The traditional wedding ... is it necessary?

I don't think that it's the traditions that make a wedding. I think the most important thing about a wedding is that a couple commits to each other in front of loved ones. Whether it's an intimate wedding at the family home or cottage or a formal ballroom soirée for 200, the single most important detail is the couple in love!

So, I don't think traditions are necessary. I, however, enjoy many traditions. I do give serious thought to every aspect of the wedding. I want a day that Wade & I can enjoy. We both want our family & friends to be able to enjoy the day, too. We definitely want to come of it with money left in our bank accounts; we are NOT going into debt for one day. But we do want a day that we'll both remember as the day we started the next chapter of our lives.

There is nothing I do because it is "traditional". We want to get married in front of our family and friends, followed by a party that everyone can enjoy! I do appreciate the symbolism of many traditions, and I give serious thought to the reasons behind the tradition.

For example, I am not going to spend the money on some monstrous cake creation. It just doesn't make sense to me to spend hundres of dollars (that is what they cost today!) on a cake that 10 people will try. Most people avoid cakes at a wedding because they don't usually taste good! So I'll have a cake that is yummy. I have had lots of pieces of cardboard cake. The best cake I have ever had at a wedding was baked by the bride herself - go Teresa - from a Betty Crocker mix! It was a great cake! And while I like the idea of cutting a cake together, it's not because of the symbolism of fertility from the Roman times, but the idea of sharing everything for the rest of our lives.

I also like the look of a traditional invitations. All invitations I've received are not traditional. Believe it or not, all weddings I have attended were preceeded with a funky and colourful invitation or a folding pocket-style invitation. Yet, I love the look of a more tradition invitation. And I have fallen in love with the look and feel of letterpress invitations, even if it is more expensive than other invitation printing techniques. I don't know if I'll decide to splurge on letterpress invitations, but if I do, here's some of the styles that have caught my eye:

Source: Marsville Letterpress

Source: jkl Creations

Source: papeterie

Source: Bella Figura Letterpress