50 Wedding Ideas for 2021

2. Feature Your Motto on a Neon Sign

Do you have a saying or a motto that sums up your relationship? Quirky nicknames? A great catchline? A neon sign adds not only an interesting twist to your reception lighting, but also creates a great momento that you can hang in your home.  Radikal Neon are one of the best.

Jess and Jay’s ‘song’ is this Six60 classic and was the perfect choice for a neon sign. 

3. Include Your Grandparents While You Get Ready

When we ask our couples who their VIP’s are, so often it’s their grandparents. In the whirlwind of a wedding day, it can be hard to squeeze in some quality time with your close family members, so inviting them to help you get ready can be a special way to acknowledge how important they are to you. 

4. Share Your Vows in Private

If it is important to you to have a traditional wedding ceremony, there sometimes isn’t as much space for the personal stuff as you’d like. Sharing your vows privately and without the pressure of a crowd can be an amazing experience. 

Chandana and Sai knew that their 3 day Indian wedding would be full on, so before it all began, they took some time alone to share their vows in private. We were lucky enough to be there to capture this time for them.

5. Leave Love Notes in Unexpected Places

Surprise your other half with a love note on the morning of the wedding. Ask a family member to deliver it, or hide it somewhere for them to find.

James took this to the next level, by leaving love notes (signs) for his wife Jacque strategically planted along the route she would take to their wedding ceremony. 

6. Have an Outdoor Fire for Marshmallows

Tap into the summer night nostalgia and create a mellow (pun fully intended) space for guests who want to chill out a little more. Hay bales make for easy seating, paired with blankets to rug up with. 

Jen and Sam completed their festival vibe with several chill out spaces for guests at Jonkers Farm.

7. Try a No-Look First-Look

Love the idea of connecting before the ceremony but want to keep some of the element of surprise? A no-look first-look can take any number of forms and builds anticipation.

Megan and Isaac wanted to take a moment before their Catholic ceremony to say a prayer together. Staying on opposite sides of the wall of the church, they got to hold hands and still have the big reveal as Megan walked up the aisle. 

8. Use Confetti for Dramatic Effect

Confetti is the perfect way to level up a moment by 500%. Most commonly used to celebrate the moment you’re pronounced as married, but there are a bunch of other opportunities throughout a wedding day that are made even cooler with a confetti explosion.

Shing and Hao’s first dance crescendo was perfectly timed with a lift and spin under a shower of confetti. 

9. Stack Cheese for a Levelled Up Wedding Cake

Cake is good. Cheese is better. Mix up the cake cutting tradition by stacking wheels of cheese instead of fruit cake. Cut your ‘cake’ earlier in the afternoon and you’ve got the perfect cheese platter for your canapes, or later in the evening to serve with tea and coffee. 

Rosie and Darion were super excited about getting married. But in the lead up to the wedding, I think we had more conversations about the Over The Moon Creamy Blue Cheese that would be the top layer of their cake than any other part of the preparations. (And I’m not even sorry about it). 

10. Include a Traditional Ceremony to Honour Your Heritage

Even if it doesn’t play a part in your daily lives, acknowledging your heritage on your wedding day is an important nod to those who have supported you.

We’ve seen many tea ceremonies, prayers and games that add another layer of storytelling and heritage to a wedding day. 

Scott and Katrina incorporated a tea ceremony for their closest family members.

11. Go Seasonal With Your Flowers

If you have a particular look in mind, this may not be the one for you. Picking up a bunch of seasonal flowers from your florist means you’ll get the best possible price on your flowers – plus a lovely surprise on the day!

Shannon put her trust in her local florist by not pre-ordering a specific look, but rather requesting a mix of whatever was available on the day. The result was an incredible relaxed looking bouquet of meadow picked flowers. 

12. Go Stargazing

If your wedding is away from the city lights and you are blessed with clear skies, taking  a few minutes out of your evening to cuddle with your new husband or wife and reflecting on what a cool day you’ve had can be a real highlight. If you’ve invested in a pro photographer, they’ll be able to capture this moment and create an epic photo in the process. 

Isaac captured this photo of Alison and Ben at their Scenic Rim wedding in Australia. Being miles from the nearest big city meant he could capture these guys taking in the Milky Way.

13. Ask Your Guests to Bless The Rings

This is an awesome way to include all your guests in the ceremony. At the start of the ceremony the celebrant announces that the wedding rings will be quietly passed around each of the guests where they’re able to hold them for a few moments and infuse them with blessings and warm fuzzies. 

14. Use Bubbles Instead of Confetti

While there are some awesome eco-confetti options out there, if your venue doesn’t allow confetti of any type, consider having a bubble exit instead.

