Trends

Feeling Pressure to Add Glitz and Glamour

 in Celebration / Ceremony / Personalization / Trends / Weddings  tagged simplify wedding / wedding ceremony / wedding favors / wedding runners / weddings by

If you are feeling pressure to add glitz and glamour to your wedding day, you are not alone. Social media, wedding sites and Pinterest present pictures of over the top wedding ceremonies and celebrations that are putting pressure on couples to “one up” their friends. They encourage you to make the day a “one of a kind experience” and push all kinds of “things” to make this happen. You don’t have to fall into this trap, over extend your budget, and lose yourselves in the process.

Instead, I encourage you to take some time to reflect and talk with each other about what is really important to you about your day, and importantly, why? If you choose things that are authentically you for all aspects of your wedding day it will be personal, unique, meaningful and memorable.

Here are three examples of ways to simplify and resist feeling pressure to add glitz and glamour to your wedding day:

1. Allow your guests to celebrate the pronouncement of your marriage and introduction at the end of your ceremony with a hearty round of applause (and cheers if they feel so inclined). Bubbles, bells, streamers on sticks, and the most recent one I saw – custom flower petal confetti that the guests create for themselves from a confetti bar – can be expensive and often go under utilized.

2. Eliminate runners – that strip of cloth (or these days, often paper) that is rolled down the aisle before the bride enters. Runners can be big business these days as companies offer custom versions with elaborate monograms, poems, graphics and more on expensive fabrics. Runners especially in outdoor ceremony settings, are a trip hazard, roll up in the breeze and are quickly stained with mud and grass. Embrace your outdoor venue and leave the runners behind.

3. Eliminate guest favors, or replace them with a donation to a meaningful cause. There is often tension as you work to identify special favors for your guests and manage the cost of such a large number of them. The engraved shot glasses, personalized drink cozies and ornaments are often left behind at the end of the reception. Save your time and money and make a real effort to speak personally with everyone who attends your wedding, and follow with thoughtful thank you notes for gifts you receive. Realize that wedding favors (beyond a traditional tulle wrapped handful of candied almonds or other cultural favor) only came into vogue in the last 25 years or so. If you feel you need to do something, take the money you would have spent on favors and make a donation to an organization that helps people. Let your guests know with a note on the dinner tables or in the ceremony program as part of a thank you statement.

When you avoid feeling the pressure to add glitz and glamour to your wedding day you reduce your stress, reduce your costs and save your energy for more important things. Your day will be unique because you are as a couple. You don’t need to be tied to traditions that don’t fit you or to expectations put on you by family, friends, and social media.

Wedding Trends for 2019

 in Celebration / Ceremony / Personalization / Trends / Weddings  tagged personalized wedding / wedding day / wedding trends / weddings by

Wedding trends for 2019 are all over the internet as planning for next year’s wedding season is well underway. While it’s helpful to be aware of new ideas and trends for all aspects of your wedding day, it’s always best to make choices that are comfortable for you.

You’ll find a wide variety of predictions for next year’s wedding trends, and some of them even conflict with each other. Here are three articles that are fun to read with ideas that are fun to consider for your big day:

From Brides magazine: https://www.bridesmagazine.co.uk/gallery/2019-wedding-trends

From Shefinds.com: https://www.shefinds.com/collections/2019-popular-wedding-trends/#slide-1

From the UK Independent: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/middleeast/life-arts/five-wedding-trends-for-2019-according-to-experts/ar-BBN8pto#page=1

You’ll notice interesting menswear options listed in a couple of them, along with ideas for bringing nature indoors for both ceremonies and receptions. But you’ll also see some ideas that are only mentioned in one of the articles: practical wedding gowns and tiaras come to mind. There are a few ideas that you’ll find in all the articles, indicating a likelihood that you’ll see them in many weddings next year. The standout one in this category is eco conscious weddings. What exactly that means to you, however, will be up to you to decide.

There are a couple of trends that I’ve already seen making their way into southeastern Minnesota and that I especially like. First, the relaxed approach to wedding parties where you surround yourself with the important people in your world regardless of gender or number. Second, and the increasing popularity of unplugged ceremonies where guests are invited to set aside their devices during the ceremony, sit back and celebrate with you. Both are great options to consider for your wedding day.

Reading up on predicted wedding trends for 2019 is an easy and fun way to find ideas to consider, but at the end of the day, you’ll need to decide as a couple what fits your style, your vision and your budget as you plan your wedding. You want your wedding day to be a reflection of you, not of some stylist, planner or magazine article, so enjoy looking at the wedding trends and then plan a day that will be uniquely and authentically you.

Changing Rules for Wedding Parties

 in Ceremony / Trends / Weddings  tagged attendants / bridesmaids / groomsmen / wedding party / wedding rules by

Changing rules for wedding parties mean lots of options and choices when selecting who will stand with you on your wedding day. The traditional rules that set wedding parties as four or five women for the bride and a corresponding number of men for the groom seem antiquated and at times inappropriate.

With same sex couples leading the way, there are no longer rules about the gender of your attendants. It’s common to see a mix of men and women standing with each of the brides or grooms, and it makes perfect sense to include the people closest to you in your party, regardless of gender. One sweet wedding I officiated had the bride’s brother standing with her, and the groom’s sister standing with him. Honoring these special sibling relationships without worrying about gender made all the sense in the world.

