Few events are as intimate as a wedding. When you’re pledging your life to someone in front of all the people you love, well, that’s about as personal as it gets.

We’ve collected ten of our favorite personal touches for weddings — bring your family, your friendships and your love to the forefront of this once in a lifetime event.

One of our favorite ways to personalize your wedding is to start off with a drink by throwing a short cocktail reception before the ceremony. This gives guests a few extra minutes to socialize and can set the mood 

Hashtags may feel like one of the least personal touches to your wedding, but when all of your guests’ photos, thoughts and social media updates are organized in one clear stream, you’ll be grateful you did it.

Favors are your ultimate opportunity for personalization – include your Mexican heritage with end of the night churros and hot chocolate – or your Midwestern roots with seeds of wildflowers from your home town.

Consider a personalized wedding cake topper. It’s a sweet and memorable way to share your personal style with your guests.

Serve wines from the years you met, or when you were born. You could also just pour wines that are important to the two of you. You could explain in a note to the guests at their table, or you could keep that knowledge between you and your beloved. 

Get creative with the ring bearer. Some may use a shared interest (like baseball), some may use their favorite plant (photo by Virgil Bunao).

A more sentimental suggestion is to carry a bouquet with the same types of flowers that your mom carried as a bride.

Have pets? If well-trained and good with crowds, consider having  your dog carry the rings down the aisle. Keep the treats with your officiant.

Number or name tables for the reception after places important to you  both — consider favorite songs, where you’ve lived or where the proposal took place.

Personalized M&Ms are always a good idea. You can even personalize with images — your faces, places important to you or a beloved pet.

Have you seen any wonderful personalized wedding ideas? Share in the comments!