaper announcements alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

OPEN THREAD: Does anyone have offbeat ideas for newspaper announcements?

My mom and dad would like to do the old-fashioned thing of announcing our engagement in the local newspaper of my hometown. I’m not opposed to the idea, but I would like to do something a little different, though on-beat enough that my conservative hometown newspaper will still print it! Any suggestions for offbeat newspaper announcements?