The week before my wedding, I had a bit of a freak out (familiar to anyone else?). I realized that my wedding seemed really... serious. And I was not comfortable being serious about an important life moment while a bunch of people were staring at me.

In order to feel more comfortable during my own wedding, I came up with a variety of coping mechanisms. Due to poor planning (and some resistance from relatives), I just barely missed executing many of these ideas. Here they are, my gift to you. If you manage to do what I couldn't, please send me an email full of pictures and gloating.

1. Tambourines instead of flowers

Imagine it: anyone in a wedding who normally carries flowers (like bridesmaids and the bride) instead holds a tambourine and rocks out like Stevie Nicks on acid. Not only would it be fun, but tambourines are way cheaper than flowers. Plus it's a fun wedding souvenir.

2. Kazoo first dance

If the idea of you and your new spouse dancing ALL BY YOURSELVES IN FRONT OF EVERYONE makes you want to die, consider enlisting the help of your friend, the trusty kazoo. You can find cheap kazoos online, at the dollar store, or at a party supply store, and you can hand them out to all your guests before the first dance. Whether you're playing a song from your Spotify account or you have a live band, everyone can just kazoo right along. And let me tell you, kazoos sound funny. Just listen to this:

It's impossible not to laugh when you hear it. It'll definitely loosen you up for the dancing and take some of the focus off of you.

Feel free to insert another historical figure here. The benefit of Churchill is that he's an unusual wedding choice, plus he has tons of pithy quotes that could be used in many different contexts.

For the drinks table: "I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me."
By the dance floor: "We are all worms, but I do believe I am a glow-worm."
For the wedding invitation: The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to a close. In its place we are entering a period of consequence."
For the getaway car: "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

Plus, my maid of honor is an amazing graphic designer and book artist who made my invitations, and she had the idea of sending cut-out Churchill and FDR masks embedded in the invitations. Basically, Churchill's cute baby face could have been on the front of my wedding invitations! Sadly, all other parties involved thought it was too weird, so we left the idea for another day.

This would have saved everyone so much money.

5. Mystery dinner theater rehearsal dinner

What better way for your moms to bond than solving the mystery of which one of your bridesmaids killed Uncle Doug?

6. Vader + Stormtrooper

I had the idea in college to get married dressed as a Star Wars Stormtrooper. I loved the idea of walking down the aisle in a scary white robot suit, complete with a delicate veil and a crown of little pink flowers attached to the head. What better companion for a Stormtrooper bride than a Vader groom? To me, the beauty of this idea was that it wouldn't take place within the context of a Star Wars-themed wedding. Everyone would be gathered in their typical wedding finery, and I would inexplicably emerge in costume.

Bonus: if your face is covered by a mask, no one can see your feelings!

7. Costume for the ring bearer: Frodo (the original ring bearer!)

Again, this would not have to take place in the context of a LOTR-themed wedding. The pun is too good, and plus, how cute would it be to see a little kid costumed in shaggy hair, pointy ears, and big hairy feet trundling down the aisle?

Oh, what might have been! I've already told everyone that for our tenth anniversary, I'll have a vow renewal ceremony that is as bizarre and cheap as I always dreamed of. Until then, live out my dreams for me!

More quirky wedding ideas to steal!

If YOU end up using any of these ideas, let us know so we can share with Ivy!