One of my closest friends is getting married later this year, and I’ve been trying to help as much as I can by answering questions and giving advice. The more I talk about it with her, the more I’m reminded of my own wedding. There were some facts about our wedding that not many people know about, and except for the first one, some of the guests probably didn’t realize either 🙂
1. We did a rose ceremony.
We weren’t sure if wanted a ceremony ritual, and if we did do one, we weren’t sure if we wanted the common sand or candle ones. Fortunately, our officiant told us about the rose ceremony, which we had never seen before. The bride and groom exchange roses during the ceremony, and then as they walk out, they each hand the rose to their new mother-in-law. The tradition is then carried on by the couple by giving each other a rose every year on their wedding anniversary.
I loved the idea of handing off the rose to our mothers, and we still follow the tradition! Every year on our anniversary, my husband and I buy roses for each other, which is a nice reminder of our ceremony.
2. We used a metal song for our first dance.
It was really hard choosing a song for our first dance. My husband and I love alternative, rock, and metal, and those genres don’t fit into the typical “first dance” songs. After looking at several lists for recommendations, I gave up and decided that we shouldn’t stray from what we like.
Fortunately, there are many instrumental Metallica covers, and they are usually beautiful. We chose the Apocalyptica version of Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters for our first dance. Only a few people caught on that it was based off of a Metallica song 🙂
3. We went with our plan B (rain plan), which was originally my plan A.
It’s kind of funny how things like that turn out. We chose a venue on the lake that had an indoor area, a large patio, and a garden area. My original plan was to use the patio so that our ceremony could overlook the lake.
After seeing how nice the garden was, we changed our plan A to the garden. However, the morning of our wedding, it was raining hard, and I had to make a decision. I chose our plan B to be on the safe side, even though the rain let up by the time our ceremony started. However, our plan B was my original plan A, so it wasn’t that disappointing to change plans 🙂
4. We used a Chinese fortune teller for our wedding date.
My family still holds strong to Chinese traditions, and growing up, it’s been an important part of my life. When it came to choosing a wedding date, my grandpa asked a Chinese fortune teller for lucky wedding days, and we went by that list!
We actually couldn’t book on one of the days and had to do the day after. My parents said it’d be ok if we held a tea ceremony on the “good luck” day, so we did a private tea ceremony at my parents’ house and then held our actual wedding the day after.
5. We just went home after our wedding.
I know many couples reserve a hotel room to stay at after their wedding, and even our driver was surprised he was just driving us home. We had considered a hotel at first, but we realized we’d be sooo tired after the wedding. I mean, it’s several hours of being on our feet and being the center of attention. We figured the best place to be after a tiring day is home sweet home. And well, we really didn’t do much after we got home from the wedding anyway. We promptly changed clothes and then went to sleep ^^;;
I’ve been to many weddings now, and the great thing is that everybody has their own style and preference when it comes to getting married. I’m sure others have facts about their wedding that aren’t well known, and I’d love to hear about them 🙂 If you haven’t been married yet, but already have neat ideas, I’d love to hear those too!
Oh, the rose ceremony is a nice idea! I like that. 😀 I think it’s sweet that you and your husband keep up with this tradition every year.
Also, that’s awesome you used a metal song for your first dance 😀 As long as both parties like whatever type of music it is, just choose one that fits the two of you!
And hah! I’d so go home after my wedding, too! It is tiring standing around and being the centre of attention, especially if you’re an introvert! So yeah, it’s smart to just go home and then do a honeymoon some other time XD
Your wedding looks soooo beautiful! I love the venue, especially with the patio and the lake in the background. You also looked absolutely gorgeous. It was really fun reading about your wedding, I’ve never been to one since I don’t know enough people for that 😛 I’m very amused that you picked a metal song. I can imagine myself blasting some K-pop and doing the corresponding dance with it C:
Ooh, I love the sound of the rose ceremony. My husband and I just had video game music at our wedding, heck, I ended it with the credits of Skyward Sword. It was awesome. The important thing isn’t the ceremony but rather after the prompt and circumstance. It is about us, and the celebration of love.
The love we both continue to share towards each other. That’s how I look at it. Weddings are beautiful but it isn’t the end all of everything, you know? It is the start of something beautiful!
That is such a beautiful ceremony to have and a tradition to carry on. They also look incredibly lovely.
That is great that you did choose a song that was right for you. 😀 It is your wedding so it has to be what is right.
It would be so hard with venues for a wedding and working with the weather. You would just never know how it was going to work out. Thankfully you had that plan (which was first A) so it wasn’t a big mess!
It would be a long day after a wedding. All the planning and socialising, meeting and greeting and being active. I think I would sleep for days. xD
I think it’s really lovely that your wedding was very personal to you and that is such a great thing, because you did it your way. 🙂
you look so beautiful in your wedding dress Cat! and it looks like a lovely ceremony too~ that’s true, it’s your day and choosing your personal preferences plus following traditions is great!
I am so in love with the way you did your wedding – I think that all the things you’ve mentioned here are a bit out of the ordinary, a bit different – and I like that. I have been thinking about my own wedding for at least a few months now. It is a while away, but since it’s the most special day of your life, you don’t just want it to be special, but you want it to be enjoyable and comfortable.
I am glad you went through with plans that you liked and were happy with. I have been toying with the idea of something different and “not quite a ballad” for a first song, so I was pretty surprised and impressed that you used a metal song!
