Wedding trends come and go. Some go back and forth, reappearing every so often—albeit with a new dress on. Accompanying certain up-and-coming trends is the prevalence of devil-may-care attitudes regarding traditional vs. trendy.
Shotgun is the new formal, at least in how swiftly planned, semi-theatrical, irreverent ceremonies are gaining in popularity. Gone also are the days of huge and expensive weddings, though celebs are still good for them. Today’s brides and grooms make their matrimonial mark and set their own personal records via how individually they stage their weddings, not how lavishly they do.
Whether intimate, complicated, retro, metro, Seventiesploitation, mock Elizabethan, or futuristic, the newest wedding trends are about how to reiterate what’s already been said, not reinventing the wheel. Here are some of the more popular wedding style ‘reiterations’ of the moment.
DIY (Do It Yourself)
If you have any clothing design/sewing ability, dare to make your bridesmaids’ dresses from scratch. DIY weddings are the best idea since prefab houses, equally modern and hip. Unlike prefabs, though, DIY weddings are classy-cheap—the best combination of design principles.
Of course, you don’t have to make dresses from scratch. But the money-saving temptation to make everything else on your own is profound and economical. Invitations, place settings, venue décor, a potluck style reception—the list is endless. Photoshop your way into unique wedding ‘thank you’ cards. Lavish your guests with DIY wedding favors: handmade chocolate truffles or mini bottles of homemade limoncello packaged elegantly and wrapped with a commemorative bow.
With the right amount of research and careful, timely planning, DIY weddings are always unique. They are also thousands of dollars less than contracting the whole affair.
VINTAGE GLAM
You can’t decide between Vintage Cosmopolitan Chic and Old School Cinderella? Mash them up and incorporate both. This, perhaps, is the newest and hottest wedding trend.
Some years back, weddings from here to Nova Scotia found themselves caught in the grip of vintage, repurposed, everything borrowed, snatched from thrift store racks and secondhand shops. Recently, brides have begun ushering in the high glam, princess-chanteuse elegance of yore. Think Gatsby and Daisy, but not nearly as costly and with a happy ending.
This resurgence might have something to do with William and Kate. ‘Royal Ceremony’ style is slowly creeping back on the scene, though today’s extreme couponing brides are inventing ways to do it without incurring lifelong debt. Enter the vintage element.
Vintage in this sense is not meant to convey overpriced DVF wrap dresses from the 70s, but more of a down-to-earth, grounded feeling. Vintage is the conceptual rein that steadies the stallion of extravagance. Striking the balance while excelling at both is currently the only way to travel down the aisle.
Next stop: a fierce, one-of-a-kind wedding at a fraction of the usual cost. Some specific examples follow.
Ritzy Ranch – Dusty cowboy boots, stirrups, tiaras
‘Green’ Glitz – Parks/beaches as venues and donations to sustainable causes as wedding gifts
Baby Blue – Intentionally minimalist weddings devoid of white (especially the wedding dress)
Crafty Contessa- Arts and crafts decorations mixed with professionally made
Vintage glam allows for the old, the new, the borrowed and the periwinkle-blue. This trend acknowledges luxury, but keeps its wits firmly rooted in practicality. It will be the predominant trend for this year and perhaps for many to come.
Guest Author: Laura Greening is a mom and a part time wedding planner. She loves to write about wedding planning and preparation. She is currently working as a consultant for MyKidStudio, a flower girl dress store, based in Los Angeles, CA.
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