Invite Designer - Creative Wedding Planning & Ideas

With a world filled with so many different cultures, it’s no surprise that each one has their own set of wedding customs. I’ve found a few to share with you that actually made me laugh at loud. Some funny, some just kinda strange, but all intended to provide the bride and groom with good luck.

Kidnapping the Bride: In Germany, some people will kidnap the bride and then hide her away, leaving it up to the groom to find her. Turns out this seemingly scary custom is one in which the groom enlists the help if his friends and they generally converge at the local bar to plan their rescue over a few drinks!

Blackening the Bride: In Scottish tradition, the friends and family of the bride catch her off guard and cover her in a nasty mixture of eggs, sauces, creams and anything else they can get their hands on! She is then paraded around town for all to see.

Guests Stealing Kisses: There is a Swedish tradition that allows the guests to steal kisses from the bride or groom when the one is out of the room. If the bride leaves the room, all of the female guests line up to steal a kiss from the groom and if the groom steps out; all of the male guests line up to kiss the bride!

Stealing the Grooms Shoes: In India, it is customary for the bride-to-be’s family to do all they can to steal the groom’s wedding shoes which he is required to remove before entering the ceremony. The groom’s family in turn does all they can to protect the shoes and keep them from getting stolen! If the bride’s family succeeds in getting the shoe, his family is obligated to pay whatever ransom her family requests in order to get the shoe back!

Sawing the Log: Another German tradition entails the newlyweds to saw a log together! A log is placed between the two of them immediately after the wedding and the each take a hold of opposite ends of a saw and work together to cut it in half. This is supposed to be a sign of how they will deal with things together as husband and wife.

I know there are a million more out there, but these were the ones that I personally found to be the oddest/funniest customs. If you know of a good one I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share your favorite wedding tradition.

The second he pops the question, our minds automatically fill up with everything-wedding and all of a sudden we become these information junkies who need to get our newly-diamond-decorated little hands on any reading material we can related to weddings, whether magazines, planning books or even fiction that revolves around brides, weddings, etc, etc, etc.

I decided to save you a little bit of browsing/searching time (so you can spend it gloating to your single friends) and gather a list of the coolest and most amusing bride/wedding books out there.

Have a look!

The Funny Bride Guide is exactly what the title suggests—a funny guide for brides that includes all kinds of unique tips and tricks, all written with wit and humor to help keep things light during this otherwise potentially stressful time.

Anti-Bride Wedding Planner: Hip Tools for Getting Hitched is a dream for any bride-to-be who wants everything other than the typical wedding experience! A great read and super-helpful for the unconventional bride.

Anti-Bride Etiquette Guide: The Rules – And How to Bend Them goes hand-in-hand with the Anti-Bride Wedding Planner.

Anti-Bride Guide: Tying The Knot Outside of the Box is just as great as the two already mentioned above and offers the best in hip tips for brides who are looking for anything but a cookie-cutter wedding. The set of all 3 would make an AWESOME gift for any unconventional bride.

Autobiography of a Fat Bride won’t help you with your wedding plans or offer tips on invitations or dresses, but it will give you a chuckle as you read about the author facing the reality of her new ‘grown-up life’ after marriage.

Offbeat Bride: Taffeta-Free Alternatives for Independent Brides is one of the best guides to planning a non-traditional wedding on a budget. The book is all based on the authors experience and you can bet that all the tips and advice come from experience.

Tied in Knots: Funny Stories from the Wedding Day is a collection of true and hilarious wedding day mishaps.

Diary Of A Mad Bride is the funny story of a bride-to-be who becomes everything that she always vowed she wouldn’t; a crazy, neurotic, obsessive bridezilla. A great read for the girl who always said that she’d never get married, never wear a white dress and all that and now finds herself wanting all of those things and more.

Any one of these books is sure to offer some comic relief and even some helpful insight when it comes to your wedding planning and even your marriage. Stop, take the time to breathe and have a laugh.

