Planning a wedding that is authentically you

In a world of Pinterest boards, Instagram reels, and TikTok-worthy moments, wedding planning can quickly spiral into a performance rather than a celebration. You start out wanting a joyful day that reflects your love—but before long, you're wondering if you're supposed to have a donut wall, rent llamas, or hire a drone videographer. The pressure to follow trends can feel overwhelming. But here's a radical idea: you don’t have to.

Planning an authentic wedding means giving yourself permission to let go of “shoulds” and create a day that actually feels like you. It means being intentional—about your budget, your choices, and your values—and remembering that the most important guests are the two of you.

The thing is, the more you feel the pressure to follow trends, the less your wedding feels like you and the less likely you are to enjoy your day. Making intentional decisions that reflect your love story is the most powerful way to plan your wedding.

Photo: Joe Dodsworth Photography

1. Let Go of the Wedding Trends (If You Want To)

Trends come and go. In five years, many of today’s “must-haves” will be passé. What won’t fade is how you felt during your ceremony, how deeply you connected with your partner, and whether the day reflected your relationship.

Ask yourself: Are we including this because we love it, or because we think we have to?

If you hate cake, don’t serve cake. If you love hiking, get married on a trail. If a big wedding feels like too much, elope or have an intimate gathering. An authentic wedding isn’t about impressing others—it’s about honouring who you are as a couple.

2. Make Sustainability Part of the Plan

Weddings can be beautiful and meaningful without being wasteful. From single-use plastics to throwaway décor, the typical wedding can create a surprising amount of environmental impact. Too many trends encourage the use of throw-away items that, quite frankly, your guests don’t care about and will leave behind. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Make conscious decisions in your planning process that are sustainable. From working with caterers that source local ingredients to working with a foam-free florist. Making these choices is far more powerful than following trends.

Sustainability isn’t about being perfect—it’s about making thoughtful choices that align with your values.

3. Put Yourselves at the Centre

This is your wedding. Not your parents’. Not your friends’. Not your social media followers’. The more you stay grounded in your own story, the more meaningful the experience becomes.

Start with a conversation, just the two of you. Ask:

• What does marriage mean to us?

• What kind of atmosphere do we want on our day?

• What moments matter most?

• How do we want to feel—during the ceremony, the meal, the party, and the quiet in between?

From there, build your day around those answers. Maybe it means writing your own vows, playing music that reminds you of your road trips, or involving loved ones in deeply personal ways. Knowing what your priorities are will help guide you in your wedding planning and help allocate your budget in a meaningful way.

Final Thoughts

There’s no “right way” to get married—just your way. So whether your wedding is in a forest clearing, your backyard, or a city hall, let it be a reflection of who you are and the life you’re building together.

Forget the noise. Tune into your values. Plan from the inside out. And above all, celebrate your love, your way. That’s authenticity—and it’s more than enough.