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B A N Q U E T S , R E C E P T I O N S , C A T E R I N G , S H O W E R S , P A R T I E S
C H I C A G O W E D D I N G & P A R T Y R E S O U R C E
W W W . C H I C A G O W E D D I N G R E S O U R C E . C O M
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1}
Choose an unlikely site. Consider using an alternative
site for your wedding, such as a museum, an aquari-
um, a cliff top, a historic mansion, a boat, a baseball
field, a beach, a ranch, or even the zoo.
2}
Write your own vows. The words of love that you
exchange can include poetry, music, and personal
anecdotes in addition to, or instead of, the traditional
“to have to and to hold from this day forward for as
long as you both shall live.”
3}
Plan a unique wedding quilt or chuppah. Mail all the
wedding guests a small piece of fabric several months
before the wedding with instructions to decorate it
with a permanent message or image. For a Jewish
wedding, the fabric pieces can be stitched together
into a marriage canopy (or chuppah) that you and
your groom stand under during the ceremony. For a
non-Jewish wedding, the fabric pieces can be made
into a bridal quilt that will be a beautiful and person-
al keepsake to hang on the wall of your new home or
to use at the end of your bed.
4}
Personalize your ketubah. For Jewish weddings, have
your ketubah (marriage contract) designed by an artist
instead of using a traditional document completed by
the rabbi. You and your fiancé can work together to
add symbols significant to your relationship. Later, you
can hang the ketubah in your bedroom as a permanent
reminder of the commitment you two have made.
5}
Think beyond the guest book. As an
alternative, mount an enlargement
of your engagement photo or
wedding invitation and have
guests sign it with a silver
or gold pen as they enter
the wedding.
6}
Face forward for the ceremony. There is no rule stat-
ing that the bride and groom must face the officiant
and turn their backs on the guests for the duration of
the ceremony. Instead, turn toward your guests and
have the officiant stand alongside you (or with his or
her back to the audience). This personal touch makes
guests fell that they are a more intimate part of your
wedding, because they can witness your expressions
and your love for each other.
7}
Exchange roses. A new trend known as a rose ex-
change is popping into ceremonies. A single red or
white rose is exchanged as a first gift between the
bride and groom to symbolize their love for each
other. The couple then exchanges a rose in a special
location in their new home on each anniversary or
significant highlight in their marriage, reminding
them of the vows they exchanged and the promises
they made on their wedding day.
8}
Choose a theme song. At the beginning of the re-
ception, when the married couple is announced and
members of the wedding party are introduced, in-
stead of a drum roll or cheesy music, consider having
the DJ or band play the theme from “Rocky” as you
enter. Other fun songs: the “Tonight Show” theme
song; Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” or “We
are the Champions;” the theme from “Star Wars,”
“Jaws,” or “Indiana Jones;” the fight song from your
alma mater; or any other song that is upbeat and
meaningful to you both.
9}
Plan a life-long keepsake. After the wedding and hon-
eymoon, print your vows on pretty paper, and then
frame and hang them somewhere in your new home
where you two can glance at them and remind your-
selves of the promises you exchanged.
© CTW Features
9 Ways to Make
Your Wedding
Special