Couples are ditching traditional weddings
Big church weddings with fancy receptions in the once-popular month of June are quickly becoming a thing of the past with couples starting their futures together.
Some couples are ditching the traditional big wedding and going for a private courthouse ceremony instead.
Ellie Vigus-Smith and her husband, Chase Smith, decided to have a private ceremony first and plan a ceremony and reception with friends and family for this fall. For the private ceremony, they had a friend get ordained and officiate.
Other couples have chosen to hold a ceremony and reception while including nontraditional aspects. Ireland and Jacob Lecates decided to include components that had a personal meaning, rather than traditional significance. For example, Ireland decided to have both of her parents walk her down the aisle.
“Weddings really make a show for the father of the bride and the mother of the groom, but not for the mother of the bride,” Ireland said. “I thought this was wrong, because others are the people that give up their lives to raise their children, and I really wanted to highlight both of my parents.”
The couple also decided to include a unity feet-washing ritual to symbolize the importance of Christianity in their relationship.
“Feet washing comes from the verse John 13:1-17, where Jesus washes his disciples’ feet,” Ireland said. “Jesus willingly washing his disciples’ feet shows us that true greatness comes through humility, love and serving others, rather than being served ourselves.”
According to wedding planner Tonya Edinger, many couples are embracing nontraditional weddings by including themes. She said she’s noticed that most people are leaning toward witchy, Norse and pagan themed weddings.
“I’ve been doing a lot of geeky weddings,” Edinger said. “We did a Norse wedding a couple months ago, and we’re having a dragon lore and witch-lorette party, so people are really leaning into the Renaissance and all that stuff.”
Saturday has been the typical day for weddings, making it the most expensive, Edinger said. Due to the cost, couples are ditching that tradition and getting married on a Wednesday or Thursday, which have become the most popular days, she said.
October weddings have also become increasingly popular, making it one of the most expensive months to get married, she said. “A Saturday wedding in October could cost double what it is at any other time.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday; October is the absolute most expensive,” Edinger said. “Everybody wants that fall weather.”
Couples are not only making changes to the ceremony, but to their reception as well. Edinger said many couples are not doing the traditional bouquet toss or garters. “A lot of people are giving their bouquets to their mother because the mothers are often overlooked,” she said.
A new trend Edinger pointed out is the use of artificial intelligence in wedding planning. Many couples are using ChatGPT or Claude to design their wedding. “A lot of people use AI, and then they send over the design, and it’s almost impossible to recreate, but we try,” Edinger said.
She said the rise in nontraditional weddings has led her to believe that people are embracing their own ideas and are tired of being told what to do. “They want to have a say in what’s going on, and they want it their way, and they’re tired of being told, ‘Here’s how you’re supposed to have a wedding.’”
Evans City area District Judge Amy Marcinkiewicz said she’s noticed an increase in weddings at the district court over the last year. She said she’s been so busy that she had to limit weddings to just Butler County residents.
Marcinkiewicz estimated that 60% of the couples she sees go on to have a bigger wedding with family and friends. The weddings she officiates vary from private to all-out ceremonies.
“Sometimes they just come by themselves, just the couple. Other times, I’ve had 40 to 50 people in my courtroom,” Marcinkiewicz said.
