The standard weddings of yesterday have been replaced by unique, personalized events that are memorable for both the couple and their guests, and the possibilities are endless here in Florida.

There was a time, not so long ago, when experienced wedding guests pretty much knew exactly what to expect every time a new invitation rolled in. The day would start off with a ceremony, usually in a church or other religious setting, followed by a trip to a banquet hall for a cocktail hour and then a reception, where all of the typical traditions would take place. With family and friends gathering together to celebrate the couple’s union, the good times certainly rolled, but each wedding seemed like every other, with no real distinction among them.

An interesting trend started to take hold in the past decade or so, however, to make the day feel more representative of that particular bride and groom rather than adhering to certain expectations of what a wedding should be. Whether it’s incorporating the outdoors into the ceremony, customizing the menu or removing stodgy customs, today’s weddings have become unique, personalized affairs that leave an impression long after the special day has come and gone.

“Back in the day when I started in the industry, you had the traditional ceremony and then the reception with the garter toss, the bouquet toss, the dances and the speeches,” says Katie Williams, director of conference services at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach. “At some weddings now, the bride and groom do the speech to thank everyone for coming, rather than a maid of honor speech or a best man speech. We’ve even had some weddings where they’ll introduce their bridal party themselves, which I feel puts a really unique touch on it.

“It’s been really cool to see, and I know the vendors that we work with love it too. Sometimes we’re doing two or three weddings within one week, and each one is so different and unique because they’re putting these personal touches on their events and wanting to make the most of the celebration piece.”

Adilen Perez, director of catering and conference services at Mission Resort + Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, likes to remind couples going into the process to make the wedding about themselves and to not worry about living up to the preconceived notions they may have in their heads.

“I feel like couples don’t know what they don’t know, and they always think you have to do things a certain way,” she says. “So I tell them early on when we do our tours, ‘Just so you know, you don’t have to do a first dance if it’s something you don’t want. You can change your ceremony and who stands where.’

“We’re seeing a lot of [personalization], especially as couples become more knowledgeable and understand that they don’t have to fully go the traditional route. They can keep some of the traditional elements but still make it their own.”

Fortunately, couples in Florida have plenty of options whether they lean more to the traditional wedding or seek something more “them.”

Selecting the Right Venue

Personalizing a wedding starts with the perfect location to fit the couple, and opportunities abound in Central Florida and throughout the Sunshine State.

“I would say a lot of [today’s weddings are] nontraditional, especially here, because we’re such a laid-back venue,” says Leah Herring, director of catering at Shephard’s Beach Resort in Clearwater Beach. “We’re directly on the beach and it’s an entertainment resort, so we have all kinds of things to do. … The ceremony can be right on a portion of our beach, so it’s a private beach on our property that has a sunset view. It’s very pretty and it doesn’t ever get old.”

There are so many picturesque settings to hold a wedding in Florida that take advantage of the natural surroundings. At Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Palm Coast, for example, couples have multiple outdoor venues to choose from, with options that overlook the Atlantic Ocean or the resort’s pristine golf courses and even opportunities to have their toes in the sand while saying their vows. The Grand Event Lawn area is especially popular and features well-manicured, colorful landscapes and a grand staircase.

At Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach, options include ceremonies on the beach or on the pool deck for water views. The Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront likewise offers a chance for a dream beach wedding that includes private access and a large oceanfront deck. Afterwards, the adult beverages flow at two rollicking beach bars.

For a different kind of experience that still highlights the outdoors, the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden offers three unique options, starting with The Courtyard, where guests are treated to the sights of lush tropical foliage and the sounds of a gentle waterfall to enhance the romance. The Terrace can be used for both the ceremony and reception to kick off a nighttime party under the stars, and The Butterfly Garden provides more of a cozy space surrounded by flowering shrubs and fluttering butterflies.

Whether opting for an indoor or outdoor wedding at the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine, a luxurious event is basically a guarantee. The historic property can accommodate an intimate affair or a large gathering, and each one will immerse visitors in a world of art, culture and romance.

Orlando residents can stay closer to home for the ideal setting as well. At Mission Resort + Club, Perez says there are three exceptional outdoor venues, including the Plaza de la Fontana nestled in the heart of the resort; Legends Courtyard, which has a lake backdrop and is shaded by live oaks; and Marina Del Rey, a secluded lakeside setting.

At Reunion Resort & Golf Club in Kissimmee, one of the more distinctive options is a venue referred to as Eleven. Situated on the 11th floor, the flexible indoor/outdoor space can allow couples to say “I do” in front of incredible sunset and skyline views and incorporate fireworks into the celebration. The resort also boasts the Grand Falls Patio, an open-lawn venue at the foot of a cascading waterfall, and the Grande Ballroom, a massive indoor space that can accommodate up to 540 guests.

Casani Estates in Groveland offers multiple waterfront ceremony sites and the Garden Pavilion for receptions of up to 250 guests. The stunning property includes beautiful Twin Lake and forests with towering pines and majestic oaks.

