How to Make Your Wedding Day Relaxing and Fun

While your wedding day should be special, there’s no rule that says it needs to be formal, traditional, or extravagant. In fact, more and more couples in recent years are opting for smaller, more intimate affairs with a laid-back atmosphere.

Why is this? Well, many point to the fact that couples these days are getting married later in life. That means that many of them are paying for their weddings out of their own pocket, which allows them to have more control over the wedding planning. As a result, we are seeing smaller, more intimate ceremonies, more casual attire, and an emphasis on having a good time.

If you’re looking forward to marital bliss, but not looking forward to a stoic and stressful wedding, here are some great tips to help make your wedding day more relaxing and fun for everyone - including you!

Choose a Relaxed Wedding Venue

While elegant ballroom weddings and traditional church weddings may have been the norm for generations past, these venues carry the expectation of formality. Opting for something more laid-back can help set the tone for the rest of your wedding. 

For small weddings, a friend or family member’s back yard has always been a great choice - and an affordable one. It also doesn’t hurt that these are places where you and your guests may already feel familiar and comfortable.

For something fun and exciting, there are many venues available that encourage a more relaxed air. Barn and farmhouse weddings have been popular for decades, but there are also parks, botanical gardens, breweries, restaurants and bars that can be booked for your special day.

Booking an AirBnb or other vacation rental is also becoming a popular choice. You can select a comfortable, stylish rental in a location of your choice and have the whole place for yourself and your wedding guests for the weekend. What a way to feel at home!

Ditching the Dress Code

Black tie, white tie, formal, semi-formal - these are all commonly thought of as the appropriate kinds of attire for a wedding. But no one says that they are the only option. If you want to prioritize the comfort of your guests over trying to make your wedding photos look like something out of a glossy magazine, then there’s no reason you can’t have casual dress at your wedding.

Of course, “casual” can mean different things to different people. For some, it means a light suit jacket over a button-up shirt. For others, it means shorts and flip-flops. Be specific on your invitations as to what level of casualty you are comfortable with. 

Feel free to say no to blue jeans and tee shirts, but make it clear that your guests can wear whatever dressy attire that they feel most comfortable in.

Even your bridesmaids can relax - mismatched bridesmaids dresses are not only a popular trend, but can help ease the stress of finding a single dress that everyone will be happy in. Bella Bridesmaids has a wide selection of styles and colors that your bridesmaids can choose from to create a fun, eclectic look.

Bring On the Games

While your friends and family come to your wedding to support you and share their love for you and your new spouse, there’s no reason they can’t also have fun. Including games as a part of the reception is a growing trend, including everything from board games and card games, to yard games like cornhole and bocce. 

Games that can be played as a group are a great way to help your guests make memories with each other, and can even lead to new friendships. These can be especially fun when paired with an open bar!

Invite With Care

Many couples feel pressured by parents, friends and family to invite people that they may not know very well. In some cases, the pressure might be on to invite a relative or family friend that you don’t get along with very well.

However, this can make the wedding day stressful. No one wants to look back on their wedding day and only remember the rude things that your second cousin said after a few drinks. 

For a truly relaxing and fun special day, only invite guests whom you feel comfortable around and truly wish to share your day with. It may cause some friction during the planning stages, but will be worth putting your foot down when the big day finally rolls around.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong way to have a wedding. Your day should be as fun and unique as you are. After all, rules are meant to be broken! If there are traditions or customs that you simply don’t care about, there’s no reason to stress over them. Your guests will remember your wedding as one of the most fun days they’ve had in ages - and you will too.