Before you start making any plans for your big day, you need to ask yourself this question: Do I want a traditional or a non-traditional wedding? Do I want my nuptials to be against a background that is both traditional and outlandish? It really is up to you! You wedding can be as unique as you want it to be and more and more couples are choosing to have a ceremony that leaves tradition behind. If you are thinking about bringing your own unique touch to your big day, good for you! However, you might want to read this blog post first to help you to get the best out of your unique day!

First of all, it is important to remember that your wedding should be exactly that: your wedding. It is very easy to confuse the term non-traditional with fashionable and it is worth bearing in mind that these are not the same thing! Non-traditional means that you are choosing not to follow tradition with your wedding due to your own, deep-rooted personal preference. Fashionable means that you are simply following the lead of others and planning your wedding around what is fashionable at the time. Yes, it is great for you to find inspiration from wedding magazines or photographs, but remember that fashions come and go; your wedding photographs will be around for a long time. You want to look back at your special day with fond memories, not cringing at the outlandish fashions you dressed yourself and your other half in purely because they had been featured in the latest glossy magazines. A prime example of this is well-known actress Sarah Jessica Parker, who wed her husband in a black gown and now regrets it! If you do want to mix things up with your wedding dress, try going for a coloured sash or headpiece instead. This way your dress will still stand out from the rest, but you'll still be recognisable as a bride! If you really do have your heart set on a coloured gown then by all means go for it, but just make sure it is what you really want.

Whatever type of dress you choose, remember to own it! It's your day and you should be wearing it with pride!

An area that you can have some real fun with is your invitations and save the date cards. These won't be featured on the photographs so you can pretty much have these designed how you like! There are hundreds of designs to choose from and it can be so easy to get a bit lost so here at Bride and Groom Direct we have put together a whole section that is dedicated to more contemporary designs for the less traditional bride.

If you don't want a traditional guest book but would still like a keepsake for your guests to sign then it is a great idea to have a guest book canvas. All you have to do is hang up the canvas somewhere that your guests will gather and let them sign it. If the thought of a miniature bride and groom on top of your wedding cake makes you want to gag, then why not simply have some classy love hearts as your cake topper instead? There really are so many options to make your wedding stationary as unique to your personal preferences as possible!

If you really want to have a wedding that stands out from the rest, why not go for a themed wedding? In 2014, we spoke to Tori and Scott about their incredible Harry Potter themed nuptials! A themed wedding is a fantastic way to share your big day with your loved ones as well as including a passion that you and your partner share.

Whether you want a wedding that follows tradition completely or you want to have the most outlandish wedding possible, remember that it is your day! So sit back, enjoy it and take a sip from your champagne glass! (Or pint glass, or coconut shell, whatever you choose to have...)