I hate lame wedding shoes. Those dye-it-yourself satin bridal shoes, you know the ones I’m talking about. When are you ever going to wear them again? Which one of your bridesmaids actually wants to wear them? You don’t dye your shoes to match the exact color of your outfit on a regular basis, so why brides insist on doing it for their weddings is absolutely beyond me. Shoes are meant to compliment your outfit, not blend right in to look like everything was cute from the same piece of fabric.

These modern brides know what I’m talking about and show how much fun you can have with your wedding shoes.

colorful wedding shoes is a must

If you’re wearing a long dress, people won’t see your shoes anyway so why not take a chance on some heels with a little personality.

I also feel this way about men’s dress shoes. I actually prefer Chucks with a suit over shiny dress shoes. Look at these his-and-her wedding Chucks – what a great way to kick back at your reception.

matching wedding Chucks

It’s a tradition for the bride and groom to swap gifts the night before the wedding. Have you seen Serendipity? Then you’ll know what I’m talking about. The gift is meant to be a momento of your big day, but doesn’t necessarily need to be about the wedding. I think cuff links are the perfect groom’s gift because they add a special touch to your big day but are also practical and can be worn again. It can be personal and fun or classic and traditional, depending on the tone of your wedding and the personality of your groom.

These stamped keepsake cufflinks are cute but masculine. You can put his full name, both your initials, or the date of your wedding on them.

Stamped Keepsake Cufflinks

For a less traditional wedding, select cufflinks based on his hobbies and interests like this cufflink assortment on Etsy. My pick are these mechanical cufflinks or these map cufflinks. How cute would it be to get these antique map cufflinks with a map of the location you get married? Love it.

Map Cufflinks

Boys deserve a little bit of jewelry too.

I love the idea of decorating with Polaroid pictures. The imperfect prints create a vintage feel that’s timeless. Give your wedding celebrations a unique yet classic touch by incorporating Polaroid pictures into the décor. Layout polaroids of the bride and groom in the shape of a heart on the wall next to the gift table or buffet line.

polaroid heart picture display

You could also create a photo booth for guests to snap their own polaroids and write messages to the bride and groom on their big day. For a less traditional wedding, check out this idea of stringing pictures along the wall using clothes pins. This would be great in a barn or any outdoor style wedding. Just set-up a few images so people know what to do.

polaroid picture display strings

These ideas can easily be used at the engagement party, rehearsal dinner or reception. Plus the images are a great take-home keepsake for the bride and groom to bring back memories of their wedding even long after the honeymoon is over.

Picking a color, shape, and fabric that compliments all of your bridesmaids is hard. Luckily a modern bride is no longer limited to just one option for all. My favorite trend in bridesmaids’ dresses is allowing each girl to pick her own dress. Obviously this can be a risky choice – you don’t want your teenage cousin showing up in something short and tight, nor do you want anyone’s dress to be so loud it draws all of the attention – but don’t think this can’t be done. Look how adorable it worked out for these brides!

mismatching tan bridesmaids

mismatching blue bridesmaids' dresses

Just set shopping guidelines and make sure everyone knows that the bride still has the final say:

1. The dress must be a shade of your wedding colors (or any shade of one color if you prefer a more unified look). Give them each a copy of your invitation to use as a reference guide while shopping.
2. No loud patterns. This way you can avoid the ladies’ dresses clashing.
3. No white dresses. This day is all about the bride.
4. Don’t buy anything that can’t be returned. The dress may fit all of your guidelines, but if you’re not there to shop with the bridesmaid, you need there to be flexibility in their choice.

This option can be fun but make sure you stay involved! Everyone deserves to feel comfortable and look gorgeous but it is your big day so make sure you’re part of selecting each dress.

Planning a bridesmaids’ dress shopping trip with all of your ladies could be fun and a great way to spend time with them before the big day!