Every bride is different and has her own vision of what her wedding should be like, but generally there are running similarities from bride to bride. White dresses. Planned, special venues. Elegance—either extreme or simple.

While these common denominators are traditional and widely practiced across the U.S., that doesn’t mean that conventional is exactly what every bride wants. And, it is her day, after all. If she wants to have a zombie wedding or have pink rubber duckies integrated into her centerpieces, that’s totally up to her.

There are shelves of do-it-yourself wedding guides out there, but nearly all of them are geared to the more conventional wedding scene, from dresses to venues. In Ariel Meadow Stallings’ guide, Offbeat Bride: Creative Alternatives for Independent Brides, she gives advice and ideas to the bride who wants something a little—or a lot—different when she celebrates her nuptials.

I’ve seen a lot of brides, my wife included, give into what others wanted for their wedding days. Weddings that are the product of trying to please everyone but the bride can turn out to be beautiful, but completely, and disappointingly, NOT what the newlywed couple wanted.

If you’re planning your wedding and traditional details just don’t speak to your personal sense of style, there is nothing wrong with finding alternatives that really echo your individual wants and needs. This day isn’t about anyone other than the bride and groom joining their lives together, and it should be done their way. If that means saying “I do” at midnight on New Year’s Eve or skipping unity candles and bungee jumping instead, the importance is that you’re celebrating your love for each other in the way that makes you happiest.