PHOTO BY STEVEN DRAY PHOTOGRAPHY

I have a warning to my future wedding guests — and a public service announcement for those planning their own receptions.

We will not have a cookie table.

My fiancée and I are getting married at a movie theater; naturally, we’re theming things around the location. Some big-screen moments will accompany our first dance; silent-era romance flicks will play during the reception.

And in lieu of the traditional cookie table, we’ll have a candy table, loaded to the sky with concession-stand favorites. Guests will be encouraged to nibble throughout the evening, or to fill a popcorn bag with treats for home.

It fits the theme, allows us to support a local business — we’re planning on shopping at S&S Candy & Cigar Co., the longstanding purveyors of sweet stuff on East Carson Street — and it spares our available relatives from having to wade knee-deep in dough for the week before the wedding. I’m sure that some of our guests will miss the parade of pizzelles and thumbprints, but we think the novelty will override any disappointment.

While following each and every tradition, local and otherwise, may be the nuptial preference for some, we’ve considered the rapidly approaching ceremony from the ground up. We’ve decided where to have it, how to structure it and what to serve, based not on expectations but on what we like. While there are inevitably some elements we need to include — I figure the words “I” and “do” will pop up somewhere — we’re not regarding any element as absolute must.

If you’re on a similar path, I can’t tell you what to do; follow whatever vision exists in your mind. But I can tell you this: It’s incredibly freeing to decide that one aspect or another is more trouble than it’s worth. Flowers are expensive and logistically tricky, and my fiancée generally doesn’t like floral arrangements — so we won’t have any. (We’re working with a lighting designer to create a mood without the aid of plant life.) In doing so, we’re removing a lot of hassle.

And, more importantly, we’re freeing up some of the cost. All those services, elements and features that folks will tell you are requirements add up. Our budget seemed humble yet sufficient, and we are going to absolutely blow past it; the costs add up quickly. The number you’re thinking of? Add about $20,000 to it and you should be able to get where you’re going.

Here’s one tip, though: If a vendor or service provider is in the wedding business, steer clear. Yes, by working with caterers or venues that frequently host weddings, you’ll gain in expertise and uncomplicated service. You will also encounter costs that are double or triple what they should be. Wedding services carry incredible markups, as vendors know that folks approach their ceremony — I absolutely refuse to use the phrase “big day” — with a spare-no-expense attitude.

In other words: Book a wedding package at a marquee venue for five figures, or any other space in the world for four (or three).

The bridal magazines, planning books and traditionalists will tell you that everything has to be done a certain way — but you don’t get a good grade for having the breed-standard wedding. Do what you want; your guests will appreciate the variety and personal approach.

And if they don’t, they can have their own wedding. This one’s yours.