There are so many wedding customs and traditions, but are they all must-dos? Of course not! A couple may decide to pass on a wedding custom or tradition for a number of reasons. For one, many couples’ weddings are getting pared down due in hopes of saving money. Some traditional aspects may fall by the wayside as couples seek to make their weddings more personal. Or, they may just find some customs silly.

Just remember that when you skip certain wedding customs, you will have a few guests who are surprised and may question your decision. Be prepared to answer to them! But here are a few traditions you have WedSpace’s permission to do without:

~ Favors: Unless the gift is immediately edible, many favors will get left behind. Skipping favors such as candles, CDs, and mini photo frames can save you hundreds of dollars and most guests won’t miss them anyway. If you want to give something, tell guests they can take home their table centerpieces as favors if they like.

~ Tossing the Bouquet: A recent bride on WedSpace.com commented that she really wanted to skip the bouquet toss at her upcoming wedding; at a friend’s wedding, the ladies were practically being dragged out onto the floor and she didn’t want to embarrass her single female friends. Truthfully, many female guests say they duck into the bathroom during the bouquet toss. Plus, if you don’t do it, you’ll save money on purchasing the second “tossing bouquet.” The same can be said for the garter toss; grooms may want to skip that custom for same reasons.

~ Dollar Dance: I find this tradition — where the bride dances with guests in exchange for a dollar or more toward the honeymoon — a bit outdated. OK, truthfully, I think it’s cheesy. This was popular during eras past when young brides and grooms didn’t have much money. Modernly, couples are more financially stable, as they get married later in life. Set up a honeymoon registry to allow guests to help fund the honeymoon and skip the Dollar Dance.

~ Receiving Line: The Receiving Line is a wedding custom that many couples choose to skip. It’s very formal and often means that guests (and the bride and groom!) end up standing around for a long time, instead of enjoying the reception. Instead of a Receiving Line, the couple can simply make a stop at each guest table to say hello and thank people who have traveled to the wedding.

~ Saving the Cake Top: Who wants to eat stale, freezer-burned cake a year after their wedding? Many couples won’t mind passing on this custom. Additionally, it is increasingly popular to serve cupcakes, mini pies, or a dessert buffet instead of a traditional cake, so some couples won’t have a cake top to save for their anniversary. Instead of saving the cake top, register for a rare bottle of champagne and celebrate with that on your first anniversary.