Is there anything more romantic, beautiful, and joyful than a wedding? There is hardly another occasion in life that is marked with more significance, and every tiny detail is given lots of thought and careful attention.

But let’s face it — at the end of the day, it’s often hard to tell one wedding from another. They often follow a sort of ritualistic formula that must be adhered to or else — or else what?

Here is an important thing to remember: there are no rules.

So if you want your wedding and reception to truly stand out as unique, it’s time to think out of the box and plan something that will dazzle your guests and make your wedding an unforgettable event — not just for you, but for everyone who is there.

What’s Your Passion?

Is there something that you and your significant other are especially passionate about? Then why would you leave it out of the most important day of your life? What are your interests and hobbies, what things do you love to do together? Your wedding is a celebration of you, so make it about just that — you.

If travel is your passion, the obvious option is a destination wedding. But if that isn’t quite your cup of tea, then have your destination wedding at home. The theme could be your favorite city or country, or a special place you visited together — like Paris, Venice, London, Bangkok … anywhere! Decorate, make favors and serve food that stamps that place as an indelible part of your life. Or your wedding and reception could be a sort of “collage” of all the places you’ve traveled to. Each guest table at the reception can have its own country or city theme. Various food stations could be created with cuisine from different lands and cultures, and you could even have music and dancing that reflects this as well.

Are you and your special someone ardent fans of a certain sport or team? Just think how much fun your reception would be if it were decorated to bring out your love of golf, baseball, tennis, the Boston Red Sox, the New England Patriots! And if you’ve been having trouble deciding on colors, problem solved! The sky’s the limit when it comes to place cards, table decorations and even your wedding cake! Sports uniforms and equipment provide endless possibilities for a creative and memorable aesthetic at your wedding.

From an African safari to simple bees or butterflies, an animal-themed wedding can be lots of fun. Decorations, favors, balloons, stuffed animals and even a photo booth with animal-themed props would give your guests lots to smile about. And there are enough dances with animal names — the bunny hop, roger rabbit, monkey, chicken dance, foxtrot — to make everyone on the dance floor a party animal!

What’s your favorite book, TV show, movie or movie franchise? Harry Potter? Star Wars? The Wizard of Oz? Game of Thrones? The Marvel Universe? Have a bit of fun with your decorations, and if you’re daring enough, you can even work in props and costumes! Preprint scripts of your favorite scenes and have the wedding party perform them for the reception hall. Of course, you and your significant other should save the best one for yourselves!

How much fun would a period wedding be? That’s right, choose a specific time in history — the roaring ’20s, greaser ’50s, groovy ’60s, far-out ’70s, big hair ’80s — and make that the theme of your wedding. There is so much that can be done with clothes, shoes, hats and hairstyles from different eras. Encourage your guests to come dressed for the occasion — they’ll be laughing every minute, and just imagine how many pictures they’ll take and share with you and others on social media!

A specific location like the jungle, beach, desert or mountains could furnish a cool theme for your wedding. Or choose one of the four seasons — your favorite, of course — and build your colors, flowers and décor around that.

This, dear lovebirds, is just the tip of the iceberg. The possibilities are truly endless, and if you use your imagination — focusing on what you care about, what’s important to you — you’ll no doubt come up with your own ideas, or start building on the few we’ve suggested here. Whatever you decide, just remember — no rules!

So don’t plan what will be just another cookie-cutter wedding. Boston Harbor Hotel is here to help you make your special day different and unique. You and your guests will remember it with a smile for many years to come!