For many engaged couples, planning a wedding often means meeting a host of expectations from friends and family and following a long line of matrimonial traditions. Weddings are one of the few remaining conventional customs that still follow a fairly consistent, structured course of events, and it is easy to feel pressure to maintain the tradition and structure of the ceremony.

But if you are a more progressive, modern couple, you might want to steer away from the dozens of etiquette rules in favor of a more personalized celebration. Whether you choose an unconventional Atlanta wedding venue or forego the iconic white gown, knowing which etiquette rules are going out of style will help in knowing where to bend and where to break.

Wedding Myth #1: Clothing – The Bride Must Wear White and the Groom Must Wear a Tuxedo

Perhaps one of the longest-standing traditions is for the bride to wear a flawless, white wedding gown to her ceremony. It is widely believed that the white dress symbolizes the purity and virtue of the bride; however, the use of white only dates back to the late 1800s, when Queen Victoria wore a white lace gown in her marriage to Albert of Saxe-Coburg. These days, young women are opting for whatever style and color of dress suits them. Grooms are also moving beyond the traditional tuxedo to include suits that complement the bride’s colors and outfits that match the style of the wedding.

Wedding Myth #2: The Guests Cannot Wear White

In accordance with the previous myth, it has previously been considered poor taste for another woman to wear white to a wedding. It was seen as attempting to out-dress the bride and trying to draw attention away from her. But with many brides moving away from the traditional white gown altogether, this etiquette rule has grown outdated. A clean winter white or a warm summertime cream dress is perfectly fine, as long as it does not appear to upstage the bride.

Wedding Myth #3: The Family of the Bride Must Pay for the Wedding

With more and more couples delaying getting married until they are more financially stable, this particular custom has become rather antiquated. Particularly because of the increased costs associated with a wedding, it is no longer seen as appropriate or even fair to ask only the bride’s family to pay for such an event. Modern couples often share the costs themselves, or delegate the parts of the celebration they don’t mind having less control over to willing and helpful family members.

Wedding Myth #4: The Bouquet or Garter Toss is a Must

With the average age of marriage landing between 27-30 years of age, holding a bouquet or garter toss for all of your still-single friends could potentially serve as more of a painful reminder than a fun wedding tradition. Instead of having the DJ “single out” all of your unattached friends to have them fight over flowers or a garter, you could try some alternatives to this wedding tradition. For example, have your DJ invite all of the women to the dance floor for a girls-only dance party – that way no one feels left out and you can still have a great time with all of the women in your life. For the men, toss a set of car keys that symbolizes the groom’s favorite muscle car and give the winner a toy replica of the car as his prize.

Being a modern bride comes with hundreds of moments to make important decisions that will affect one of the most important days of your life. Having the perfect venue for your big day allows you to relax and enjoy the engagement season rather than stressing over each and every little detail. At the Estate, we offer you a magnificent venue and a dedicated team of experts to bring your dream wedding to life. To start planning your event with us, contact the Estate today.