There’s no better time than a wedding to get creative with unique ceremony ideas. And sometimes that means breaking with tradition.

Although there are many accepted (and expected) traditions that surround weddings, who says you can’t buck convention and create your own traditions?

Don’t want to wear a white dress? Wear any color you want. Want a ‘no aisle’ ceremony? Go for it.

Here are a few unconventional ceremony ideas to take you down the aisle less traveled.

1. Let your guests mingle over cocktails before the ceremony. (Ideal if you are not having a church wedding.)
2. Greet guests as they arrive at the ceremony site.
3. Face your guests during your wedding vows..
4. Have your guests sit or stand in a circle around you during your vows.
5. Have both parents walk you down the aisle.
6. Have your husband-to-be escort you to the altar.
7. Don’t have bridesmaids.
8. Have an uneven number of attendants. (Maybe you just want a maid of honor, but he wants three groomsmen.)
9. Have a “man of honor” instead of a maid of honor. (Your brother? A good male friend?)
10. Have the groom choose a “best woman.” (His sister? A good female friend?)
11. Don’t wear a veil.
12. Have bridesmaids carry candles instead of bouquets as they walk down the aisle.
13. Write your own vows.
14. Have a ring warming. (What’s a ring warming you ask? There are different versions of this, but generally the rings are placed in a small bag and are passed around to each guest prior to the ring exchange. Each guest blesses the rings or says a prayer.)
15. Choose unconventional processional and/or recessional music. (Love U2? Use a favorite U2 song. Love Leonard Cohen? Choose one of his songs. You don’t have to stick with Pachelbel’s Canon or Ode to Joy.)

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What’s the first word that comes to mind when I think of theme weddings? Unique.

If you’re the creative type that loves to do things a bit differently, a theme wedding might be just what you’re after.

Theme weddings are a great way to let your personality shine through. They can really bring out your playful side and your creativity. And because they are so unique (and usually fun!), you and your beloved won’t be the only ones raving about it. Out of all the conventional, cookie-cutter weddings your guests have been to, you can bet yours will be remembered.

Keeping your wedding intimate will make your themed wedding easier to pull off. If you have an historical theme, for instance, it’s much easier to have 40 guests arrive in period attire, than 200. Besides, it’s likely that the guests at your small wedding will know you well enough not to be taken aback by your wedding style, and therefore they’ll be more willing to play along.

Although there is usually more planning involved with theme weddings, – especially if you are carrying your theme over to everything from the food to the favors, keeping your guest list small will also help to reduce your planning time. It’s easier to wrap 40 favors, than 240!

Having a small wedding also means you’ll have more choice in location. If you are having an historical theme, there’s more chance you’ll find a museum or historical site to host your wedding if the guest list is not huge. If you’re having a nautical theme, it will be easier to find a boat to accommodate 75 than one that will fit 300.

Then there’s the issue of cost. Elaborate theme weddings, unique and lovely as they are, can be expensive. A Victorian wedding, complete with period attire, décor, musicians, food and other wedding details could be expensive. However, if there are only 30 on your guest list, your costs can be lower than if you had a large wedding without any of the unusual touches.

And as I mentioned earlier, an intimate wedding will enable you to get your guests involved. One way is to have them arrive in costume – perfect for a masquerade ball, a wedding with an historical theme, or a Halloween wedding. (If you decide to have guests dress the part, make sure you let them know of places that offer costume rental. Also offer suggestions on what they should wear. Someone invited to a medieval wedding might not have a clue on which type clothing was worn during this time period.) That said, realize that not everyone wants to arrive in costume at theme weddings. Unique favors, décor, as well as music and cuisine that all correspond to your chosen theme will go a long way in creating the desired theme.

Another way you can get your guests involved is have them participate in the wedding. For instance, you might choose to have a reenactment during a historically themed wedding. You can then encourage your guests to play a part in the reenactment. At an Easter themed wedding you might have a scavenger hunt during the reception that involves both your adult and younger guests.

Guests can also help decorate. What about a pumpkin carving party the night before a Halloween wedding? (The pumpkins could be used as centerpieces.)Or a tree trimming get together the night before a Christmas wedding? What about having guests decorate eggs the day before the wedding to be placed in baskets at an Easter wedding?

The guest list. For some couples it’s as easy as pie. For others, it’s the most difficult part of planning a wedding.

If you and your fiancé have big families, chances are you are in for more of a challenge. Add co-workers to the mix and you might feel a big headache coming on.

Take heart. Help is here for creating your small wedding guest list.

First, think about who you really WANT at your wedding. If great Aunt Lucy doesn’t come to mind, don’t invite her. If co-worker Bob (the one who invited you to his wedding) doesn’t make the initial cut, don’t add him to the list. A small wedding is not about inviting people out of obligation. It’s about inviting the people who really matter to you. Unless your parents are paying for a big chunk of the wedding costs, your guest list is up to you.

“But that’s not realistic,” I can hear you saying. “People will be offended. I will be scorned.”

There is a chance that some people might feel left out. However, the chances of that happening are a lot less likely if you are honest with them. Gently let people who have not been invited (and think they should be) know that you are having a small wedding and that you are only having a few guests. Chances are that given the current state of the economy, several of your friends, acquaintances and distant family might actually feel relieved that they don’t have to come up with hundreds of dollars in travel expenses and wedding gifts.

Read The Wedding Guest List: Who Makes the Cut? for more helpful tips on downsizing your guest list.

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I’m on a news fast. I don’t subscribe to a newspaper. I don’t watch the news. In fact, other than the brief snippets I read on the Internet, I am news-free. I’ve decided that I need a mental break from the crushing negativity that blasts through the ‘glass teat’ (as Steven King refers to television) every time a news anchor opens her mouth. It is an energy drain.

I am not a complete ignoramus. Both my father and my father-in-law are insatiable news hounds, so if something is important enough for me to know about, I will hear it from them.

Despite my current reprieve from all things CNN, I do happen to know that there’s a big, fat, scary recession going on right now. And I also know that it’s having a major impact on many couples’ wedding plans. Although the recession is taking its toll on many couples, there is something good emerging from the darkness. What is it, you ask? Priorities. Couples are cutting out the frivolous extras (guests included) and placing an emphasis on what really matters to them. Weddings are becoming less of a production to impress attendees, and more of a true celebration between two people and the friends and family members who really matter to them.

That’s not to say that weddings in today’s economy are not without detail. Brides are paying as much attention to detail as they have in the past, but they are becoming much more resourceful, creative and selective. They’re also hands on. Whether it’s favors or save-the-dates, they’re rolling up their sleeves and doing it for themselves – or they’re enlisting friends and family to make their day special .

No matter how bad the state of the economy, wedding bells are going to be ringing loud and lovely in 2009. And couples will have beautiful memories of their special day – without a heaping helping of debt.

Happy 2009 and congrats to all of you who just got engaged! It was eight years ago tonight that Darin proposed. Wow. Enjoy the journey – it all goes by so fast!