16 Unique Wedding Ideas You Can Borrow From Movies & TV

While Julianne (Julia Roberts) is meant to be the distinctive one in My Best Friend's Wedding, it's the two other bridesmaids who stand out in floral-print dresses. Why do they have to be solid, anyway?

In The Big Wedding, a warring family makes bride Missy (Amanda Seyfried) and groom Alejandro (Ben Barnes) take off to do their vows alone. Your situation may not be as extreme, but it's a lovely idea to do your vows with just the two of you and to party with everyone else afterward.

When Mary (Rachel McAdams) and Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) tie the knot in About Time, Mary flouts the white dress tradition and goes for red. Don't be afraid to break the rules.

If your dad isn't going to walk you down the aisle but you still want an escort, why not have your bridesmaids do the job? It was sweet in I Love You, Man, and it makes perfect sense.

"My colors are blush and bashful."
"Her colors are pink and pink."

This is one of the best conversations from Steel Magnolias, when Shelby (Julia Roberts) defines her shades of pink. We get it. The inspiration here is in using two shades of the same color for your wedding, rather than going with two contrasting colors.

Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) isn't hired to be the balloon guy at a reception in Wedding Crashers, but he ends up doing it anyway. If you have kids coming to the wedding, let this be inspiration to you, and hire some sort of entertainment for children at the reception.

When Jessa (Jemima Kirke) marries Thomas-John (Chris O'Dowd) on Girls, she rocks a short boho dress in her quirky Brooklyn ceremony. Don't be afraid to go short!

Bridesmaids' dresses are traditionally one single color, but, of course, Carrie Bradshaw dares to be different in the Sex and the City movie, and she puts her attendants in completely different colors. If this is too extreme for you, then consider varied shades of the same color for your bridesmaids.

George Banks (Steve Martin) thinks swans are a bit over the top in Father of the Bride, but shoot, if you can't be over the top at your wedding, when can you be?

That is, throw the party in your home, or a home that will accommodate as many guests as you'd like. It's warm, intimate, and might be more your style than any other venue — it was perfect for Dr. Yang (Sandra Oh) and Dr. Hunt (Kevin McKidd) on Grey's Anatomy.

Subvert gender stereotypes, and use your closest friends in the wedding party on whatever side you like. For a fun touch, put the best woman in a suit, like Carrie rocks for Stanford's wedding in Sex and the City 2.

Want to make your ceremony truly special? Have the groom sing a song. Make sure he has some good pipes, though, like in Rachel Getting Married.

Give your wedding a grand finale by sending off paper lanterns into the night, like the characters do in I Give It a Year.

Grooms usually get the more generic look at the wedding, but why? The groom or grooms should be able to express themselves through fashion, much the way Jerry Lee Lewis (Dennis Quaid) does in biopic Great Balls of Fire. Look how rad he looks!