Andy and Katie gave each of their guests a bubble wand to wave enthusiastically as they walked back down the aisle. 

15. Have a Grazing Platter

The thing we love most about grazing platters over traditional canapes is how easy it is to create something substantial for your guests. Plus they look cool.

We’ve seen some pretty epic grazing platters in recent months. Kumeu Valley Estate is particularly awesome at this!

16. Take Your Wedding Portraits on Another Day 

While we’re all for creating some ‘wow’ photos for your walls, your day shouldn’t feel like a photoshoot with a ceremony thrown in. If you want to make the most of the time with your guests, take a couple of quick wedding day portraits, and then come adventuring with us on another day. You get to maximize your party time, and have complete creative freedom with how your portraits look without any time restrictions and travel factors. 

Malcolm and Delzin knew their wedding day was going to be pretty full on, so instead of leaving the reception – we took 5 mins worth of photos on the day itself and then met up a couple of days later out at Muriwai for an epic sunset session. 

17. Get Ready at a Venue That Doubles as a Photo Location

If you’re hiring a venue to get ready in, you might be able to tick off an epic photo location option at the same time. 

Rosie and Darion both got ready at Pukehina Beach. Rosie’s epic airbnb was not only a super special place for all her girls to get ready at, but gave us access to the most spectacular view of the bay below. 

18. Pamper The Guys With a Shave

Everyone loves to be treated, but the guys often get overlooked in the pampering department when it comes to weddings. A hot shave in the morning can be an awesome treat as well as an opportunity to spend a bit more time with your best mates. 

Shane booked in at Auckland barbers Barkers Groom Room for a hot shave and a haircut for him and his groomsmen for the morning of his wedding. 

19. Consider a First-Look With Your Family 

First looks don’t just have to be with the wedding couple. Having a ‘big reveal’ moment can be super special for parents, kids and the bridal party. 

John and Liz wanted Liz’s daughter to have a moment of her own to shine. This super cute moment was a great way to acknowledge more than just the bride and groom. 

20. Have a Kids Area at Your Reception 

If you’re a couple who have a lot of kids in your life, set them up with their own special area. They’ll feel more at home and have a quiet corner they can snuggle up in later in the night.

Corrie and James’ guest list included a lot of their favourite little people. They created a low table with cushions and entertainment packs for all their junior guests. 

21. Customise the Details of Your Bridal Party’s Outfits

Have fun with the almighty power of being able to dress your best mates however you like for one day only.

Darion surprised his groomsmen with these epic socks featuring none other than… himself. 

22. Watch the Sun Set Together

Photographers often call the hour before sunset the magic hour. And it really is transformative. Not only will taking some time out together to watch the sunset be a memorable experience, you’ll probably end up with some of your favourite photos from the whole day.

Ty and Wendy saved their bubbles until after we’d taken some photos and returned to their ceremony spot. They toasted to an epic day while they watched the sunset together. 

23. Kick Off the Dance Floor With a Sparkler Entrance

Sparkler photos are cool, but even cooler is involving your guests in the experience too. Even the most stoic of guests can’t help but be enchanted by sparkly things on fire.
The joy is contagious and we can pretty much guarantee magic will be made. If you don’t want to wait until the end of the evening for this, creating an arch of sparklers can be an awesome entrance to your first dance.

Carla and Isaac finished their evening off with a grand sparkler exit and the biggest smiles. 

24. Create a Night Time Haven

While a lot of attention often goes into the daytime decorations, a lot of your wedding day will be spent after dark (especially in winter). Creating a cozy night time space with candles and festoon lights will transform the space and create a whole new vibe for the latter half of your party. 

Ketan and Sejal’s summer wedding meant that their outdoor reception completely transformed after dark.

25. Keep Your Guests Entertained with Lawn Games They Haven’t Seen Before.

Go with the classics OR explore the deeper realms of the internet to find some new and exciting lawn games. Or get an adult bouncy castle. 

Who wouldn’t want to play a lawn game with inflatable pigs?

26. Change Up Your Arch Shape

This season we’ve seen couples step away from the classic “arch” shape and we’re loving it! Having a central point for your ceremony gives shape and balance (things us geeky photographers love) and hexagons, triangles and semicircles keep it modern and provide a framework for a range of embellishments. 

Harley and Emma’s circular toetoe arch took influence from the surrounding landscape and looked epic from all angles. 

27. Prepare a Surprise Dance Routine

Seriously, you don’t have to be a professional dancer to pull this off. In fact, the less likely your guests are to suspect this, the more they’re going to have their minds blown. 

Savannah has a background as a dancer. Ryan… doesn’t. Their first dance complete with leaps and spins brought the house down and Ryan became an instant legend. 