Every year a new ballad will come out that ends up being the most popular choice for a wedding song. They’re usually pretty standard; they’re slow, about love and have the word ‘forever’ tossed in a couple of times. I’m not knocking these songs because they are beautiful and appropriate, but I for one am more a fan of the unconventional love songs. I’m not talking about playing Marilyn Manson or anything; just songs that aren’t your run-of-the-mill picture perfect, cookie cutter ballads!

Choosing the song that you have your first dance to should really be a combination of both of your tastes and input. If you have a song that was playing the first time you met; why not use it even if it is a dancey or harder sounding song? Too many couples choose songs that they have no real attachment to all for the sake of going with what is ‘appropriate’ or ‘expected’ at a wedding.

Think about songs that mean something to you both no matter what the tempo or even words! If it reminds you of each other, then go for it! If you’re really stumped and looking for songs with lyrics that are real, full of raw emotion and not churned out of some ballad-making machine; consider these:

Adrie’s Picks for The Best Wedding Songs

You’re My Best Friend – Queen

The One that I Want – Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta (yes, from Grease!)

More Than A Woman – The Bee Gees

Underneath it All – No Doubt

Clumsy – Fergie

Somethin’ Stupid – Frank and Nancy Sinatra or Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman

Beautiful Day – U2 (The lyrics aren’t necessarily romantic, but the song is hopeful, happy and a great kick off to your wedding and new life!)

Melt With You – Modern English

Crazy In Love – Beyonce and JayZ

Umbrella – Rihanna

Your Song – Elton John (Not one of his latest easy-listening mistakes!)

** Click on any song title to read the lyrics **

After writing my last post about movie themed weddings, I ended up stumbling on all kinds of cool wedding accesories that would fit the movie theme perfectly and I just couldn’t help but post some of them here for you to have a look at.

Like I mentioned in my previous post; a movie theme may not be for everyone, but for those of you looking for something different or those who are all out movie buffs; a movie themed wedding is an awesome choice that will surely create a lasting memory for all in attendance.

A great thing about a theme wedding is that you have carte blanche to go as wild as you want! You could incorporate a few elements and keep it simple, or have fun and go hog wild with theme-friendly goodies oozing from every inch of your reception hall!

Here are some neat little accessories that you may get a kick out of; from clapboard placecard holders to movie themed wedding cakes!

 Having a movie themed wedding is a cool option for anyone looking for something a little different, but more so if you and/or your spouse are movie buffs. By having a movie themed wedding, there will be elements of the special day that everyone else will relate to regardless of age or background which is a nice way to make everyone feel connected and your wedding feel more intimate no matter how many guests you have.

Here are some ideas for your move themed wedding:

Don’t Number Your Tables – Name Them After Movies: Place a seating chart at the entrance to the reception hall with each table named after a movie and place a placard with the name of the movie and a quote from that movie that relates to your relationship or history together somehow. When you make your rounds, you can explain quickly to each table the special meaning behind your choice. Some quotes are hilarious or so offbeat that they will make great ice breakers and conversation starters.

Sprinkle Your Speeches With Movie Quotes: This is such a great alternative to the super-sappy and often times boring speeches that we have to endure at weddings! Not sure how to pull this off? Using quotes  from total guy movies like The God Father or Caddy Shack when addressing a male in your speech or something out of Love Story or even Thelma and Louise when thanking your Maid of Honor or mother! 

Inflict the Idea Above on Your Maid of Honor and Best Man: Tell those standing up for you that in keeping with the theme, they will need to reference movies and quotes in their speeches to you and your new spouse. This makes the dreaded speechwriting seem like a lot less of a chore and with some funny quotes in there they can guarantee some laughs to take the edge off and some tears to satisfy the bride’s likely need for at least some emotion and sap!

Make It A Masquerade Affair: If you have enough time before your big day for your guests to prepare, why not have everyone come dressed as a move character? Think it’s a tad overboard? How about just the Bride and Groom and the wedding party then? Think classic film stars for a slightly more glamorous and vintage feel and try to keep to just one film for consistency. (Gone with the Wind and Casablanca are great ones!)

As long as you refrain from using quotes that may offend or films that are on the racy or inappropriate side; a move themed wedding will make for an unforgettable day that everyone will rave about for years to come!