10 Ways to Incorporate Local Traditions, Trends, and Top Spots Into Your Wedding

Add some local flavor to your big day!

By: Jen Glantz

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Localize Your Celebration

One of the greatest ways to treat your guests to an extra special experience during your wedding weekend is to share local traditions, trends, and hot spots with them. Whether your guest list is filled with people who live nearby or you’re inviting a lot of out-of-towners, incorporating a variety of things that the city or region you’re getting married in is known for is a fun way to make your entire celebration stand out even more.

Wondering how to give your wedding a local twist? Here are ten ways that will impress your guests and give them a memorable experience.

Spice Up the Welcome Bag

When you’re putting together a welcome bag of items for your guests to grab when they arrive at the hotel, you might stock them with essentials that people will need throughout the entire weekend, from snacks to mini-bottles of water.

But you can also add in some local treats, whether it’s a bag of candy from a popular store in town, a buy one get one free coupon to try coffee from a delicious spot down the street, or even a snack that people often head to the city just to try.

Create a Map of the Town

When your guests have downtime between your wedding events, they might be on the hunt for fun and exciting things to do. Create a map that includes special spots around town for them to check out, from historical museums and restaurants to unique shops and local parks that have great views. That way, they can explore the highlights of the city before and after your celebration.

Add Ingredients Into Cocktails or Cocktail Hour

If the city, or even state, is known for a certain ingredient, spice, or fruit, add it into either a cocktail or appetizers during cocktail hour. For example, if you’re getting married in Florida, ask the bartenders to create an orange-themed cocktail to celebrate the fruit of the state. If you’re getting married in Montana, you’ll definitely want to add Huckleberry, a berry the state is known for, into one of the items that you serve your guests.

Hire Unique Local Vendors

If your city is known for something special, whether it’s a certain type of live music, art, or performance, you can add a unique spin to your wedding by hiring local vendors to entertain your guests during your reception or cocktail hour. That way, they can experience a piece of the culture that the town is famous for while at your celebration.

Sprinkle Trends Into Dessert

A delicious way to add a local flavor into your party is to incorporate an ingredient or sweet treat that your city is known for onto your dessert menu. Have a popular ice cream spot in town? Hire the store to create an ice cream bar for guests at your reception. Love toffee from a local spot? See if your caterer can add some of it to a special dessert item that’s served at the end of the night.

Pull in Local Decor

When you’re thinking about all the parts of your venue decor, tap into the colors, patterns, and any other visual elements that make the city come alive. For example, if the downtown area is known for its murals and street art, you might decide to bring in some of those bold designs for your centerpieces, napkin design, or even on your wedding day signage.

Add Something Special to Your Centerpieces

When you’re planning your centerpieces, ask your florist if there’s any local twist you can bring to make your floral arrangements even more unique. Perhaps they can incorporate the flowers or plants that grow naturally in that area or even add in pops of color that can be found all over the city.

Treat Guests to a Food Truck

If you and your partner love the food from a local restaurant, but want to stick with a more traditional dinner menu for your celebration, you can consider hiring that local restaurant to show up at your venue, with a food truck or cart, and offer guests a late night snack so they can taste your favorite menu items from this go-to local spot.

Think About Your Party Favors

When you’re deciding what kind of party favors to send your guests home with, think about something you can buy from a local vendor, restaurant, or small business that will really send your friends and family home with a treat. Perhaps it’s a shop that makes candles using local ingredients or a popcorn store that everyone in the city adores. Your guests will enjoy something personalized and special to the city that they are in when your celebration comes to an end.

Share With Your Guests

If you’re getting married in a city that’s rich with tradition and history but don’t know how to incorporate all of these elements into your celebration, you can simply put together a booklet that shares the top ten facts about the area and share that with your guests either in their welcome bag or with their menu cards when they sit down at the reception. This is a fun conversation starter for them and a great way for them to learn more about the area.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 10 Unique and Memorable Wedding Trends for 2023, Real Brides Share the Unique Twists They’re Adding to Their 2022 Weddings, Unique Wedding Traditions from 30 Different Countries

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