Traditional weddings have been the way to get married for centuries. However, this is slowly changing as more and more couples are looking for a modern touch on their special day. In recent decades, weddings have become less expensive and less formal to plan, which is one of the reasons why modern weddings are becoming more popular with the younger generations. 

This article will guide you through the main differences between traditional and modern weddings as well as the pros and cons to help you decide the wedding type that’s right for you.

Traditional Weddings

The traditional wedding is a classic favorite, and for a good reason. Weddings are usually grand events that may last all day or even multiple days. Guests would usually be invited to attend all these events, from the rehearsal dinner to the after-party at the new couple’s home.

Traditional weddings can be costly to plan as couples are expected to offer meals and transportation for their guests, also accommodation for anyone out of town. Traditional weddings can also be much work for couples who want to take most of the event planning themselves. 

Pros and Cons of Traditional Weddings

Let’s look at the benefits and disadvantages of a traditional wedding.

Pros

• Guests will respect the significance of the ceremony and will come prepared to appreciate your event.
• Traditional weddings consist of family traditions and cultural significance.
• Traditional weddings are straightforward to plan.

Cons

• Traditional weddings are usually expensive, especially if you have many events over multiple days.
• The bride and groom require a lot of time and effort to successfully pull off a traditional wedding.
• Due to the rigid nature of planning a traditional wedding, it can be quite stressful.

Modern Weddings

Weddings have become less formal in recent decades and significantly cost less to plan, which is why couples opt for this kind of wedding. Instead of having a specific set of cultural traditions to follow, the couple has the freedom to plan exactly how they want to celebrate their nuptials. 

Couples can save money, time and stress by choosing a more contemporary celebration while still getting the magical celebration they’ve always wanted. 

Pros and Cons of Modern Weddings

Next, let’s find out the pros and cons of a modern wedding. 

Pros

• They’re less expensive than traditional weddings as you don’t have to include certain aspects and there are no preconceived expectations. 
• Modern weddings also offer more flexibility during the planning recess as there are no official rules to follow.
• There’s room for creativity in terms of planning additional events or activities.

Cons

• There aren’t any official wedding norms recognized by all your guests. This means that some people may not understand what’s expected of them.
• If you’re not used to planning events, it can be hard to know where to start.
• If you have families involving the planning who have traditional expectations, this may cause some discord. 

As you can see, there are a few pros and cons to both traditional and modern weddings. However, to understand the differences between the two types of weddings, let’s look at the main differences in every aspect. 

Differences between Modern and Traditional Weddings

It’s not an overstatement to say that a wedding is one of the most important events in your life. Most of us already have a clear idea of a dream wedding. And even though you might not be able to fly your favorite people to a remote island, you still have plenty of options to make it a perfect day. 

We’ll go through the key differences between modern and traditional weddings, from sending out invitations, wedding attires to walking down the aisle; we’ll cover all the details.

The Wedding Invitation

Wedding invitations are traditionally sent out to guests on behalf of the bride’s family. This way. Her parents’ names would be mentioned before the bride’s and groom’s names. In modern weddings, couples put their names as they usually finance the wedding. Also, the couple gets to decide whose name will be written first. 

Wedding Attire

At traditional weddings, guests wearing black attire is a major taboo, along with shades of red too! Guests are expected to wear white, cream or ivory. However, there might not even be a dress code for modern weddings. Modern celebrations let guests wear whatever they want – or couples may create their thoughtful dress and color code. 

Wedding Presents

Gifts to complete a newlywed’s new home together, like crockery, cutlery and ornament were all essentials during traditional weddings. Nowadays, couples tend to live together before they tie the knot, so gift registers aren’t needed. However, cash gifts are a common addition in modern weddings as they can be generous gifts to find for a honeymoon. 

Walking Down the Aisle

Traditionally, the bride’s father accompanies her down the aisle. This is not the case for same-sex marriages as it’s becoming more prevalent today. It all comes down to personal preferences of who undertakes this honorable task. This is also the case in modern weddings, where brides or grooms can choose whom to walk with or even walk unaccompanied. 

Conclusion – Traditional or Modern Wedding?

What type of wedding are you considering? As we’ve mentioned, there are advantages to both types. Modern weddings don’t have traditional limitations and you and your partner can take care of every detail, including the ceremony, theme, wedding venue, vows and many more. 

On the other hand, traditional weddings let couples respect their time-old traditions and celebrate them like their relatives. However, no one says you can combine them both! Make sure to find out more tips for weddings and anything related to it on Bali Wedding.