Why are all weddings exactly the same?

Question

Everybody has a platinum solitaire ring, all the dresses are strapless, all the cakes look the same... I could go on forever! When did people stop having a unique wedding in favour of the "norm", and where could one possibly purchase different things in a society like this?

Answer 1

You should travel more. China, India, Turkey, Japan, and a lot of other countries have their own ways of matrimonies...

Answer 2

Trust me, not all weddings are the same. Weddings can be as unique as the bride and groom's personality. Haven't you ever seen a Star Trek wedding, or an India wedding? Not all dresses are strapless, perhaps you are looking in the cookie cutter places and you yourself aren't thinking outside the norm.

As for platinum solitaire rings...silver goes better with everything than gold does, and platinum is more durable than gold (which is a soft metal). That is why platinum bands are the in thing to buy. Not everyone has a solitaire, that is a personal choice. There are a lot of unique ring styles to choose from, but guess what...solitaire's are less costly (since the more diamonds or jewels you have, the more it costs).

Answer 3

I know what you mean! There is a trend towards very similiar items at people's wedding, almost as if there is an expectation for brides to follow. However there are also a lot of weddings that are different where brides and grooms are showing their personality.

The best place for unique ideas is to have a look online as you have a choice from lots of different cultures and also have a look in vintage shops for a more traditional look.

If you want a bright pink wedding dress there will be someone who can provide it. Think about the type of wedding you want and then look to find the solutions.

Good luck with your planning!

Answer 4

I didn't have a strapless dress and I had lace covered arms (traditional but not so usual these days) and although we had a traditional wedding it was different in that it was very small and luxurious and didn't involve our guests having to spend any money at all - we wanted it to be our treat to them and to show them how much they mean to us. We paid for everything including the transport, and I didn't have bridesmaids. We did not want to spend loads of money - but have quality over quantity.

You can do anything you want at a wedding - you don't have to have a white/cream cake or a white or cream dress - you can marry in pink if you like - it is all about what people like.

I like tradition - but I like uniqueness too - just because you want something traditional it doesn't mean it has to be the same as everyone else - I don't think strapless dresses are traditional - they are fashionable and lots of people like to have fashionable weddings.

Answer 5

Know where you are coming from but then love is the same, perhaps has different forms and ways it shows but at the end of the day love is love. Thing is the 'standard' type wedding shall we call it is really what the majority want. If someone wants to go for something else then they can. Example if a British couple wants to have as many customs as say a Chinese, Indian, Jewish etc wedding then they can and it would be so very different to us British but to that particular culture looking on the pattern this wedding is following would be their 'standard' type Nowadays you can go for whatever type of wedding you want so as I said earlier only reason wedding are as they are is because it is what the majority want. Lots of people like tradition and who can fault them? That doesn't mean to say the minority can't go for anything they want. Afraid if you cannot see where one could purchase different things in our society should you ever have to organise a wedding looks like you'll just go with the flow like most. There's lots of different things out there for any one who would like something different and wants to make the time and effort.

Answer 6

Hmmm. Maybe you just know a lot of similar people?!

I'm getting married next year. I don't have a platinum solitaire - I have a sapphire. And we're having a cake which is actually cheeses stacked up on top of each other (as suggested by someone on here actually, thanks for that!) I do a lot of singing and have a lot of musical friends, so there will be a choir at the service, a barbershop group at the afternoon reception, and who knows what at the evening do. Our teacher from school is writing us a piece specially to be performed while we sign the register, so that's pretty unique too.

I may bow to convention and have a strapless dress though, but only because I think they suit me :)

Answer 7

Everyone says they want to be unique but when it comes down to it, they're way too scared of being different. They are afraid that family and friends (and even random strangers on wedding boards such as The Knot) will disown them if they do anything that is even slightly unique. So they go back to the "safe" cookie cutter that is identical to everyone else's. Society in general has an unspoken norm that they don't allow anyone to stray from.

A great place to get ideas that are truly unique is http://kvetch.indiebride.com

As far as purchasing things, you can find anything you want as long as it is not labelled 'wedding'. If you buy anything labelled 'wedding', you pay twice as much and the quality is worse.

Answer 8

well some things you can't screw with cuz of legalities, thats why most ceremonies are the same, due to laws of what it takes to actually get married or religious reasons or whatever. My dress is strapless, and I love it thats why I picked it, certainly not cuz its the "norm"--is the most georgeous thing Ive ever seen and now that I have tried it on, I couldn't dream of gettin married in anything else, and my ring is a solitare, and I love it too, because it will never go out of style, all the 3-stone princess cut things will be over and my ring will still be classic, plus I have really thin small fingers and the more elaborate settings looked really stupid on me........I honestly think their are some things that just shouldn't be messed with in the sake of keepin it a weddin and not an average party, people like what they like and ussually what they like is reflected in their wedding, and I guess some things are just popular! You can go for this totally different outlandish wedding, but its not classic, its the type of thing in a lot of cases that the couple will regret not having things a little more classic, because wierdness gets old after a while!

Answer 9

Some people prefer the traditional weddings. I know that my dress is strapless, but it is different because it incorporates color into the dress, as opposed to the all white dress. A friend of mine had a camoflauge wedding cake because both her and her husband like hunting, fishing, etc. Some people have more traditional weddings because their parents pay for it so they have more say in how the wedding is conducted and they plan the wedding like they had their wedding. There are a lot of unique weddings and receptions out there, there are a lot of these ideas featured in Wedding magazines and Bridal Fairs!

Answer 10

I suppose there are certain traditions linked with weddings that people like to follow. And guests also expect a certain amount from a wedding as well, I know people expect to be fed and entertained at a wedding as guests (yes they DO!!!!) so I guess that it has fallen into a certain format. As for dresses all being strapless, well that happens to be the current fashion, so of course people tend to follow the fashion of the season. Some weddings are very different, I guess your friends seem to lack imagination, perhaps you could break the mould and do something non-traditional.

Answer 11

When I got married I went to at least 10 different dress shops to find the right one. Everyone has their own idea of that, and for me it meant wearing something that looked like what Marie Antoinette would wear. In fact it's been nicknamed my "Marie" dress. This was in fact my second choice because Japanese wedding kimonos are rather on the "OMG!" side of price. Anyway, my wedding was not terribly traditional. And neither is my ring. It's custom made because I wanted sapphires in it.

If I had to guess, and I do, I would say people like their traditions because the rest of the world is moving at so fast a pace. It's one of the things they don't have to change to keep up with the times unless they want to. Of course where you live does depend on what is available to you. If the majority of your home town are conservative people... you better bet that all the wedding gear will be too.


If you look hard enough you can find the more unusual stuff. It takes time, money, and patience ( or a punching bag). And you can always just do it how ever you want. You don't have to wear white. I didn't.