Your wedding day is the first day of the rest of a shared life – even if you’ve been living together before you get married, even if you’ve made a life together and had a family, something changes (albeit subtly) when you get married, and now a new journey is going to start.

So that means your wedding, no matter what elements you include or choose not to have, is automatically going to be pretty special. It’s a big day for you and your friends and family, and no one’s ever going to forget it.

However, if you want to make your wedding extra special, perhaps with some subtle touches that other people might not even notice but that will ensure your special day really is as wonderful as you want it to be, you’ll need to think things through ahead of time. In that way, you can make sure you’re doing exactly the right thing. With that in mind, here are some ideas to help you make some important choices to ensure your wedding day is extra special.

Choose Your Own Rings

If there’s one thing you’re going to need when you plan to get married, it’s wedding rings. They’re a massive part of the ceremony, and many couples love wearing their rings once they’re married, as it’s a lovely reminder of their relationship and even the day itself.

A lot of the time, a couple will choose matching rings, and perhaps that’s left to just one person, meaning the other person just has to wear whatever was chosen for them. Although that’s not a negative as such (especially if the couple really knows one another well and therefore they are able to choose something for their partner that they’ll like), it would make it even more special if the couple were able to choose their own rings. In that way, it’s not just a representation of your love for one another but something you’ll want to wear for many years to come as well.

The rings don’t even have to be a matching pair, and sometimes that’s the best option – choose your own unique ring, and that’s something that will make your wedding extra special.

Handwritten Vows

There are no specific rules for what you must or must not do at a wedding (other than general etiquette, of course), so that means you don’t have to write your own wedding vows if you prefer not to – you can just repeat what the celebrant says and stick to tradition.

However, if you’re looking for ways to make your wedding extra special, writing your own vows and saying them to one another in front of family and friends is definitely a good way to go about it. You’ll be able to say what’s truly in your heart in your own words, and that’s not something that will ever be repeated.

A little extra touch that your partner is sure to remember, perhaps even more than the words you’re actually saying, is if you handwrite your vows. There’s something so evocative and emotional about seeing that you’ve sat down and poured your heart out with pen and ink rather than typed something up on a computer that does make a difference. And, of course, if you’d rather your vows stay private, you don’t have to say them in front of everyone – you can save them for a moment when you’re finally alone (which might actually make them even more special).

A Small Guest List

Wedding planning can certainly be a stressful thing, and it’s often the smallest elements that cause the most problems – the guest list is a prime example. Trying to work out who to invite so you’re not going to cause offense and then thinking about where everyone is going to sit when it comes to creating a table plan is a nightmare, and it can even lead to falling out with people.

If you want to make your wedding extra special, don’t put yourself through all this stress and instead keep your guest list very small. Only invite people you actually like and spend time with – they’re the ones who will make your day joyous, not a cousin or aunt you never see, and who you’re only inviting because they’re family. When it comes to the table plan, just let people sit wherever they want to, and that’s another job you don’t have to worry about. Plus, keeping the guest list small is a great way to save money, which can also be stressful!