The Receiving Line...And 8 Other Wedding Trends On Their Way Out The Door
Just because something isn't trendy anymore doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. If you've had your heart set on a Halloween costume wedding with Bridal Party photos in the cemetery, go for it! It's your wedding day. But, if you want to hear about a few trends on their way out the door and why guests don't like them, then keep reading.
(1.) Closing the Bar During Dinner
At many occasions, a couple pays for a set number of hours for the bar to be open. It used to be very common that the bar would be closed during dinner (1.) to save money and/or (2.) with the assumption guests would not get up from the table to get drinks during the meal. This would lead to a backup at the bar before dinner because guests wanted to get a few drinks to have during their meal. Then, the second the bar opened back up, the crowd would be back. Most of the time, the dinner drinks were only partially empty and often warm because guests were talking and eating.
(2.) Wedding Favors
Wedding favors have always been what the Bride & Groom give to each guest as a thank you for attending and a souvenir to remember the day. These can add up in price and more often than not, are left on the dinner tables and forgotten. It was traditional to have a matchbook, shot glass, package of Forget Me Not seeds, or bubbles with the date and couples' name on it. People have been moving away from this and instead adding something to the wedding day for their guests to enjoy and remember the day by such as a photobooth, ice cream sundae bar, or even late-night snacks. Some couples even donate the money they would have put towards favors to a charity in honor of their wedding guests.
(3.) Receiving Lines
It used to be very customary that after the recessional, the Bridal Party and the Bride & Groom would wait in a line at the back of the church and greet each guest as they left. There are three major reasons this trend has gone away. (1.) As much as the guests want to congratulate the Bride & Groom, they don't want to do it in a receiving line. Once they get through the 20 minute line, they have about 10 seconds to say "congratulations", get a hug, and head out the door to the reception so the next guest can do the same. (2.) Many venues will have a few wedding ceremonies in a day. There isn't necessarily enough time between ceremonies to have a receiving line, clean up one wedding, and set up for the next before the guests arrive. (3.) Bridal Parties often travel to a couple locations for photos after the ceremony. Traditionally, there would be family portraits at the church and then the reception. More time is needed now for these and a receiving line can take about 30 minutes away from that.
(4.) Honeymoon Cash Dance
This can go by a few names, but this is the dance where the Best Man and Maid of Honor each have a tip jar and a tray of shots. Guests take turns giving a dollar, taking a shot, and dancing with the Bride or Groom. The money then goes to the couple's honeymoon. Guests are already giving a lot to be at the wedding (time off, travel, gift, hotel, new outfit, etc), they don't like that they have to dig through their wallets to give again. Also, not many people want to hand over a dollar for a shot, when there's an open bar right next to them (that they've most likely been putting tips on all night for the 2 beers they are currently holding).
(5.) Garter Toss
This can lead to things being uncomfortable depending upon who catches each thing--ages, relationships,....it can just be awkward. A lot of couples have switched to only doing a bouquet toss or if they do throw the garter, they don't include the rest of the tradition.
(6.) Bridal Party Dance
Traditionally, after the Bride & Groom's First Dance, each of the pairs from the Bridal Party would share a dance together. It's common now for there to be an uneven number of bridesmaids and groomsmen. Some bridal parties have a variety of ages or relationships with one another (ex: siblings or ex's). This dance can lead to an uncomfortable situation for your bridal party or be difficult to coordinate.
(7.) Mason Jars with Name Labels
This trend didn't last very long. It just wasn't a practical thing to give guests. It looked cute to have a personalized "cup for the night". Those aren't very easy to drink out of for the evening--especially compared to a wine glass or pint glass. How can a person dance with a filled mason jar?
(8.) Cake Smash Betting Jars
It's been a tradition forever to watch the Bride and Groom cut the cake and feed each other a piece. Guests would always wonder if they would each be nice (feed the other person the cake) or mean (smash the cake in the other's face). For a few years, there was a trend that 2 jars would be set out for guests to make a bet on if the couple would be nice or mean with the cake. The money in the jars would then go to the honeymoon fund for the couple. Guests found this to be an odd thing to have at a wedding. They would either not want to bet on it or forget to place bets.
(9.) Music-Video Styled Wedding Videos
About a day after the Bride and Groom get their 5-minute wedding day recap video, it stops playing in their house. Once the link for it gets sent to everyone who attended, they don't find the video again to watch. Pictures can get hung on the wall, but the music video of a couple key moments of the day isn't going to play on loop for them to always see in passing and smile. The wedding day lasts 12+ hours so it's hard for a couple to justify paying to condense that to a song's-length worth of footage.
Bonus Trend: Online RSVPs
Disclaimer: This isn't really a trend that's "on its way out the door", but it's one that should.
Weddings can be expensive and stamps are a several hundred dollar expense that is often forgotten. Since most people use the internet and wedding websites have a built in feature to create an RSVP online option, it sounds like a great idea. However, there is something to be said about the formality of receiving a wedding invitation in the mail and mailing back your response. For your Great Aunt Elizabeth who doesn't use the computer, it's so personal to mail the RSVP card back instead of learning how to submit it on something she doesn't know how to use. When something comes in the mail, it's easy to just check a box and send it back in. Guests are less likely to log onto your website, find the RSVP tab, type their names exactly as they appear on the envelope that has already been thrown away, and then click their response. Sure, you're saving a stamp--but let's keep this tradition alive.