Location, Location: Unique Regional Wedding Twists

With our many years of lurking behind lenses, we’ve attended more weddings than you can shake a stick at. But of those umpteen happy nuptials, only a few stick out in our memory as truly unique. While we’re by no means tired of the classic wedding format, we love it when things get shaken up with an unusual twist or two. And the easiest, most relevant way to punch up the proceedings is to incorporate a bit of the local flavor of your hometown or wedding location.

 Some ideas:

Music

You can’t go wrong with a string quartet or oldies DJ, of course, but have you considered incorporating music that’s unique to the region into your ceremony or reception? If you’re getting married in the South, for example, a bluegrass or zydeco band would be great for dancing, and will bring some low-country soul to the reception. For the truly daring, a walk down the aisle to a gospel choir – or Lynard Skynard, if you really want to make your mark on the world – will make yours a stand-out wedding in your guests’ memories.

How about a surf-rock band or DJ for a Southern California wedding? A country swing band for a Texas reception? With their rich cultural roots, Hawaiian, Caribbean or European weddings make music selection easy. The sky’s the limit, really. We once even heard a sea chantey choir at a New England waterfront festival – could make for an interesting cocktail accompaniment, no?

Menu

While the tried and true chicken-or-salmon are certainly safe and guaranteed to please, why not take advantage of unique local flavors? Some of your guests will have traveled a long way, after all, and will appreciate a taste of the regional specialties. Depending on how bold you want to be, you can add just a bit of local flair as a subtle accent to a classic menu, or you can go all out with a regional feast. For instance, a basket of cornbread on the table will deliver a subtle nod to the South, but a full-on, Wet-Nap-worthy barbecue banquet will let your guests really know where your allegiances lie.

Consider a New England clambake, a Southwestern fajita fiesta, a Montana bison entrée, a Wisconsin regional beer-tasting, a Northwest salmon cookout or a Maryland crab feast. Don’t be afraid to go for the unusual (um, Rocky Mountain Oysters, anyone…?) for an eminently memorable event.

 

Attire

Even if you’re committed to the traditional white gown, there’s still plenty you can do to incorporate local custom into your bridal attire. A Hawaiian lei or bit of cowgirl fringe certainly work the regional theme. Footwear is a great way to get creative – from flip flops, to ruby slippers (Kansas!), to huaraches, to boat shoes, to cowboy boots, a glimpse of the preferred local footwear from under your gown brings a whimsical twist to your whole ensemble. Also consider wearing or carrying state flowers and celebrated local species, such as Southern magnolia, Hawaiian hibiscus, or even a small branch of Maine blueberry in your bouquet. Just make sure your blooms aren’t endangered or protected, such as the California Poppy is. Check out a list of official state flowers.

And don’t overlook the groom and wedding party – even if you prefer to keep your attire traditional, the groom and his men might look great in Aloha shirts, western bolo ties or California surf shorts.

Rituals

Just as many couples incorporate religious or cultural rituals into their ceremonies, there are regional customs that you can work into your wedding to honor local heritage. Do some web research on local ceremonial traditions.

Alternatively, you can always make a tradition up! Are you from Tennessee? Instead of rice, have guests throw grits. Getting married in New Mexico? Why not kick off the reception with the two of you breaking open a piñata? Getting creative and coming up with unique ways to honor your and your fiancé’s hometowns and/or wedding location is one of the best ways we’ve witnessed to put a personal stamp on your day. And while ten years down the road your guests probably won’t recall your string quartet’s gorgeous rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon, they are likely to always remember your Texas two-step down the aisle together.