I met with a couple last night that’s trying to decide how to add some creativity and uniqueness to their elegant, classic, beautiful wedding reception (being held at a lovely local winery). The bride wishes for flair bartenders and acrobats, while the groom is having a difficult time agreeing to a caricature artist. Together we weighed out the pros and cons of each idea, and hopefully will come to a decision soon… but it got me thinking….what’s with the flair?

Last night’s couple isn’t the only one lately who has been inquiring about something really modern and trendy to incorporate into their wedding reception. I have a ‘mismatched’ bride who dreams of a colour-soaked reception hall complete with flair bartenders and a live jazz trio and oldies band. A “tropical elegance” bride is looking into steel drums and maybe some hula dancers! I’ve heard everything from live animal shows to comedy skits… and certain trends like interactive dessert options like chocolate fountains and on-site crepe/waffle stations, as well as live marble slab ice-cream mixing, are popping up more and more frequently!

It seems to be that every couple is looking to be different now. We’ve all received the same, boring DIY invites. We’ve all been to the same, boring, monotone weddings. We’ve all left with the same, boring useless wedding favours… and now brides want to be the “wedding the guests remember!”. From drenching the ceremony and reception in tropical coloured orchids, to renting a red carpet with red velvet ropes to usher guests into the hall, brides want to be original… though typically, originality comes with a hefty price tag.

There are some budget-friendly ways to spruce up your wedding day:

Pre-Wedding:

- choose mismatched and bold colours instead of traditional and subdued ones

- use common elements to create a wedding party rather than identical uniformity (i.e. bridesmaids wearing only identical jewellery instead of identical dresses, carrying various styles of flowers within a certain colour range)

Ceremony: