Naughty knots

The tacky bridesmaids8217; dresses, the packed church of relatives stuffed, grudgingly, in all their finery. The corny wedding band, or, wo...

The tacky bridesmaids8217; dresses, the packed church of relatives stuffed, grudgingly, in all their finery. The corny wedding band, or, worse yet, the twerpy D.J. corralling the single women for the hated bouquet toss.

When it came to their nuptials, Kris and Rob Thompson wanted none of it. 8220;We didn8217;t want to do it in a traditional way just because we are supposed to do it in a traditional way,8221; says Rob Thompson.

The couple, both 34, didn8217;t want the exchange of their vows on stage like a spectacle and they did not want to blindly follow a set of rituals that held no meaning for them. They wanted a way to preserve the reverence of the occasion in a private moment for themselves, while still celebrating their wedded bliss with family and friends.

So the couple eloped, marrying last New Year8217;s Eve in a tiny chapel where the only guest was their beloved dog, Henry. For the reception, they wanted casual, quirky and fun 8212; nothing extravagant. And nothing, it seemed, fit that equation like an old-school bowling party.

Thus was born the Thompson Tournament of Love, held a few weeks ago at a Simsbury, Connecticut, bowling alley. The bride wore denim, the groom black Converse. And the parents proudly greeted guests in customized bowling shirts.

8220;There8217;s definitely a total irreverence to our approach8230;then there8217;s the pragmatic side of us that said, 8216;Why in God8217;s name would we spend all this money8230;to fill a church for an hour?8217;8221; says Rob Thompson.

As couples try to recapture the sanctity of an event whose meaning gets buried in a sea of frilly white and lost in the frenzy of the 72-billion wedding industry, more and more couples like the Thompsons are shunning stodgy traditions in favour of personal twists.

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Whether it is in the subtle detail of a baby-blue wedding dress or in the grand statement of a themed costume party, wedding watchers say couples are beginning to embrace the unconventional in an effort to put their mark on what is perhaps the most cliched of milestone occasions.

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They just want to do it their own way, and put their unique stamp on it

8220;Brides and grooms don8217;t want a cookie-cutter wedding,8221; says Rosanna McCollough, editor-in-chief of WeddingChannel.com. 8220;As people get married a little bit older these days 8230; I think they want to express themselves in a different way.8221;

Industry insiders like McCollough are seeing whimsical wedding details that give a nod to the couple8217;s personalities 8212; unconventional menus of macaroni and cheese, McDonald8217;s hamburgers or Southern fried chicken, a la Britney Spears. They are seeing an increase in destination weddings, where exotic locations serve as backdrop.

They8217;re hearing about gatherings like the Thompsons8217; that incorporate group activities such as horseback riding or kayaking 8212; social lubricants they say bring strangers together and talking better than any cocktail can.

LAT-WP