28. Sing Your Entrance

We’ve seen this go down a couple of ways – where the person waiting at the top of the aisle sings to their partner walking towards them – or the person walking up the aisle does the singing. Either way, hearts melted, tears flowed and we did our best to focus through our own misty eyes.

Trent planned to play guitar while a friend sang ‘Forever’ (the Ben Harper song) while Rach walked up the aisle. During the rehearsal and unbeknownst to Rachel, Trent was convinced that he should do the singing. Rachels’ walk up the aisle included a corner so she wasn’t able to see who was singing to her until she rounded the corner. It was instant tears as each person rounded the corner and saw who was singing. 

29. Spend Some Time Together on The Morning of Your Wedding

If you’re getting ready separately from your fiancé, consider spending some time together on the morning of your wedding. Sharing the excitement and anticipation with the one person who really gets it is pretty priceless.

Arianne and Dexter took an early morning walk together and took a moment to acknowledge the significance of the day ahead. 

30. Send Life Size Cutouts of Guests Who Can’t Attend

Do you have some of your favourite people who can’t make it to your wedding? Send a stand in! These guys make life-size cardboard cutouts so your friends or family can be immortalized in your photos forever as well as ensuring plenty of smiles from your other guests. 

Some of Jess and Jay’s closest friends couldn’t attend their wedding, but that didn’t stop them featuring throughout their day. They were up front for the speeches and went wild on the dance floor later in the evening. 

31. Surprise The Party Goers With Late Night Bites

If you’re partying into the night, what could be better than surprise fried food once everyone is a few beers deep. Serve up a round of chips, sliders or even some sausages rolls and your guests will be stoked. 

Sam and Matt catered their festival wedding with some epic food trucks, but the highlight of their rather chilly evening was when the fresh mini donuts appeared. 

32. Geek Out a Bit On Your Cake Topper

For all the love that goes into it, the cake cutting doesn’t really get a huge amount of air time on your wedding day. 30 seconds and it’s all over. Keep your guests looking a little longer by quirking it up a bit with personalised cake toppers. 

Or share your enthusiasm for your wedding day… Like Cribby and Loren did.

33. Hire a Magician

Or encourage your talented friends to show off a few of their favourite card tricks. Nothing is more entertaining when you’re a few wines deep than some serious magic. Or watching people a few wines deep watching magic. 

Josh and Vesa’s magician was completely impromptu, but he brought the house down. There were multiple cries on “Encore!” and the ever building chant “magic, magic, magic, MAGIC!” 

34. Have a Cookie Cake

And get it from Moustache Milk and Cookie Bar. 

35. Surprise Your Guests With a Fireworks Display

Further to the above suggestion about sparklers, you really don’t need much to entertain a group of slightly tipsy adults. And if you’d like to keep them a safe distance from the action, having an expert put on a fireworks display for you can be an epic surprise. 

Richard and Demi put on one of the most impressive fireworks displays I’ve ever seen – let alone at a wedding. Even cooler – while their guests were busy outside with the fireworks, a team was busy inside transforming the reception area into a Disney themed wonderland, complete with Disney Characters and a lit-up dance floor. 

36. Create a Light-Based Head Table in Place of Flowers

Most of the time you’ll spend at the head table will be during the evening, so planning ahead how your lighting is going to look is well worth it. If you’re hanging lights above the head table, remember to bring them slightly in front of you rather than directly above or behind you. Your photographer will thank you for removing the “Panda eyes” look of overhead lights and this will give a subtle spotlight for your head table. 

If you’re looking for amazing lighting, look no further than La Lumiere. Masters at creating mood and ambience, they’re lighting gurus who can transform any space. 

37. Ditch the Seated Meal

If a sit down meal isn’t your thing and you want to keep the evening free-flowing, having a “walk-and-fork” style menu means your guests can spend much more of their time mingling. If you’re in Auckland, Luca from Napoli Central will sort you out.

Rach and Marty levelled up their walk-and-fork style dinner with… gourmet pizzas! They wanted a relaxed evening and this perfectly set the tone and left everyone completely stuffed and happy.  

38. Play People Bingo

The idea of forcing guest interaction may make introverts go looking for a corner to hide in, but this is a nice gentle one. Creating a “People Bingo” is a great excuse for people to introduce themselves in a chilled environment. Of all the ice-breakers we’ve seen – this one is a goodie (Confirmed by a genuine introvert). 

Rain brought Craig and Justine’s guests inside, and it was awesome to see everyone connecting and chatting while they collected their people for bingo. 

39. Set a Bright Dress Code

Liven up your day and encourage guests to wear their boldest and brightest attire. The sense of joy this brings to a wedding day is not to be underestimated. 

