From incinerating gowns to re-creating scenes from Dirty Dancing, couples are revamping the traditions of the big day.

The New Registry
Do you really need another colander? Admit it—what you actually want is airfare to Cyprus. And with couples marrying later—often after they've shacked up and purchased the nesting essentials—wedding registries have gotten creative.

Nowadays, guests can help finance honeymoons, entertainment centers, wine cellars, and even sporting goods. Couples can also register for small items like DVDs, books, and CDs—some get as specific as a box set of The Twilight Zone.

Go-to department stores are busy rewriting their rules: Bloomingdale's, for one, offers "registry strategists" to guide you through the process, plus an online thank-you card manager to help you out in the aftermath.

Additionally, websites like Honeyluna.com allow guests to contribute money for parts of the honeymoon, including airfare, accommodations, guided tours, and meals. Felicite.com lets couples register with any merchant, and offers a "partial purchase" feature, so guests can put money toward a big gift (like new mountain bikes).

If you want to register for something more specific, try Wineenthusiast.com for wine, or look for a "wish list" feature on any e-commerce site (such as Bestbuy.com) to use as a registry.

The First Dance: From Romantic to Rockin'
Lately, couples are replacing standard-issue high-school-gym first dances with livelier, crowd-friendly performances, and then posting their star turn online for all to see: Take Norm, 29, and Julia, 27, who got hitched in 2006.

Their traditional slow dance segued into Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel." "We wanted our wedding to be a great party…it was important to us to have everyone on the dance floor the entire night," the couple says. So they set the tone. See it for yourself here!

Then there's the "nobody puts baby in a corner" reenactment: Julia, 32, and James, 34, re-choreographed the final song from Dirty Dancing at their 2005 wedding—right down to the famous leap. "I'm just glad I found a wonderful man who was willing to fulfill my seventh-grade fantasy," says Julia. (Watch her dream come to life here.)

Here Comes the…Bridesguys?
Ten years ago, your best guy pal would end up as a groomsman, while your hubby-to-be's baby sister stepped up as your maid of honor (even though you had just met her a month ago). But today's bridal party follows no such rules.