24 Smart Wedding Ideas You Wish You Thought Of

Want to make your big day stand out? If you want your wedding day to be something out of a fairy tale yet uniquely yours, read on. We found creative wedding inspiration ideas that you can use for your wedding in the coming year, 2020.

You can have fun and engage in some DIY projects, or you can have professionals create beautiful graphic designs for your special event. Penji offers unlimited graphic design services that can help you with all your design needs for that once-in-a-lifetime moment.

1. A Unique RSVP Card

You can have your wedding invites to be wonderful and romantic. But you can also steer away from the norm by creating RSVP cards that truly reflect you and your partner’s personality like this one. You can make it fun, playful, or whimsical so that guests will have a good laugh when filling it out. 

2. An Indoor Garden Wedding

If you’ve always wanted a garden wedding but the chosen date won’t guarantee good weather, you can always create a garden indoors. Florist Ivie Joy was asked to place grass on the concrete flooring of the venue to replicate the look of a garden. The best of both worlds, isn’t it?

3. Something Blue

Looking for something blue as wedding inspiration? Instead of the traditional blue garter or blue pendant, why not dress your flower girl in blue? She’ll surely stand out in a sea of white, something that’s unique and truly memorable. 

4. Music

Music can evoke memories like no other. If you have someone in the family or your circle of friends who has talent in creating music, ask them to write one for you to be played on your special day. It doesn’t have to be a chart-topper hit, as long as it is made especially for the two of you.

5. Table Names

Get wedding table names that are customized for your guests so they would feel as special as you on your day. Place them on top of flowers and use them as part of the table decoration for the reception.

6. Creative Lighting

Creative lighting for your wedding or reception venue can add a romantic atmosphere to the affair. This can be a perfect wedding inspiration as well. You can have the pathways or the trees lighted or create a canopy of lights that go overhead in a darkened event hall to give that starry mood and tone even if you’ll have the event in daylight.  

7. Guest Book

Instead of the regular guestbook, place this drop box on the reception area. Have your guests write their names (or messages, if they like) on heart-shaped pieces of wood that they drop on the glass-framed book. This is so fun you’ll be sure that everyone will take time to write their names down.

8. Balloons

Fill the venue with balloons that capture the theme or color motif. You can have them printed with love quotes or funny messages about love or trivia about you and your partner. You can also give each guest a balloon and have a separate segment wherein you all release the balloons at the same time.

9. Table Napkins

You can customize the table napkins that will be used on your reception to add that special touch. These can be as simple as having your initials or you can have them printed with fun facts about you two. Guests will be intrigued and would want to read all of them. This is great for getting guests who are unfamiliar with each other to interact and mingle.

10. Where You Met

There’s no wedding inspiration that’s more fitting than telling everyone where you met. Try including a specialty dish from the state where you first laid eyes on each other. It can be in the form of mini cakes, cookies, or canapes.   

11. Seating

Give your guests full view of the wedding by arranging the seats in a 360-degree formation. This way, they can see everything that’s happening and make them truly feel like a big part of the ceremony.

12. Another Seating Idea

Make it easy for your guests to know where they’ll be seated with this unique idea from Wedding Chicks. 

13. Family History

Get wedding inspiration from this idea by event designer Amy Zaroff, where she placed a real-life family tree with framed pictures of the bride and groom’s family. It was placed in a section of the reception area where guests will be able to view them easily. You can add their names and how you are related to each or any other worthy information.

14. Menu

Whatever theme you have for your wedding, create menus that you place on the tables at the reception area that is created just for the event. You can also add your mother’s special dish as part of the menu and print the recipe at the back for your guests to try at home. 

15. Paper Flowers

Fresh flowers are a real delight, but paper flowers also give out quite a unique charm. Not only are they perpetually in bloom, but they are also just as pretty as the real thing. You can order them online or if you’re creative, you can make them yourself. There are lots of video tutorials you can find that will teach you how to do them. 

16. Party Favors

Instead of ordering the usual wedding favors, why not make your own? You can make your favorite fruit jam or fill a small jar with potpourri. Then, stick them with labels that go with the overall theme or design of your wedding. It’s cheaper yet more memorable.

17. Handmade Goods

Thank everyone for their participation on the big day by giving out handmade goods they can take home as keepsakes.

18. The Cake

Wedding cakes can be costly. So make the most out of it by giving it special attention. You can dim the lights and have everyone light a sparkler before you cut it. 

19. Cake Toppers 

The bride-and-groom cake toppers are a dime a dozen so be creative and get one that’s not the norm. There are a lot of options available if you do thorough research or you can always design one of your own and have it custom-made.

20. Photo Booth

Designate a small part of the reception area as your photo booth where guests can take pictures with you or with other guests. Design the booth with your theme in mind to be consistent with the overall look. Hire a professional photographer that would give them the pictures before leaving the event.

21. Food Truck

Surprise your guests at the end of the reception with a food truck. After all that partying and merry-making, you’ll all get tired and some finger foods to go will do the trick. Create a design for the truck using stickers that have your names on it and the date to make it look special.

22. Invite the POTUS and FLOTUS 

Sure, chances are slim that they will be at your wedding, but why not try? The White House has been known to send greetings when invited to weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and more. Make sure that your invite is sent at least six weeks in advance and comes in an eye-catching design! You can click here or send it to this address:

 The President and First Lady

 The White House Greetings Office, Room 39

 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

 Washington, DC 20500

23. Have Your Portrait Done in a Painting

More as a keepsake for you both, commission someone to paint your wedding photo in watercolor, oils, or acrylics. It’s a thousand times more charming than a simple photograph. Immortalize the moment in an artwork that’s going to be timeless and priceless.

24. Live Painting

Hire a painter who will paint portraits of your guests or do some Plein air painting of the event. Have them paint in small sizes so you can frame them together for an exciting picture of the big day.