Seven Unique Ideas
To make your wedding different and exciting!

1.  Non-traditional Invitations:
Get photos of yourself and your fiancé in high school or in grade school. Have someone experienced with photoshop put you both in the same photo, and use the photo on the cover of your wedding invitation.

2. Surprise weddings:
This is perfect for the second or third wedding, when you don't want your friends to feel obligated to bring a gift. Invite all your friends for a sit-down dinner party, rsvp. Call them before hand to remind them because rsvp doesn’t mean very much these days. When they arrive, bundle them all into waiting limousines and drive them to the church for the wedding! —or— Plan your wedding on New Years Eve and change into the bridal gown just before midnight. Start the ceremony at ten till twelve and get married on the stroke of midnight.

3. Candlelight Wedding:
This only works with really small weddings, on the beach or in a private home. Have each of the wedding guests light a candle in a votive glass holder and place it on the floor around the bride and groom. Have your guests join hands, encircling you. Or you could have them sit down. Either way, the bride and groom are now surrounded by the warmth and affection of their guests, radiating symbolically from the candles.

4. Get a great ride:
Get an ultra-long limousine, the 20-foot stretch model, and drive the entire bridal party from the church to the reception hall. Have a bartender in the limo to serve from a fully stocked bar. On the other hand, a vintage car like the one above may make a statement about your taste in cars.

An even better idea: Let's be honest — look at a modern limo. Have you ever seen anything more ugly? Rent a vintage 1929 Pierce Arrow Brougham. The chauffer sits out in the open while you are safely ensconced in the back, where there is so much leg room that you can stretch out without touching the seat in front of you. Perfect for those full gowns!

5. Take it to the Water!
Have your party on a yacht or riverboat. You may find it to be less expensive than a reception hall.

6. Include your children:
Involve children from a previous marriage by having them participate in the ceremony in some meaningful way. They can read a poem or some other part of the ceremony.

7. Do a white-dove release.
Check your yellow pages for this service. After you leave the church and before you climb into your limo, someone releases a dozen white doves that circle the area before flying off. Trained homing pigeons (which are usually white) will do the circling to get a sense of direction. They simply fly back to their pens. Be sure not to hire someone who just releases white doves that fly off and starve to death. A reputable dove release vendor will use real homing pigeons.

Clever Date Caveat!
Planning your wedding for 9/9/09 or 10/10/10, or 11/11/11? These are the most in-demand dates in the wedding industry. If you really want one of these clever dates, you need to book your vendors at least a year in advance!