Nowadays everyone wants to be unique. Today's weddings are far from traditional. They want to be the trendsetters and the people who become viral because what they do is so unusual and groundbreaking no one else has done it before. While it's great that a wedding can be unique to the couple, there are many old wedding traditions that are still lovely to keep. Many of these wedding traditions can be spruced up and interpreted your own way so they're still unique even if it's tradition.

"Something Old, Something New...."

Everyone has heard this old rhyme, but did you know that each of the elements in the rhyme has some meaning? The something old refers to the bride's past, the something new is for the future in marriage. The something borrowed is supposed to be from another happily married woman so that some of her luck may rub off on the bride while blue was a color traditionally used to represent fidelity. Blue is also considered to be the color of hope and was the traditional color for wedding dresses before Queen Victoria made it fashionable to wear white instead. While the actual items may differ from wedding to wedding, following the rhyme is something that may even have been passed from generation to generation in your own family and it may be important to them that you follow it.

• Make it your own: Perhaps there's a necklace or earrings that every bride has worn for the last 60 years or more. It's nice to have a connection like that while still being able to celebrate a unique couple. Another way to make it your own is to stop with the traditional items and go for something fun instead. How about a big bunch of blue balloons or pinwheels instead of a blue garter? In Greek tradition the bride should also carry a sugar cube to sweeten the marriage – why not have sugar cubes in the bouquet or sugar cane? Thinking outside the box while maintaining traditions is a great way of keeping everyone happy.

No Cutlery on the Registry

It's considered very bad luck to give a couple cutlery and especially knives as gifts on their wedding. The reason for this comes from various religious roots including the knife being similar to a sword and therefore a symbol of war (which could cause the couple to fight if you're superstitious). Another thought behind this is that today everyone already has knives and cutlery or when they move in together they'll even end up with two sets anyway. Very few people really want more and it's not a common item to see on a wedding registry. Crockery and cutlery are often unique to a house' décor so unless you're very familiar with their style the couple might not be an appreciated gift either.

• Make it your own: Always read the wedding registry. Most couples spend hours going through and creating a registry specifically so they can tell you what items they want or need and that may include cutlery. It also allows them easy returns if things don't work out. Stick to the registry, even if there's something that isn't traditional on there.

No Peeking

It's become a wedding photography "must" these days to get a first look photo but tradition says you shouldn't see the bride before the wedding because it's bad luck. According to popular wedding photographers in Austin, more brides are choosing to ignore this tradition because the superstition no longer applies. In theory, if the couple sees each other on the day before they actually get married their nerves might get the better of them and they will change their minds before saying "I do". Most of the reasons that you shouldn't see the bride date back from times when the groom wouldn't even meet her before the wedding. Nowadays you know who you're marrying so it's a little obsolete

• Make it your own: If you're determined to see each other first then consider "meeting" around a corner where you can talk but not see each other so that first look down the aisle is still special. If you're pretty certain no one is backing out then a private "first look" is the perfect way to have a moment to yourselves as a couple before the rest of the wedding pomp kicks off.

The Wedding Cake

Cupcakes and grooms cakes and side cakes and allergy cakes....it used to be just a single cake at the wedding. That cake was traditionally made of wheat to symbolize prosperity and fertility and originally parts of the cake would be thrown at the bride for good luck while cutting the cake together showed the couple they would be able to work together in their marriage. The cake topper is actually a fashion tradition that Queen Victoria started and has no root in superstition or meaning at all so you can skip that one as long as you keep the cake.

• Make it your own: Today so many people have allergies and food issues that it's almost impossible to get away with one cake, not to mention the fact that if you've bought an expensive wedding dress the last thing you want is people throwing leftover cake at you. Non-traditional wedding cakes like three tier cheese wheels, cupcakes, and even pizza cakes let couples nod to this tradition without being left with oodles of leftover cake at the end of the day.

Tying Things to the "getaway" Car

Many brides choose not to have a send-off these days, instead choosing to stay to the end of the night to make sure everything is cleaned up (and that they get their deposits back!). Traditionally the wedding car has shoes or cans tied behind it and there can be many reasons for this. In ancient Egypt a bride had to remove her shoes so she couldn't run away before the wedding, her father would then hand them over to her new husband to show that she was now his. Cans may have been used because the noise was thought to keep evil spirits away (another reason why there are bells at weddings). The send-off for the couple usually implied they were going on a journey to honeymoon or to travel to the grooms home for the first time but with most couples living together before marriage it's no longer important.

• Make it your own: Today people choose to simply decorate the car instead since it creates less noise. A send-off is a fun way for everyone to say bye, and it also means that the clean up is delegated elsewhere so the couple can get some rest after what has been a long day. If you're determined to stay to the end then a send-off is unnecessary, especially since few couples depart for the honeymoon immediately following the wedding anymore.

The Wedding Photographer

While not a tradition in the strictest sense, recently more couples have opted for a DIY approach that has not only cost them less but has cost them any decent images from their wedding. Having a dedicated, experienced, and professional wedding photographer is one of the must traditions of the past century but the images that you capture are what make it unique. When your wedding is over you'll have each other and the photos, and while it's traditional to capture the bride, groom, and wedding party posed having more intimate moments can capture the true feeling of the wedding instead. It's traditional to capture moments like this because they are big milestones in your relationship, but photography used to be very expensive so people could only afford photos for events like this which is why wedding photos or portraits were important.

• Make it your own: Don't settle for boring, stodgy portraits. People are choosing not to do posed or traditional portraits but more fun and in the moment images and most of the top wedding photographers in Austin have plenty of "cool" or unique ideas to make your images unique. You might even want to do bridal images before the big day so you get to wear your dress twice and can have a trial run at the venue. If you're not sure what you want to be sure to check out some Austin wedding photography packages and ask about custom ones to get the images you feel are a must.