Traditionally at weddings the speechs are made after the wedding dinner but do the speech makers really enjoy their meal? I have been to weddings where the best man could not eat his dinner because of nerves!!

Traditions come into being when many people do the same thing over and over again so by definition we can start our own traditions to suit the times in which we live. So when it comes to speaking and eating at a wedding then why not reverse the order and let everyone enjoy their meal!!

Now more than ever before we stand up for the right to express our individuality so why on one of our most precious of days do we feel bound by the past and what is traditional? Our wedding day should be an expression of who we are, of who these two people are and how they are going to mix.

Once you have decided on what time of year is best for you, you have your colorscheme planned, your reception decorations are in hand and your favors are ordered then you can decide how traditional you want to be.

Some traditions are "broken" by circumstance. A daughter whose father has passed can be walked down the aisle by a brother, uncle, family friend or by her mother. Father-of -the-bride speech can be delivered by mother-of-the-bride. Likewise sister or aunt can stand in for the mother-of-the-bride. If these traditions can be put to one side because of circumstance then why not others that are not particularly practical?

Your wedding day should be one that becomes a cherished memory not one that if you could do it again you would do differently!