How bizarre?

The other day my dad described my wedding as "bizarre". There is still a year to go and so far the only thing we've done is book a venue, but already mine and D's wedding has gained a reputation. My dad did try to back pedal, saying he "liked bizarre", but the damage was already done.

To be honest, I think he will be in for a sad disappointment once my nuptials come around. In fact, if he thinks what I have planned is bizarre he should watch My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding or flick through Heat every once in a while. Because couples today have truly out-there weddings.

In my opinion, bizarre is performing a dance on stage for your spouse, bursting through a trapdoor in the stage belting out I Know Him So Well from Chess, dressing up in Civil War gear with the bride as a Royalist and the groom a Roundhead, or getting the dog to act as best man. And if you really want to see a wedding at the sharp end of the weird stick, may I direct you to the nuptials of Liza Minnelli and David Gest - an event so bizarre it will never be topped. Until that big day, the thought of Michael Jackson, Liz Taylor and Martine McCutcheon (Yes! Martine McCutcheon!) standing in a room together was something even the surrealist of minds couldn't have thought up. This was a wedding photo opportunity that will never be topped.

However, while I may mock, I also think better to be bizarre than bland. And better to do something with Minnelli-levels of crazy than religiously follow the Hello Magazine dream-wedding-blueprint. At least if you know you're an expert in your wedding, no-one else can tell you what they think you should be doing.

In fact, if you have a particularly far-out idea in mind, I'd say it's best to run with it. On this journey, everyone you meet wants to hand you a pearl of wisdom. So far, I have been told by various exhibitors at wedding fayres that the groom must wear tails to get married in, vinyl covers are not a suitable table centrepiece, I have to have sequins on my dress and I should have the photographer there to take pictures of me the morning I get married, whether or not the house is a tip, my hair looks like something from Fraggle Rock and I am openly swigging from a bottle of Baileys.

Indeed, everyone seems to have an opinion on what we should do with little regard for what we may want to do. So, maybe it's time we took a hint from Liza, embraced the crazy and forgot about other people's opinions. How bizarre? Maybe not!