When it comes to wedding traditions it can be an overwhelming feeling at first especially if you are someone marrying that special person of the same sex. When comes to the true traditions of marriage same sex may not always apply. But that does not mean we can not have a bit more fun with it! Most traditional marriages simply put, can not be the same to that of a same sex marriage therefore do not try go down the traditional path and instead make an experience of your own. Traditional wedding more like overrated weddings, am I right? As a same sex couple wanting to get married why not make your marriage one that is unique, different, and overall, more fun, and positive for everyone. Below are some trends we The Brighton Savoy would recommend when it comes to same sex marriage traditions.
WHO SHOULD THE WEDDING PARTY CONSIST OF?
When it comes to a traditional wedding between a man and a woman, a bridal party consists of the groom and his groomsmen and the bride and her bridesmaids. However, these days we are finding even in traditional marriages the ‘gender-associated parties’ are being mixed and matched. For example, a groom may elect his ‘best man’ who happens to be a female and vice versa a maid of honor to be a male. Therefore, why should we conform ourselves to the old school way when it comes to bridal party ‘rules’.
As I mentioned earlier, more and more we are finding that gender does not have to apply to bridal parties. Many same-sex couples are not having a certain gender on one side and another gender on the other side. Most same-sex couples will elect there 3-5 closest friends or siblings regardless of gender and choose the people in their party by how important they mean to the couple. Sounds awesome if you ask me.
DRESS CODE FOR THE BIG DAY?
Traditionally you will always find that brides will wear white for their wedding. However, what if you have two grooms? Does one of them need to wear white? Or on the other hand what if you have two brides? Do they both need to wear white? The answer to both circumstances is simple. NO. As a same-sex couple you can wear whatever you feel comfortable in as long as you look the part. It is your wedding day, so you want to make sure you look the part, stand out from the crowd and make your guests say “Wow! You both look amazing!”.
These days you will find same-sex couples will go for a more of a personalized approach and will try and stay clear from the traditional black and white combination. Keeping in mind that this will be a day to remember forever you would want to try and wear colors that do complement each other. Most commonly among two grooms they will be wearing identical suits or have the same color scheme. Whereas among two brides you will most commonly find that one of the brides will be wearing a suit whereas the other bride may choose to wear a dress. In the end, there is no wrong answer and you should wear what you feel comfortable in and what makes you happy.
GIVING YOURSELF AWAY DOWN THE AISLE, WHY?
More traditionally in a wedding reception you would have the groom and groomsmen waiting at the end of aisle, waiting for the bride and generally the brides father to walk her down the aisle to ‘give her away’. This ‘giving away’ mentality is very old-style way of thinking and has the perception that the daughter had belonged to the father but now belongs to the husband, an interesting stance to say the least. So, how do same sex couples compensate for this? Well, quite simply they walk down the aisle together. Walking down the aisle together show their compassion and love for one and another and their commitment to the very end.
WHOSE SURNAME DO I TAKE?
In a more traditional wedding setting once a man and a woman get married, the bride will most often take the husbands surname. When it comes to a same sex couple getting married, the changing or altering of the surname really is more of a personal choice and viewed as something that should not be forced onto anyone. The changing of the surname regardless of sexuality is something that is generally discussed prior to the ceremony of two people coming together as one and really comes down to personal feelings on the matter. Some couple may decide to take their partners names, some may decide to keep their surname and some couples may end up hyphenating both surnames together.
I hope some of the points raised in this blog assit in the planning of your wedding day.
Matthew.
The Brighton Savoy is an award winning beach side wedding venue in Brighton, a southern suburb of Melbourne. We can cater for wedding receptions from 30 – 220 guests.