When we think of weddings, a lot of us instantly have the same picture in our heads: a blushing bride in a big, fluffy, and white ball gown; a cool groom chumming it up with his buddies; a grand church; and a sparkly reception. These wedding cliches are so common. And as a Charleston wedding photographer, I have seen them all time and time again.
After shooting gorgeous weddings in South Carolina and beyond for years, I am frequently pleasantly surprised by the wonderfully unique weddings I have the chance to photograph. But I definitely have learned which wedding clichés are overdone and do not always turn out the way a bride and groom hope.
I want all of my couple’s wedding days to be perfect for them, so I am sharing five wedding clichés to avoid:
- Focusing too much on tradition
So this might be the antithesis of a cliché in some ways, but I think the happiest brides and grooms are the couples who are true to themselves and don’t get too caught up in what tradition dictates that they “should” be doing. Don’t like cake? Serve fresh pie or cheesecake instead! Don’t look good in white? Opt for a blush or champagne dress and feel more confident! While some guests may be skeptical initially by your choices to stray from the norm, you will be happier, and it will show on your face! Make memories that are important to you, and your wedding will be so much more meaningful. - Ball and chain jokes
This wedding cliché needed to end years ago—or better yet, never start altogether! Somewhere along the way, the notion that it was funny to joke about the groom having “one chance to run” or getting locked in the “ball and chain” after being wed became popular. Not only is it overdone and not funny, I really have not experienced any weddings where the groom was not overjoyed and absolutely smitten. So let’s celebrate those positive emotions instead!
- The fake tan
Requiring a bride to be perfectly bronzed is another cliché that just has to go. If you are not naturally tan, embrace it! If you’re getting married in January and haven’t recently been to Hawaii, embrace it! Sure, a little color can be nice, but your makeup artist can work wonders with dolling up your face, and I promise, the rest of you will look great just as you are! So many times, brides overdo the fake tans, which look unnaturally orange against their light-colored gowns. This not only isn’t as flattering in person, it makes my job a lot harder because fake tans do not photograph well either. - Inappropriate toasts
There are so many simple ways to give a heartfelt, simple toast. And then there are so many things that can make a toast inappropriate: long and drawn out toasts, innuendos, sharing inside jokes, those “ball and chain” comments we discussed in #2, and getting too personal. While you certainly don’t want to write people’s toasts for them, choosing who will speak carefully and giving them some guidance of what you expect can work wonders. - Becoming a Bridezilla
No one wants to become a bridezilla, but I don’t like the idea that every bride “should” be stressed out, either. Of course, planning a wedding requires a lot of work and has so many moving components, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it! Hire vendors that you trust and that don’t stress you out, and focus on the most important part of the day—the start of your marriage—and this is a wedding cliché you’ll easily avoid.
Planning a Charleston wedding and wondering about the ins and outs of planning? Let’s chat, and I’ll help you avoid common wedding clichés that don’t turn out well and get incredible photographs on top of it!
