What exactly do you mean by 'non-traditional'? A Wiccan wedding? Getting married skydiving? Holding the reception at a nudist colony? Having all the guests wear Groucho Marx sunglasses? How far 'out there' are you looking to consider? Is just holding the event in Vegas wacky enough?

I know of people who had a Rennaisance/Medevil wedding (even the guests were asked to dress accordingly). Some friends of mine flew with close family to the carribean and were married on a beach there. Another couple had their ceremony at Silver Dollar City at the chapel (that was pretty traditional though).

What are their interests and hobbies? That might help us come up with a perfect idea.

Oh, she was just wondering about what others might have had, that worked, and didn't cost an arm and a leg, and nothing strange. It was just sort of idle conversation, and she wanted me to ask my imaginary friends!! Oh, and it would have to be a Christian ceremonh.

One can have a Christian ceremony while doing many sorts of things - skydiving would be one, LOL, and so would be driving down the highway on motorcycles.

The Christian ceremony is about the vows, and the couple's beliefs. There are many ways to incorporate those beliefs and vows into a non-traditional setting.

We were married in the Catholic faith, but not in the church with big wedding. Just us, the priest and our parents in the rectory. Then out to dinner and back to in laws for a cake. Very nice and no $$.
Kathy G in MI

I deal with brides and mothers on a daily basis. I work along side Vicki_lv_nv in Las Vegas' largest party rental store and it blows me away every time! Many have no budget while others are very frugal.

Backyard weddings with a "theme" can be so pretty and very economical if planned properly. You do not need high dollar linens or tents draped in silk to have the dream wedding. Spend those thousands of dollars towards a downpayment on a house.

Nice chairs -vs- chair covers and bows...take the nice chairs....two weeks after your wedding no one will
remember what they sat on! BUT they will be able to tell you what they ate/drank and most likely what the bride was
wearing! No joking!!!!

I did a Hawaiian theme for my son and DIL....in our backyard and we had a blast.

If you need more details...I will be happy to assist!

Do you live in Minnesota--the "mn"? A lakeside wedding would be nice too. A nice backyard can be lovely at the right time of year also as can be a pretty park.

Our DD got married on a lawn overlooking the harbor and the ocean. Both sets of parents had eloped. A neighbor girl got married in a local church, but her reception was on a lovely rented party boat cruising the bay for the evening. My son's good friend got married at a mountain resort and they rented out the lodge for their group. They walked up a lovely, grassy hill where the bride wearing white and the groom in a casual sport shirt, slacks and lei were married by her father.

So is she just thinking something simpler?

I was married in my parents' backyard, between 50-ft evergreens and a big, white barn, by my great uncle, a minister. The music was a woodwind trio of musicians I knew. We wrote our own vows. We had a small "lawn party" reception under a big canopy. We had badminton and croquet set up in the yard (as opposed to a fancy dinner and dancing, neither of which is much fun for DH or me).

My best friend was married in a state park. The reception was in a small lodge, about 40 guests, and the ceremony was in the adjacent clearing in the woods. It was beautiful. She wore a long gown and bare feet. Which wasn't as redneck as it sounds, it was more like Maid Marian. ;o) It was very old-world or something, a wedding in the woods, all she needed was fairies. She didn't have flower girls, but I could imagine little barefoot flower girls in tulle, ribbons and wings as the perfect touch!

A second cousin of mine had a traditional ceremony in a church, but her reception was a pig roast at her parents' house. Everyone had fun.

Those weren't "out there" non traditional, just simpler and certainly less expensive. They can think of places that have special meaning to them.

we were married in las vegas, at the little church of the west...(used to be on the strip, but has been moved) my parents lived there...

dd1 eloped amd was married in a friend's lr in seattle (long story, outlaws got bitter over the planned wedding in vegas)

ds1 was married in a friend of the bride's family, garden.

dd2 had a destination wedding in fl, on a beach...(and boy was it hot in may!)

last, ds2 was married in a chapel on the grounds of turn of the century, greenfield village (ford museum here in mi)

of them all, (aside from the elopement) i enjoyed the chapel wedding as for the location..it was in october and they all these pumpkins decorated, the leaves on the trees in full color...(didn't care for the reception)

dd2's reception was a brunch for 40 who came down to fl...then a bigger buffet a her fil's then apt rec center...both of them were nice.

the backyard wedding dinner was good in a tent, but had to fight mosquitos as the night wore on..

2 other weddings i've attended were in historical buildings (the first mission in san diego, and one at a place called the mariner's (?) chapel in ca (it's made of glass, and overlooks the ocean)

we also have a local historical home called the governor's mansion with a gazebo on the grounds that's a fave spot.

it really doesn't matter where the wedding is at as long as the bride and groom ar happpy and surrounded by family...i regret to this day i didn't get on the plane with dd1 and say the heck to her outlaws!

if money is a consideration, then have a "private" service and no reception...

These sound like good ideas. She just wanted some ideas to think about that others had found interesting and lovely, without being farout.

DH and I got married in a rose garden behind our local museum. It's a really pretty setting with arches and lots of roses. It was a very small wedding and afterwards we took everybody to dinner at a nice restaurant in town to celebrate. It was small and intimate.

Most non-traditional wedding are because of special interests of the bride and/or groom. It could be a hobby an activity or a setting they like. DD should start with her own likes,dislikes and interests in planning a non- traditional wedding. The whole idea of going non-traditional is to make the day special for the couple, not just to be different.

My DH and I got to know each other at a state student senate conference. So 4 years later the conference was at the same resort, although we weren't in college at the time. We had the exec director and the President of the organization as our witnesses and my 2 youngest kids made up the wedding party. We "eloped" with the kids. They always wanted to go out to eat with us on "our" anniversary.

DH and I were married by the Falls in Niagara and then we had dinner in a private dining room at a nearby Inn. Only our immediate families were invited. It was private and inexpensive and we had a great weekend.