Personal Touches From a DIY Hamptons Bride

A wedding should be a representation of the couple getting married. I love attending a wedding and basking in the sweetness of little details like the hand painted reception welcome sign or the adorable signature apple martini so cleverly named “Happley Ever After.” From the invitations to the table centerpieces, there are multifarious ways to give your wedding a little character and individuality. A wedding venue will often offer custom packages to allow you to be as hands-on as you want in adding certain details. For a DIY couple, here are some suggestions on incorporating some of your own style and personalities into your picture perfect
wedding day.

The first thing to consider is what sorts of touches you want to add to your wedding. Make sure you have your theme set and go from there. Is it a beach wedding? Modern? Rustic? Whatever the case, it’s always helpful to take to the internet for some inspiration. I was lucky enough to have discovered Pinterest immediately prior to my engagement and spent every free moment obsessively scrolling, clicking, fantasizing and pinning to my own “Wedding-Minded” Pinterest board. There are also a million amazing wedding websites and blogs (too many to name in this article) but a few of the most inspiring were Style Me Pretty, Ruffled Blog, The Knot, Wedding Chicks, Green Wedding Shoes and Etsy. These websites were great because they all feature real weddings that I actually felt like I could aspire to mimic. You would be doing yourself a great disadvantage if you didn’t visit any of these sites at least once!

Perhaps the most impactful way to add personality is through your reception décor. If family is very important to you, why not create a picture wall or table with old family wedding photographs? If you’re having assigned seating, give the seating cards some interest by incorporating your theme—perhaps names written on rocks or sea shells for a summer wedding, or jars of hot chocolate that double as favors for fall or winter. Centerpieces don’t have to be floral arrangements—what about a cool candelabrum on every table if you love vintage finds, or stacked books with a selection of flower vases if you are big readers. The table numbers can be customized to reflect your personalities as well. I have seen weddings where the numbers match up with a fun fact about the couple, or are names of countries or cities they have visited. If you’re a bit crafty, create your own reception details! Most of my reception décor was handmade by me (with some assistance by my husband). From the table numbers to the favors, I know my guests appreciated all the personal touches.

Your ceremony and reception music is another chance for you show your guests that this wedding is all about you as a couple. Choose a not-so-traditional song to walk down the aisle to if that coincides with your style, or have your band or DJ play a special cake cutting song that is fun and unique. You could even surprise your friends and family with an entertaining first dance routine (I may or may not be speaking from experience)!

And let’s not forget one of the most popular parts of any wedding—the food and drinks! Maybe you love popcorn…how about a popcorn bar with an array of flavors and seasonings for guests to nosh on? This idea could work for so many types of food that you just can’t get enough of…tacos, sliders, even mashed potatoes! (Unless you can’t get enough brussel sprouts, then maybe this isn’t a good suggestion for you). Perhaps you and your beau are big on beer, why not offer a few interesting beers on tap with a special menu describing them. If wine is your beverage of choice, how about a signature sangria! And of course the crème de la crème, dessert! This should be easy because everyone has a favorite treat. From candy bars to sundae stations, I am really not sure you can go wrong here! At our fall wedding we had a table full of autumnal desserts and it was a huge hit. People may or may not have stuffed apple cider donuts in their pockets.

I could go on and on with the countless ways to add darling details to your wedding day, but I will leave it to you to decide what best reflects you. It’s easy to get a bit distracted during the whole crazy planning process, but hopefully by incorporating more of yourselves and some of the things you love, you will remember what this day is truly about—making your special day all the more special!