The Lakefront Pavilion at Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista offers great views of the hotel lake and a comfortable outdoor ceremony option. Couples can keep the party going inside at the Bella Vista Ballroom or the more intimate Serenity Room.

Gallery J allows couples to tap into their creative side while planning their big day, providing two distinctive studio spaces connected by an elegant foyer. The Gallery Studio is reminiscent of a Philadelphia or Chicago jazz club, while J Street is made to look like an amazing outdoor venue under the stars without even having to walk outside and battle the elements.

Planning Something Special

Once the venue has been chosen, it’s time to focus on the rest of the preparations. Having a trusted wedding planner like Dieudonne Thomas-Wilson, the founder and creative director of Immaculate Events in Orlando, can not only do wonders for the special day but will also take a lot of stress out of the equation. She has produced more than 200 weddings and events and makes it a priority to get to know her clients well in order to deliver nuptials that have a personal touch and will be enjoyable for each and every guest.

A fun part of the wedding planning can be selecting a song for the first dance, and for those nervous about showing off their moves in front of everyone they know, the team at Arthur Murray Dance Centers in Orlando can be of assistance. Wedding specialist Mandi Connor encourages couples to come in at least three to six months before their wedding, because developing and learning a choreography isn’t as easy as they make it look on Dancing With the Stars. That also leaves plenty of time for them to create a dance that perfectly suits the couple’s love for each other.

“When we do our consultation … it’s our opportunity to show them what type of dance they can do with their song and get them feeling it on the floor,” Connor says. “Then afterwards, we chitchat with them and develop a plan once they’ve let us know what their vision is. Usually we like to ask, ‘What words do you want to describe your first dance?’ That gives us an idea. If one says romantic and the other says flashy, that gives us two words we can use to create something super personalized.

“That’s also what’s fun about wedding couples: We get a chance to create something that nobody else will get to do. These are moves we plan just for them and steps we create just for that couple based on their personalities and what they want their first dance to feel like.”

Connor adds that most couples just want a first dance that is simple and beautiful and won’t leave them feeling awkward in the spotlight. Others, however, desire something a little more theatrical, and Arthur Murray has wedding packages to support both types.

“Sometimes the couples want to do multiple songs,” she says. “So they’ll start with something slow and simple, and then it will switch to a salsa or it will switch to something where they’re side by side and doing a mash-up of music. Especially with TikTok and Instagram and all of those videos that have that kind of cute, clever mix, that’s becoming more and more popular. They want to have that wow moment and they want to have fun together.”

A Personalized Day

Today’s wedding guests may notice the event is something different from what they’ve experienced in the past right from the outset, whether it’s the personal décor, the digital guest books or the creative dress codes.

“Even the walk down the aisle for the bride, a lot of them are now opting to have both their mom and dad with them, as opposed to just having their dad walk them,” Perez says. “They want both parents to play a role in the day.”

She adds that because her resort is pet-friendly, many clients are including their beloved dogs in the ceremony. Other times, the bride and groom just want to be alone as they officially become hitched, and opt to not have a wedding party or even a best man and maid of honor.

If there is a wedding party, all the bridesmaids are not necessarily going to look the same. “Not a lot of people do the matching dress thing anymore,” Herring says. “It’s more of their own unique style brought to it. And a lot of brides have been doing mid-reception changes into another outfit recently, which is definitely new.”

Perez recently planned a reception where, instead of having guests sit at numbered tables, the couple chose to name each table for a city or country that they visited together. Personal touches have also made their way to the menus, with buffet-style replacing plated dinners as the most common.

“When I started in this industry, it was rare to see weddings have a buffet, because it was almost like it was frowned upon,” Williams says. “Now we have couples who are customizing the dinner to have foods that they like to get together. We’ve seen people who want to do cheeseburgers and hot dogs as the late-night snack for their guests because they met at the ballpark, and they want to bring that personal touch to it.”

Wedding cakes are still popular, but on a smaller scale and with more decorative flair. They’re also usually complemented by other desserts that have a personal connection to the couple, such as donut walls, sundae bars, pies, Bundt cakes and cookie tables.

The wedding experience for guests is an emphasis as well, especially at resorts for a destination wedding. “We’re big on what we call ‘wedding weekends,’” Perez says. “So when we’re doing tours with couples, we’re showcasing how they can not just come here for their wedding but for the full experience. We have the two golf courses, we have the pontoon boats, we have the spa—we let them know all the other activities that they can do while they’re here.”

Clearly, there are many ways to make a wedding your own, and couples are really only limited by their own imagination. When it all comes together for a perfect event, there is no greater feeling for the people who help make it happen.

“That’s why I continue to do what I do, because it’s self-rewarding being able to expedite these weddings,” Williams says. “There are some that come with more challenges than others, but obviously at the end of the day, if the couple is happy and it’s what they wanted, then that’s a win for me.”