Wedding parties these days range from zero attendants to nearly 20. Couples seeking to simplify their wedding day opt to forego a wedding party and have parents or siblings or good friends serve as the legal witnesses and sign the marriage paperwork. This seems to be a good approach for the busy, professional couple who aren’t interested in bachelor/bachelorette parties and prefer to spend more time with each other on the wedding day. At the other extreme are the “super wedding parties” with 10 or more attendants on each side. If this is appealing to you, just remember that it is much harder to manage and direct larger groups of people, and everything takes longer – from hair and make-up sessions to photography to the logistics of moving everyone from area to area.

Changing rules for wedding parties also makes space for uneven numbers of attendants. If you have 3 close friends, and your fiance(e) has 2 siblings and 2 close friends, those are the people you should have in your wedding party. The only time it may be more obvious that the numbers are not even is during the processional and recessional at your wedding ceremony, and by mixing things up and having each attendant enter alone or including a trio along with couples, those moments can be gracefully handled, too.

The changing rules for wedding parties has also required some new language. The people who stand with you can simply be referred to as attendants rather than bridesmaids and groomsmen. In place of maid/matron of honor and best man, we now have honor attendants. As you plan your wedding, consider who the important people in your life are, and build your wedding party accordingly. All options for numbers and genders of attendants are open to you so surround yourselves with supportive people who want to make the day special for you.

Winter Weddings: An Emerging Trend

 in Trends / Weddings  tagged winter weddings by

Winter weddings are an emerging trend in Minnesota and elsewhere. With picture of pristine winter wonderland weddings gracing magazines and websites, it’s not hard to imagine embracing the idea. I’ve received more requests for winter weddings than in previous years, and with our weather, they require additional thought and planning.

First, it’s important to consider how winter weddings impact you as a couple, and your wedding party. Make sure your expectations are reasonable, and that you have contingency plans. For example, while you may be envisioning lovely pictures in the snow with evergreens as your backdrop, realize that there may not be any snow and you’ll be standing on brown, dead grass. Or you may have so much snow that tromping up to the tree line may not be possible. Even if the weather cooperates, you’ll want to have boots for everyone, and some kind of warm wrap or jacket for the women in your wedding party. You will also want to consider the style of your dress – sleeves perhaps, instead of a strapless gown to provide a little more coverage and warmth in the weather, or one of the new gowns with a matching full length coat.

Unless your wedding is limited to you two, your witnesses and a very few, hardy guests, I suggest you plan an indoor ceremony for your winter wedding. Set near a striking fireplace, or against windows with the winter wonderland view beyond can be lovely, but freezing and slipping on snow is not going to be welcomed by most of your guests. And speaking of guests – you will need to be prepared for last minute cancellations if a significant storm chooses your wedding weekend to visit the area. This can impact your costs significantly as final numbers will likely need to be in to your caterer before guests know they can’t make it.

You may also want to consider a single venue wedding – perhaps at a hotel or resort where the ceremony, reception and even guest accommodations are all in the same place. So if your guests can safely make it to the venue they can relax and enjoy the day, knowing that they don’t have to travel further. If that’s not possible, consider providing shuttle services for your guests and wedding party.

If you can live with the uncertainty that winter weather brings to your wedding plans, holding your wedding from November through March will likely increase the choices of venues, musicians, photographers, officiants and all your other vendors. Guests are also less likely to have social conflicts during the slower, winter months, and you might be able to take advantage of family and friends who have traveled for the Thanksgiving or December holiday seasons, too.

If you love the winter season, are timing your wedding with a significant event in your relationship, or if it simply works best with your schedule, embrace the idea, plan accordingly, and have a wonderful, memorable winter wedding.

Three Evolving Wedding Trends

 in Trends / Weddings  tagged wedding trends by

Evolving wedding trends are interesting to explore, but make sure you pick and choose those that reflect you for your wedding day. If you make choices based on your own personalities, style and interests, you ensure that your wedding day will be personal and authentic, allowing you to be comfortable and have a great time.

That said, here are a few things trending for weddings in our area:
1. Fashion: Bridal gowns with sleeves of all lengths are increasing in popularity, with a decreased focus on strapless gowns. Beautiful patterned chiffons and other floaty fabrics and an increase in A-line silhouettes keep things interesting, too. For bridesmaids the trend is back to long dresses, with more and more brides allowing the women to pick the bodice design that best fits them. For the men in the bridal party suits are holding strong as an alternative to traditional tuxedos, with vests and shirtsleeves being seen as a practical option on very hot summer days.

2. Flowers: Cascade bouquets are making a comeback for brides, especially for those who want a larger, lush floral accessory. The new cascades are less structured than their ’80’s counterpart, and make a great statement coming up the aisle. The use of greenery both in bouquets and table and ceremony decor arrangements continues to grow, especially in barn venues and when going for a more natural vibe.

3. Venues: Outdoor ceremonies continue to be very popular, both at barn venues and at country clubs. Single venue weddings – where the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and reception are all held in one place are definitely the wave of the future. Hotels offer the optimum single venue option with guest rooms available, too. And don’t forget transportation. Both for the convenience of guests and to ensure no one drives after too much celebrating, increasing numbers of couples are providing shuttles, trolleys or buses. This is thoughtful for out of town guests as well as a great safety precaution for everyone.

It’s great to consider wedding trends and to have new options and choices for all aspects of your wedding day. Just remember to make your selections based on your personalities and priorities and you’re sure to have a memorable day.