50 Ways to personalize your day

What makes a wedding special? It's all in those special details that make your personality shine through. Need a little inspiration? Here are 50 ideas to help make your celebration personal and memorable.

Ceremony

1. Add a monogram to your veil.

2. Write a letter to your mom and dad and have it waiting for them at their seat during the ceremony. It could be about anything: a thank you, how you hope your marriage turns out like theirs, your gratitude for everything they have done for you, etc. They will be deeply touched and honored.

3. Make use of your mother's or grandmother’s jewelry by pinning it to your bouquet. It'll make your bouquet so much more personal, dress it up and act as your "something borrowed."

4. On the way down the aisle, before taking your place beside the groom, pause and present both your mother and your soon-to-be mother-in-law with a small personalized gift, fitting with the occasion.

5. Sew a message into the inside of your husband's jacket. He won't see it until he's getting ready, and it'll be a sweet way to get a message to him before you walk down the aisle.

6. Flip the ceremony around. Consider facing your guests instead of having your back to them.

7. Mention and thank the person who introduced you during the ceremony. Express gratitude to parents, grandparents, special guests (best of all, do so as a surprise).

8. Consider an instrumental version of your favorite pop ballad during the prelude or a cheeky pop tune as a recessional, like James Brown’s “I Feel Good!”

9. Write your own vows and add personal details like, “I promise to bake cookies with you” or “I vow to watch the game with you on Super Bowl Sunday” to let your guests glimpse more of your relationship.

10. Ask either your officiant or your master of ceremonies to share your love story with guests.

11. Personalize your wedding program in unique and creative ways. Transform your wedding program into a newspaper or introduce your wedding party in the program so everyone knows who is who. Your guests will appreciate it.

12. Consider being married by candlelight – what could be more romantic?

13. Have each bridesmaid carry a bouquet made entirely of their favorite flower. Your bouquet will be a combination of all of their flowers.

14. Dress your flower girl in a bright color rather than a replica of your dress so that the dress can be worn again.

15. Don't just match the ushers’ ties, buy them matching socks. It makes for fantastic pictures.

16. For family members who have passed away or cannot physically be there, wear something of theirs so that they are with you: your great aunt's pearls, your grandmother's handkerchief, or add photo charms to your wedding bouquet.

17. Include a few readings into your ceremony. From Shakespeare to religious texts to more modern-day literature, pick a few passages that speak to you. You can ask close friends or family members who would feel comfortable speaking in front of a crowd to perform the readings.

18. Invite your guests to perform. If you have musicians or dancers in the family, ask them to perform at your ceremony or reception.

Reception

19. Have guests sign their messages on a personalized item that can be displayed in your home afterwards. Are you a music lover? Ask guests to sign an older musical instrument of yours. Does your hubby-to-be love to surf? Surprise him with a custom-made surfboard signed by all the guests. A great keepsake!

20. In lieu of a guestbook, have guests sign a tablecloth or platter to be used at special dinners in the future.

21. Create a list of trivia questions about you and your fiancé for your guests to answer. This not only lets your guests get to know you as a couple, it breaks the ice as guests answer questions at each table.

22. Display your parents' and grandparents' wedding photos in vintage frames. It will provide a talking point for guests and create a beautiful decorative feature.

23. Have a groom’s cake designed to honor your fiance’s interest or hobby. A firetruck if he is a fireman; a guitar if he is a musician.

24. If there is a song that reminds you of one of your loved ones, have your entertainer dedicate it to them. It can be serious, sentimental or silly.

25. Include “first dances” for your parents and married siblings – and make sure the DJ or band recognizes them when it’s played.

26. Assign table numbers by age and accent the decor with pictures of you and fiancé from that time. For example, at table 16 you could show pictures of your fiancé with his new car and you at your sweet 16 birthday party.

27. Create a special kids’ table. Lay out butcher block paper for them to draw on and include crayons organized in galvanized buckets. Serve hot dogs, chicken fingers and ice cream sundaes. Your guests will love you for getting the kids out of their hair for the evening.

28. During your first dance, add some extra excitement to the moment by playing a montage of photos of the two of you growing up and then together set to music.

29. Share your love story with a custom coloring book for the kids' table.

30. Serve your cocktails from a "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" menu. Take recommendations from the wedding party for their favorite old/classic drink, a new/modern drink, a favorite borrowed unique drink recipe, and a blue cocktail. It’s a festive way to get the party started!

31. Using custom drink labels is a quick and easy way to add a custom touch to a wedding reception.

32. If your guests will have to walk from the ceremony to the reception, consider providing them each with a single colored helium-filled balloon that matches your color scheme. The vision of dozens of balloons all 'walking' their way to the reception makes for great photos. Once all of your guests have arrived at the reception, have someone ready to arrange the balloons into two rows for you to walk through.

33. If you're having a Christmas wedding, ask each of your guests to bring an ornament for a Christmas tree. You'll use them on your tree every year, and it'll be a fantastic annual reminder of your wedding.

34. Give your caterer a family recipe to prepare – a great way to make the menu more unique and personal.

35. Make your favors: Bake cookies, make jam or brew up lemonade and bottle it with personalized labels.

36. Ask your florist to design the table centerpieces with multiple mini vases which guests can then take away with them at the end of the night, so they double up as favors and a lovely memento of your wedding day.

37. Make your bouquet personal to you by choosing a flower that has a special meaning.

38. To help break the ice at dinner, why not have your best man host a quiz about you both? Each table would work together as a team, and you could offer a prize for the winner.

39. Make the arrival of the wedding cake an event. Ask your caterers to turn down the lights and bring it in decorated with indoor fireworks.

40. Think outside the vase for centerpieces. Daisies or wildflowers in mason jars are a sweet accent. Orchids or vibrant bulbs in painted pots add a festive dash of color.

41. Instead of using flowers for your centerpiece use food instead! Decorate baskets and put homemade bread or muffins inside. Or, fill different shaped glass bowls and vases with mixed fruit that matches your wedding colors.

42. Paper is a great way to decorate your wedding venue. Not only is it inexpensive, but it's incredibly versatile. Decorate with pompoms, streamers or paper lanterns. If you tie in tiny LED lights, they'll even glow after dark.

43. Take a moment at the end of the night to thank your guests. You might invite them to the dance floor to form a big circle and dance together to a song like “That’s What Friends Are For” or “Friends In Low Places.”

44. Get creative with your confections. Create a big hit with a tower of fancifully decorated cupcakes or a pyramid of crème puffs. Instead of a fancy cake, offer a special treat such as homemade pie, cookies and ice cream.

45. If you're getting married in a rustic, outdoor setting, use straw bales as seats. If you cover them with old tablecloths, it'll fit in with a vintage-themed wedding.

46. Hire a sushi chef and dazzle your guests with exotic cuisine. Or serve family-style Italian food, and hire opera-singing waiters.

47. In the summer, an outdoor barbecue is a versatile way to entertain. Grill anything from filet mignon and lobster tails to hot dogs and hamburgers. In winter, roast marshmallows over an open fire.

48. Bring out the kid in everyone by having carnival games and rides. Don’t forget the cotton candy and popcorn.

49. What's your favorite late-night snack? Ice cream? Serve it in mini-pots at midnight to all your guests.

50. For a different grand exit, race through a tunnel of swords, ski poles, boat oars or wedding sparklers.

Want more inspiration? Visit our "Personalize Your Day" Pinterest board.