Different Wedding Types and their Benefits
Traditional Religious Ceremony
Typically, these weddings take place in a house of worship where at least one person in the couple is a part of the congregation. While many brides opt for unique weddings, there are still a vast amount of couples that stick to tradition. These weddings are what most people imagine when they think of a stereotypical wedding. The wedding reception usually occurs immediately following the exchanging of vows, either in a church’s banquet room or in a separate location, like a hotel or ballroom. Traditional religious ceremonies can draw from a range of denominations, including Christian, Islamic or Jewish. Couples who choose the religious route must still obtain a civil marriage license from their local courthouse or county clerk’s office for the union to have legal standing.
Formal Weddings
Holding tightly to age-old traditions, a formal wedding typically includes an elaborately decorated ceremony and reception, numerous attendants and ushers, engraved stationery, an assigned seating chart, and dozens of etiquette rules. As these type of weddings are typically an expensive event, this type of wedding can have any number of guests. While formal weddings tend to hold onto tradition, they are not always religious, and can be carried out in a range of venues, including hotels and ballrooms.
Informal Weddings
Unlike formal weddings, these weddings allow couples more autonomy and freedom over their ceremony. While they often hold onto some important traditions, they often involve a collection of different traditions or can come up with something completely new and unique. These weddings are designed to best fit the needs of the couple and their family. The ceremonies generally have a more intimate feeling and are not constrained to traditional venues like churches or hotels.
Destination Weddings
Usually taking place in exotic locations, destination weddings are gaining popularity with modern couples. As travel is required for attendance, these types of ceremonies have a more intimate feel, typically with fewer than 20 people in the wedding party. Generally, couples will opt to go to a foreign country for their ceremony, eliciting images of sandy beaches or French chateaux. However, not all ceremonies have to take place abroad, with some couples deciding to stay closer to home. While only a small party in attendance, couples frequently hold another reception party once they are home for those who could not attend the ceremony. Couples often aim for an all-inclusive package that enables them to combine the marriage ceremony with the honeymoon.
Rustic Weddings
Rustic weddings usually take place in barns, outdoors, or at village halls, and have a relaxed, boho vibe. Featuring lots of vintage or DIY details, these weddings are the opposite of a traditional, formal wedding. You can expect to see bales of hay, wooden pallets, kraft paper, hessian fabric, bunting and plenty of florals. Repurposed horseboxes are a big trend for rustic weddings, particularly for bars, and food will usually be in some kind of self-service formats such as a buffet or hog roast.