I think it’s lovely that you just went home and spent time together. After a big day, home definitely sounds like the best place to be. 🙂 🙂
Aw! I love the rose ceremony idea. So romantic. Is it just red roses or do you do all colours? Your wedding song was so sneaky!! I would never have caught onto that. Thank you for sharing such wonderful memories of your wedding. My husband and I went back to our own home after our wedding as well. It just seemed logical! 🙂
Our wedding colors were red and orange, so we just do red roses 🙂 It made more sense to us, too, to just go back home afterwards!
Wow this is just beautiful, i love how different you went to from the traditional wedding. I laughed when i read that you guys used metal songs in your first dance <3
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I’ve never heard of the rose ceremony before! It’s really cute and it’s always a nice reminder of your special day 🙂
I’m considering consulting a Chinese fortune telling for our wedding day but I’m not sure. Part of me thinks it’s silly but part of me also feels that it wouldn’t hurt to get things done on the right foot.
There’s nothing wrong with heading home after the wedding! I can only begin to imagine how tiring your actual wedding day is. Nothing feels better than being home and relaxing after a long and busy day.
It did feel a little silly to use a Chinese fortune teller, but we went with it anyway, haha. It’s pretty memorable though and makes you feel a bit better about your day 🙂
I’ve never heard of the rose ceremony, but that’s really sweet! I like how it’s not just a one-time thing, and that you do it every year to remind you of the wedding day 🙂
Glad to hear that the rain didn’t put a damper on your wedding! That’s always my biggest fear of an outdoor wedding (and why we ruled out the option from day 1), but it worked out for you in the end! 😀
The rose ceremony seems like such a wonderful idea! I’ve never heard of it before but I think I’ll put that on my to-consider list, heh. It’s such a simple and symbolic tradition to start and continue. I love it! 🙂
I think your plan B setting is perfect and I’m glad it ended up working out well for you. I actually want my wedding ceremony to overlook a lake or some body of water (ocean would be my pick) too!
I’m glad you and your husband chose to plan your wedding in a way that makes you comfortable. ^-^ It is, after all, your day so of course the little details should bring out your personality! And I’m pretty sure I’d be one to go right home after the celebrations too and just snooze forever. Large gatherings are very tiring, especially when you’re the center of attention!
Your wedding ceremony looks beautiful! I’ve never heard of a rose ceremony, but it looks like a beautiful idea. It reminds me when we thank our mothers on our birthdays because they gave birth to us.
Also, hello Cat!! It’s been so long that I’ve actually talked to you that I don’t even know if you remember me, haha. I don’t think I’ve ever talked to you on your blog before though (maybe I have and I have a bad memory).
Anyways, it’s really interesting looking at different weddings and realizing how much a person’s taste and style and preferences can affect decisions.
Hey Rezina! I do remember you 😀 Our graphics sites used to be affiliated, right? You’ve also stopped by a few times in the past! Good to see you again!
What a beautiful ceremony! I didn’t know about the rose ceremony until now, but I really love the idea.
My husband and I just went down to the courthouse and had a small ceremony, and then had a very lovely dinner with friends and family. We received a lot of red envelopes. That was very nice. XD It was quiet and intimate. I enjoyed myself.
Maybe one day, we’ll have a vow renewal with a grander reception. 😀
I love songs with some amazing cellos & I’m surprised at how beautiful your first dance song was. As much as I love Metallica, it would not be anywhere near my list of songs to play at a wedding. You chose well though & I like that you kept your song choice reflective of your personalities.
I still want to see more photos from your wedding day! I feel like I’ve already seen these photos before & I want to see more of your gorgeous dress, ahh! Ugh & the lake!!! Ahhh share more, Cat, share moreeeeee.
Your plan B being your real plan A is also nice. Great that it turned out in your favor. I also like that you two did a rose ceremony. You’re both such interesting people, what a great wedding.
My neat future wedding ideas? All on Pinterest hahaha. I have too many, but on the list is an open bar, tea ceremony (good idea for sure!!!), & a table full of dessert + the cake. I also want my wedding to be really eco-friendly with the food being seasonal & if possible, local. I probably wouldn’t want to serve meat to be honest, but I’d love for everyone, meat eater or not, to love the food. Josh & I bond over food so if our wedding food is bad, our wedding is bad. It’s so important for us to have good food. It is a big party after all & what kind of big party serves bad food & charges you for alcohol?! Nope!!
haha, it’s true, I have posted that 2nd photo before! I’ll make sure to include more photos in a later entry then!
I think food at a wedding is really important too. I kind of view it as a big dinner party, so it makes sense to put a lot of effort into the food 😀 I like the idea of having a really eco-friendly wedding!
Your wedding sounds so beautiful and inspiring. I find that these days people go a bit over the top, and the true meaning of a wedding is lost. It seems like you put a lot of thought into your wedding and had exactly what you wanted.
The rose ceremony is a great idea and I loved that you used a metal song for your first dance. Being a huge rock fan I’d probably have some rock music to dance to.
Oh my! This is such a lovely post. That rose ceremony is so beautiful. I’m getting married soon and really couldn’t decide if we have to do candle or sand. Never heard of the rose. I’m glad you shared it.
I have always wanted outdoors, but it’ll be a waste if it rains. Your wedding ceremony looks so pretty.