Weddings : they can be so much cooler if you take my advice!

How to plan the perfect wedding... by forgetting everything you ever learned about the big day.

Ever attend a wedding and feel like you’ve been to the exact same shindig maybe a dozen times before? That’s because today’s “I dos” are governed by a set of conventions so deeply ingrained that most brides and grooms don’t even bother to question them. Think of them as the “shoulds”—as in, we should hold our wedding at an exorbitantly expensive golf club, we should hire a string quartet, and we should expect all bridal party members to give up their lives in the service of our nuptials.

The result is a sort of unintentional matrimonial Groundhog Day, governed by the notions that:

1) all brides and grooms want the same wedding, and

2) all brides and grooms are operating on unlimited budgets. Blame Hollywood, blame the billion-dollar wedding industry, blame your future mother-in-law who almost had a stroke when you mentioned the possibility of a pink dress, then take a look at the smiling couple in the photo above….

They’re smiling because they managed to achieve the impossible—scratch that, the improbable: a beautiful, original, stress-free wedding on a budget that won’t require them to sell off non-essential organs to get back in the black. They did it all by avoiding the dreaded s-word. Because the only important “should” for would-be brides and grooms is that you really should love the person on the other end of those vows. That and you really should read our guide to the ultimate off-the-grid wedding: cost-efficient, cool and 100 per cent conventional wisdom–free.

Some food for thought

1) Stupid people think: A pre-nup means you’re planning for divorce. Reality check: Find out why signing on the dotted line can be downright romantic

2) Can't we all just get along? Myth: The bride/bridesmaid relationship should be fraught with drama culminating in a blow-up over an expensive dress. Reality check: You can find appropriate attire for under $100 at the mall—here are three such options.

3) Myth: Buy one expensive bottle for everyone to share. Whatever! Pop Bottles - Go cheap, buy more!

4) Myth: Make your guest pay for shit you dont need - register for China, a gravy boat, and a bunch of other stuff you don’t want and will never use. Reality check: using our handy flowchart, you can find a wedding registry that’s right for you.

5) Myth: You should get married at a fancy-pants location? Reality check: Try a cool, cost-effective venue or heck why not host a back yard fancy BBQ or pic nic wedding!

6) Buffets are back in style, but only if you do it right!

 

http://www.thegridto.com/guides/the-grid-guide-to-getting-hitched/