Jarrad and Brendan’s wedding invitation requested guests to “wear something colourful”. Paired but multicoloured bouquets and the most amazing rainbow cake you’ve ever seen, their day was bursting with colour and joy. 

40. Write Each Guest an Introduction

You’ve spent hours poring over the seating plan and now you’ve just got to cross your fingers and hope everyone gets along at each table. Do them one more favour and write each guest an epic introduction that can be shared around the table. Let’s face it – people are awkward, so giving your guests some talking points for things they may have in common or amusing anecdotes (for the ones who can handle it!) will break the ice.

41. Create a Photo Wall for Guest Selfies

If you’re not in the market for a photobooth, dedicating and decorating one wall in your reception room can create a cool backdrop for your guests to take their own guest photos. Personalise it with your catchphrase (see neon sign suggestion above!) your names, or just a bit of decor from your room. Bonus points if you can place it in an area with flattering lighting!

Christine and Dale created this awesome backdrop that we used to create this photo. But before this moment, their guests loved taking their own selfies in front of it throughout the night. 

42. Find Confetti Alternatives

Traditional paper confetti isn’t overly environmentally friendly – but fear not – there are some great options out there. Dried or fresh flower petals are an obvious alternative. If you have a hole punch handy, punching holes out of leaves can make for a super fine and biodegradable alternative.
If you’re looking for something in the confetti cannon range – these guys are well worth checking out.

Tessa and Elliot went with multi coloured rose petals to be used as confetti and the result is ridiculously joyful. 

43. Create a Surprising Aisle

The ceremony aisle is often an overlooked opportunity to incorporate more of your theme into the day.

Cam and Michelle were married in the height of Autumn, so their aisle made completely out of fallen leaves tied the amazing colours throughout every photo.

44. Use Dried Flowers in Your Bouquet

The rise in popularity of dried flowers means they’re much more readily available. And if you’d like to have a go at creating your own bouquet, using dried flowers means you have plenty of time to forage, practice and plan ahead of time. Plus you’ll get to keep your bouquet for years to come. 

A word of warning – the foraging / drying business is rather addictive and you may find yourself with a dried wreath for every room of your house before you know it, not to mention scouring roadsides for interesting looking weeds to hang upside down

45. Provide Blankets For Later in the Evening

If you’re having a marquee wedding, or even just want to create a bit of indoor-outdoor flow later in the evening, your guests will love a pile of warm blankets to snug up with.

Keryn and Glenn wanted to keep all their guests comfy throughout the evening – so this stack of blankets was snapped up pronto!

46. Rethink the Head Table Decoration

Having a lot of decoration on your head table looks awesome in an empty room, but once you’re seated it has the potential to get a little overwhelming.

Dan and Vic incorporated their head table decorations into the space behind them rather than in front. This created an epic backdrop for their photos throughout the night but meant everyone could see them clearly. 

47. Create a Bouquet of Greenery

Not everyone is a flower person. If you want to include a bouquet but don’t want anything too “floral”, we’ve seen some incredible bouquets created just from leaves and greenery.

Rebecca is a conservationist and the NZ native bush is incredibly important to her. Not only did we make this a major feature of their wedding photos, but she carried this theme throughout her day with her native leaves bouquet. 

48. Bring Something Comfy to Wear to Your Reception

Interpret this as broadly as you like. From a comfy pair of shoes to slip into once your feet are tucked under the table… to slippers… to an outfit change that’s going to let you party into the night.

Our amazing friends Sholto and Kimberley took this to the next level with a late night outfit change – into their jammie pants. I can tell you every single one of the guests left on the dance floor was incredibly jealous that we hadn’t thought of bringing their trackies and fluffy socks. 

49. Enjoy a Picnic Lunch Together

If you’ve decided to take your photos before your ceremony, make the most of your time alone and pack a picnic lunch. 

Jess and Jay’s family surprised them with a hamper with all their favourite food. We found the perfect spot on top of Mt Ruapehu for them to take a moment to hang out together. 

50. Include Some of Your Morning Routine Into Your Wedding Day

If your wedding is in the afternoon, chances are you’ll have a bit of spare time in the morning. Setting aside some “me time” can be a grounding and calming experience in an exciting but intense day!

Victoria loves the ocean and she knew that this is exactly how she wanted to spend her wedding morning. We were lucky enough to join her, and capture these photos of her in her element. 

51. Have a twilight wedding

Ok – I know we said 50 wedding ideas, but we just couldn’t help sneaking our all time favourite wedding idea in here too. This one has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

Craig and Ashley took one amazing gamble and decided to have an outdoor twilight ceremony that was nothing short of magical.