How to Add a Contemporary Twist to Your Wedding

Your wedding day should be one of the most precious and memorable days of your entire life. It’s a celebration of love, commitment, and the beginning of a new and exciting chapter. It’s also a day that often includes traditions that have stood the test of time.

However, some traditions can feel a little outdated and old, especially in today’s world.

So, if you are looking to add a fresh and contemporary twist to your New Jersey wedding, we’re here to help. Follow these tips and tricks to have the ultimate modern wedding in the venue of your dreams.

Your Venue Choice is Essential

Your choice of venue is the single most important factor when it comes to setting the mood for your wedding. You want to ensure the location can capture your vision for your big day and make it uniquely yours.

Contemporary aesthetics are generally more muted or neutral, soft colors that lean towards gray or earthy tones. If you want your wedding to look fresh and modern, try to select a venue that matches this color palette. Additionally, the furnishings at the venue should be similarly stylish and on theme.

Our 360SiteVisit is an excellent tool for virtually browsing the best wedding venues in New Jersey, and it can certainly help you find your ideal contemporary match.

Décor is Key

Once you’ve found the wedding venue of your dreams, you need to curate a complementary décor plan. This process truly cements the atmosphere of the space, so your décor should round off your modern aesthetic in an elegant and tasteful manner.

Contemporary features should be minimalist and sleek. Prioritize clean-cut lines, and if you want to use patterns, ensure that they’re geometric.

Another important consideration is the materials used for the décor. It’s recommended that you opt for a smooth finish in the form of glass or well-sanded wood. Whatever you choose, it’s vital that you consistently revisit photos of your chosen wedding location to ensure continuity in the overall aesthetic of your big day.

Some couples who want a contemporary wedding will pair a muted color palette with the occasional colorful accent to add a pop of their personality. Perhaps you want to sprinkle a dash of royal blue or moss green on your wedding to match your vibrant and creative side? Décor offers the perfect opportunity to diversify your color palette without overwhelming the contemporary minimalist aesthetic.

Personalize Your Ceremony

Regardless of personal taste or time period, one of the most rigid features of any wedding is the ceremony. Deviating from tradition for your ceremony may be one of the best ways to ensure that your unique and contemporary wedding is remembered by everyone for years to come.

To modernize the tradition, you can change up the way you walk down the aisle, the order in which you make an appearance or even the way your bridesmaids or groomsmen stand or sit during the ceremony. It could be immensely special to have your parents by your side when saying your I dos. After all, weddings signify the merging of two families. Involve your nearest and dearest as much as you like!

Another effective strategy for adding a contemporary twist to your ceremony is to hire a marriage officiant who is willing to contribute a fresh flavor to the usual proceedings. Contact your chosen wedding location to ask whether they have any contacts for a reliable, open-minded, and non-traditional wedding officiant. Alternatively, you can view a list of qualified wedding Officiants right here on 360SiteVisit among other wedding professionals. 

Add a Lounge

Having a lounge is one of the most practical and enjoyable ways to add a contemporary twist to your big day. Often, a reception will offer seating at a table and a dance floor. This creates a rather formal and old-fashioned atmosphere.

Including a lounge area with sofas and soft carpets ensures that your guests can chat with friends in a cozy, comfortable space.

Get Creative with Entertainment

Every great contemporary wedding venue will have a designated entertainment space and dance floor. Traditionally, weddings are typically accompanied by a string quartet or pianist. If you want a modern wedding, you need to get creative with entertainment genres.

Weddings today often have musicians specializing in jazz fusion or indie folk songs. You could even take the contemporary twist one step further and hire a DJ to play electronic music. This is sure to draw everyone from your young nieces and nephews to grandparents onto the dance floor to boogie the night away.

If you want to add extra flair you can hire a magician to entertain guests while you're having your photos taken, or a caricature artist or cartoonist to draw people quickly and gift them their picture.

Contemporary Cuisine

Adding a fun twist to your wedding’s food and drinks is a great way to modernize traditional wedding catering. That said, this step is completely optional as New Jersey’s top venues are known for their consistently delicious and wedding-appropriate food. If you utilize the wedding venue’s catering services, you could request food stations with small plates instead of serving a three-course sit-down meal.

Food trucks are another popular contemporary catering option. They have a delightfully casual atmosphere which can help your wedding to feel current and fresh. When it comes to drinks and alcohol, hiring a professional mixologist who’s up to date with the latest craft beers and cocktail trends is always a hit. One that can do a bit of flaring is a great choice too, especially if it involves some fire!

Say Farewell In Style

Leaving your venue for a honeymoon is an exciting moment and one that you should celebrate. A just-married car with cans tied to the bumper was the traditional mode of exit, but you can shake this up in so many more modern ways. Depending on your venue’s location, you can roar off on a motorbike, speed off in a sleek sports car, sail away in a boat, or even hire a helicopter to whisk you away.

It’s also a great idea to forego the more formal going away attire and don something cute and couple-y that everyone will remember. Themed matching couples t-shirts are a great way to make a statement, and you’ll be far more comfortably dressed for traveling too.

Use your imagination to end your wedding on a high note in the most contemporary way you can think of. 

If you follow these guidelines for curating the contemporary wedding of your dreams, you’ll remember it forever—and so will your guests!