Personal Weddings VS Creative Weddings ~ The Rebellious Brides

Are you ready to cross over the rainbow
to look for your own personal wedding path?
Photo by Three Nails Photography

We're sorry to say this, but we have more than 400,000 weddings on average, every year, in this country-- but so few that genuinely reflect the couple's personal style in their truest form.

And it's not our fault. On one hand, there are just too many rules & traditions being dictated by society. But on the other side of the spectrum, there's also TOO many ideas in magazines & blogs on how to make your wedding creative that sometimes, a couple will just cherry pick 'trendy' ideas and bundle it all up into one.

Then it all just gets confusing, doesn't it?

What to do and not what to do!?!?!?

Answer: Go for a PERSONAL Wedding. Take the time to just close your eyes and cover your ears. Don't listen to anyone else but you and your groom. Don't read any wedding magazine/blog for just a few minutes. FIND YOUR OWN WEDDING FROM WITHIN.

Photo by Mango Red

A Rebellious Bride does not allow herself to be BLINDLY controlled by society. The operative word being 'blindly', what we mean to say is that there is definitely nothing wrong with succumbing to what society or your parents expect of you and your wedding--but do so with your own inquisitive, logical mind and do so whole-hardheartedly and not only because you feel like you have no other choice or because it's 'trendy'. A Rebellious Bride makes her own decisions for her own wedding, even if people think she will burn in hell for her unorthodox ideas.

My husband and I first had a non-Catholic beach front wedding ceremony which we fondly called, "The Bora Hop". It was actually a very, very, simple, low-budgeted wedding. But what made it different was the fact that we shared with our loved ones how we enjoyed the island as a couple-- hopping from one favorite Boracay spot to the next, to the next. Having an intimate beachfront wedding was NON-NEGOTIABLE to us because of sentimental reasons. During our very first date when my husband and I were still in that "getting-to-know-you-stage", the very first thing we realized we had in common was that we both dream of having a beachfront wedding (how's that for a first date topic? hahah). So even if our wedding wasn't a church wedding, even if it only had 30 guests, we went ahead with it.

Random strangers have JUDGED me for following my heart's desires. To this very day, my mom does not recognize our Boracay wedding as the official wedding. But sorry. It was OUR wedding so we did it OUR WAY. We paid for our own wedding, so we can definitely do anything we wanted with it. Do you guys know how liberating it is to create a wedding from scratch without worrying about the church component and worrying about guest counts? It's simply amazing I tell you. Now my mom still insisted on a church wedding where she could invite everyone she wanted and where she could plan her own wedding for me (she even had her own coordinator)--so I agreed to it.

Some brides surrender their weddings to their moms but secretly nurture a frustration. Some brides also secretly hope that when she celebrates her 10th year anniversary she'll have the chance to finally get her dream wedding. But I flipped this vicious cycle. I first had my own dream wedding so it was okay if my mom wanted her own. After all, who's the real bride anyway? Inevitably this became a win-win situation. We all got what we wanted and we didn't even spend that much for it. In the end, I even have a better relationship with my mom with no regrets or secret loathing for how the wedding turned out to be.

Conceptualizing for your wedding is fun. And here are other reasons I can think of, why a Rebellious Bride needs to have a personal wedding:

Photo by Mangored

1. Grooms think weddings are too girly and stressful. If you make it more personal, the groom will be more involved and will be more excited about your wedding. Cut him some slack and tell him he can do his own groom styling--allow him to have his own color scheme if he thinks your wedding is already too girly.

2. In traditional "Pinoy" weddings, more often than not, 80-90% of your wedding guests don't even know you--because they are the kumpare of your dad's kumpare, and the inaanak of your mom from a friend from the States. Having a personal wedding gives the "strangers" in your guest list, a chance to get to know you -- your style, and what you are like as a couple. It makes them feel involved and engaged in your wedding even if you barely know them.

Photobooth by Fotoloco

3. Because everyone's been to hundreds of weddings, cut everyone some slack and show something new. It's not about who created the coolest wedding--it's about making your personalities shine through. Seriously. How many weddings have you gone to in your entire life? How many weddings have your photographer and videographer attended in their entire career? How about your guests? Give everyone a favor and surprise people with an out-of-the-box, refreshing wedding. Not only does this reflect who you are, it also inspires everyone around you.

Other countries, such as the US, have fully embraced having creative BUT PERSONAL weddings. And I can't wait to see the day, when we would have the same kind of weddings such as theirs.

Here are some amazing, fun, and personal weddings I have seen recently, in one of my fave wedding blogs, http://greenweddingshoes.com/:

DIY Bohemian Rainbow Wedding

Not only was this wedding creatively done, I love the fact that the couple CREATED THEIR OWN CEREMONY RITES. The couple planted a tree together. Now how meaningful is that to actually create your own rites rather than following rites that you were obligated to do? (Photos by Three Nails Photography). Most if not all Filipinos are scared to do a wedding outside of the Church--the very thought of it can break familial bond. And I don't encourage you to do that for the sake of being rebellious. But I just want you to re-evaluate the way we create our weddings and the difference between being dictated on what should conform to society, versus doing and creating your own wedding rites, the way you really would.

This Superhero, playful wedding, done in a Children's Museum, if done here in our country, will not only raise eyebrows, but will also be the start of some nasty comments on how such a concept belittles wedding traditions and should be reserved for a kiddie party. But I say this wedding is wonderful and so unique, it makes me wanna have a wedding all-over again (Oh wait, I DO have one! Haha). Photography by Jagger Photography

Vintage Carnival Wedding - Lastly, take a look at this fantastic, dramatic, and romantic carnival wedding! I love the idea of going out into the backyard and just having a blast! Photos by Gabriel Ryan Photographers.

I have not seen anything quite like these weddings and I would love to attend one! I enjoin you guys to step out of your comfort zones and be more rebellious! Let it all out!

BUT A WORD OF CAUTION: Do not create a wedding just because you think it's cool to have sneakers, it's so popular to have a non-floral bouquet or that you'll probably get featured for wearing a pink gown. IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT. It's about bringing out your own personality whether it's a classic wedding, a creative wedding, or even a crazy wedding.

The Wedding Agency

RB Mica & I can work as your very own creative agency/consultants, working to unleash the most personal, most unique wedding ideas for you. Here are some of the weddings/debuts we've been able to conceptualize (Click the title/pic to read the feature)

By The Sea Wedding