No standing on ceremony
Ashley Dodd and her husband, Dan Dodd, look at their wedding photos shortly before their 10-year anniversary.
Ashley Dodd and Dan Dodd are shown in costume at their wedding.
Ashley Dodd and Dan Dodd are at center with their wedding party. All of their wedding party and guests dressed up in costumes for their wedding.
Jenna and Bryan Margaria are shown in one of their wedding photos.
Chris Davidson and Kala Lindley are shown with their 9-month-old son, Jaxon
Chris Davidson, 33, formerly of Washington, and his fiancee, Kala Lindley, 25, formerly of Scenery Hill
While planning their 2013 nuptials, Jenna and Bryan Margaria wanted to accomplish one thing.
“We wanted our guests to have a good time,” Jenna said. “We didn’t want anyone to be bored. We didn’t want anything to be too stuffy or formal. We just wanted everyone to have fun.”
So the former Washington couple made sure the atmosphere was relaxed and that there were plenty of activities to keep their guests entertained, including a bonfire with s’mores, cornhole and a photo booth.
“Everyone really loved how it turned out,” said Jenna, who now lives in North Carolina. “They thought it was perfect for the type of people we are.”
More frequently, the modern bride and groom are opting to forgo traditions and find unique ways to infuse their personalities into their ceremonies and receptions.
Jenna and Bryan said they enjoy the outdoors. So they held their event at The Hayloft in Rockwood.
“We wanted a country feel, and we wanted the ceremony outside,” Jenna said. “It was a very rustic spot.”
Joelle Cowden, co-owner and coordinator at Shady Elms Farm in Hickory, said couples are choosing sites that offer multiple locations and all-inclusive deals. The idea for Shady Elms Farm started with Cowden’s own wedding. She, too, was looking for an outdoor venue but couldn’t find what she wanted for her 2010 nuptials. So her husband’s family renovated their family farm. The venue opened to the public the following year.
Cowden said she often works with “laid-back, creative brides.”
“They want something different and unique, and they want to have fun,” she said.
Traditions are also overlooked. More often or not, Cowden said, couples are choosing to forgo the traditional aspects of the ceremony and reception, including the bouquet and garter toss, favors and the receiving line.
Many modern couples also are choosing to walk away from the traditional religious aspect of weddings, said Alexandra Jordan, conference sales manager with Hilton Garden Inn in Southpointe.
“Couples are choosing not to get married in the churches they grew up in,” she said.
Various reasons are behind the choices, but in the end, each couple is different, Jordan said. Jordan and Meaghan Egger coordinate weddings at the Hilton’s Southpointe location. Both women said weddings have greatly changed over the years.
“There’s no longer a set season for weddings,” Egger said. “We are also seeing a lot of Friday and Sunday weddings. There are off-peak or off-season discounts.”
Families are more willing to go along with couples’ choices, Jordan and Egger said, because in the end, it’s about them. Wedding cakes also have changed, as many brides opt for smaller cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, pies or candy bars. The only tradition that seems to have survived is the cookie table.
“People make them pretty elaborate,” Jordan said. “They really build them up.”
Holding a wedding on a holiday or holiday weekend has also become a popular trend. Kala Lindley and Chris Davidson of Pittsburgh can’t wait for their Oct. 31 nuptials to arrive. The pair enjoy spooky things and met at a Halloween party, so the Halloween date was only fitting. Kala, who is originally from Scenery Hill, has eliminated the majority of typical wedding traditions like a bridal party and the reception – they are having a supper – and will wear black instead of white.
“We are just focusing on what’s important, and that’s the two of us,” she said.
Ashley and Dan Dodd also opted for a Halloween date for their 2005 ceremony. The pair wanted to do something fun and memorable. Guests, the wedding party and the bride and groom dressed up in costumes.
“It was more a of party,” said Ashley Dodd, of Canonsburg. “My family has always loved Halloween, and we wanted to do something different.”
The couple dressed up as a prince and princess, with Ashley’s dress resembling something out of a movie.
“I love ‘Shrek,’ and wanted my dress to resemble Fiona’s wedding dress,” she said. “I tried to talk (Dan) into wearing green ears and hands, but he wasn’t having it.”
The pair plan to have a “proper” wedding ceremony to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary in October.
None of the couples interviewed for this story had any regrets about their choices.
“Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing,” Jenna Margaria said. “I really loved how everything turned out.”