Your Wedding, Your Way: Why the Best Wedding’s Don’t Follow a Script

There’s something quietly powerful about deciding your wedding day doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s.

Not because you’re trying to be bold. Not because you’re chasing “different.” But because you’re letting go of what doesn’t feel right — and building something that actually does.

The best non-traditional weddings I’ve photographed weren’t planned to be edgy. They weren’t curated for social media or structured around “wow” moments. They were planned by couples who knew themselves and wanted the day to feel like them from start to finish.

I’m thinking about this backyard wedding in Maine where the couple served oysters straight off the boat — barefoot, salt in the air, friends laughing around picnic tables. Or this Portland City Hall wedding that somehow felt both spontaneous and deeply rooted in intention — they hit up their favorite coffee spot, shared hugs on the courthouse steps, and ended the night slow dancing at their favorite dive bar. Nothing flashy. Everything honest and true to them.

If you’re feeling the pull to do things differently — this post is for you.

Jump ahead to see 11 Non-Traditional Things to Do at a Wedding

“Non-Traditional” Doesn’t Mean Anti-Wedding

There’s this idea floating around that a non-traditional wedding has to be the opposite of traditional. Like, if you’re not into ball gowns and banquet halls, you better be eloping barefoot in the forest with a handfasting ceremony at sunrise.

But honestly? It’s not that black and white.

This isn’t about trends or proving a point. It’s about creating a day that feels true to you and your relationship. If that includes wearing a white dress and walking down an aisle — cool. If that means getting ready together in your kitchen and hosting a pizza party afterward — also cool.

It’s not about the format. It’s about the feeling.

And that’s where I come in.

The Moments That Stick With Me

As someone who’s documented dozens of weddings and elopements across New England (and beyond), the ones I think about most often don’t have the most dramatic views or elaborate timelines.

They’re the ones where the couple slowed down. Made eye contact. Did something that made their people say, “Of course you would do that.”

Like:

• The backyard beach wedding where guests threw on sandals and cracked open oysters under string lights. There was no tight schedule, no stress. Just joy and salty breeze and people truly being there for it all.
  
• The Portland City Hall wedding that felt like a love letter to the city. They got married in a place that mattered to them, brought their favorite people along, and ended the day grabbing beers down the street. It was fun, light, and full of those little blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that make photos come alive later.
  

None of these couples asked, “What’s the right way to do this?”
They asked, “What feels right for us?”
Big difference.

11 Non-Traditional Wedding Ideas to Make Your Day Uniquely Yours

Here’s the thing — I’m not giving you a list to copy and paste. I’m giving you permission to get creative and stay grounded in what makes you you.

But if your brain is spinning with all the choices out there, here are a few places to start:

1. Write your vows at a favorite trailhead and read them to each other over coffee
2. Get ready together in your kitchen with music and pancakes
3. Bring your dog to the ceremony (yes, I’ll help you find a pet-friendly venue)
4. Have a friend play live music for your first dance — or skip it and start a group singalong instead
5. Serve oysters, donuts, ice cream, tacos, whatever feels like you
6. Turn your Airbnb rental into a weekend hangout zone with your favorite people
7. Skip “photo hour” and spread little portraits throughout the day so you’re never away too long
8. Make your favorite places part of the day — whether it’s a library, coffee shop, hiking trail, or dive bar
9. Ditch the aisle entirely and walk in together hand-in-hand. Or mingle with guests before the ceremony so the moment feels more like a gathering, less like a performance.
10. Have a cake you’ll actually want to eat — donuts, pies, cheesecake, ice cream sandwiches, or skip the dessert altogether and serve midnight fries.
11. Wear color — a bold suit, a floral dress, jumpsuits, vintage pieces, or thrifted fits that tell a story.

Whether you’re the kind of person who wants to climb a mountain, hit your favorite dive bar, or eat cake on a rooftop in your PJs — I’ll help you dream it up, plan it out, and document it in a way that feels effortless and very you.

How I Help You Build a Nontraditional Wedding That Feels Like You

Planning something personal doesn’t mean you have to figure it all out on your own. I’m here for way more than just showing up with a camera.

Every couple I work with gets a detailed planning guide filled with ideas, timelines, tips, and creative suggestions based on what you actually care about — not what the industry, your family, or Pinterest says you should do.

Don’t know where to start? I’ll ask you about your favorite date night. The weird little rituals you share. The things you don’t want to deal with on your wedding day. Then we work backward from there.

I’ve researched ceremony locations based on couples’ favorite books. Helped build wedding weekends around bonfires, hikes, food trucks, brewery crawls, boat rides — you name it. If it feels like you, I’ll help you find a way to make it happen.

You’re not just hiring a photographer. You’re getting someone who will listen, suggest, adapt, and cheer you on.

Alright, let’s get to planning. 

New Hampshire Wedding & Elopement Photographer | Erica Warren Photography

I really strive to be more than just a photographer. I’m all about capturing those moments that make life truly special with the people you love most, and I’d love to capture your story in a place that is meaningful to you! Reach out, here to secure your date!