Wedding Announcements
The following trends have been compiled from hundreds of sources
in both North America and Europe to help guide you in your selections
and to inform you of the vast array of options available.
Wedding
Dress: Although vogue for many seasons, elegantly cut dresses in
floor-length styles are making way for ruffles, pleats and sashes. Colorful
fabric hand painting, understated bows, silk flowers, satin
ribbon, and ornate brooches add unique style to today's dresses. In
some cases, the entire dress is a light shade of pink, champagne,
blue, peach, silver, or gold. Longer trains remain top
picks as well. The "mermaid
style" skirt is also making a comeback although it is a much
softer, flowing look then in the past.
Many
brides choose simply cut dresses and accent them with pretty
wraps or shawls. Winter
brides choose faux fur wraps or velvet cloaks and hand muffs. Fall
brides choose velvet. Spring and Summer brides choose
lighter fabrics in soft solids for their bridesmaids. Popular
fabrics include silk, chiffon, satin, organza, and lace. Faux
fur, ruffles, crystal, pearl or glass beaded accents are used with
restraint on purses and other accessories.
Wedding Colors: Brides are choosing exciting colors for their wedding
party attire and reception decorations.
Bouquets: Ninety percent of wedding bouquets are
hand-tied; where the flowers are gathered together and the stems
are wrapped in ribbon. Beads, pearls, charms and monogrammed
ribbon are dressing up plain ribbon-wrapped stems.
The most popular and elegant flower selection continues to be the
rose. Gerber daisies, colorful lilies, peonies, hydrangeas,
and gardenias are more trendy choices, as are arrangements with
a more just-picked or casual look. More and more mothers are seen
carrying small posies instead of wearing the traditional corsage.
Equally
popular choices include solid and mixed colored blooms. Unconventional
bouquet accents include berries, fruits, ribbon, pearls, crystals,
rhinestones, and feathers. Silk
flowers are quickly gaining popularity for their versatility
and life-like appearance.
Budget: Today's
couples most often pay for their own weddings, and make their
own decisions about what they want for their wedding day. They
want to enjoy a wedding that is uniquely theirs, and one that
displays their own sense of style and personal taste. Personal
touches extend to the entire wedding and include attire, favors,
decorations,
stationary, photography, themes,
flowers, gifts,
and locations.
Children's
Attire: Flower girls are sporting fairy wings and cute wands,
although baskets of petals, posies, pomanders, and dainty purses
remain quite popular. A-line dresses
and dresses accented with chiffon overlays steal the show. Head
wreaths made of roses and ribbon finish the look.
The tux is still the most popular choice for the ring bearer. Ring
pillows often come in colors other than white and include bead,
ribbon or floral accents. Popular fabrics include velvet,
lace and satin.
Transportation: Limousines,
exotic cars, and horse-drawn carriages are the top picks for
wedding transpor-tation. More
unconventional choices include, motorcycles, horses, two-person
bikes, hot-air balloons, and sleighs.
Locations: Mansions,
churches, country clubs, resorts, hotels, public gardens, museums,
yachts, and private homes are still the most popular locations
for weddings.
Ceremony: A
recent trend is for couples to face their guests during the ceremony. They
write their own vows and incorporate their children in the case
of second marriages. Pets are also part of the day. Bride's riding
their horse or walking their dog to the altar is not unusual.
Grooms
typically escort their mothers down the aisle. Brides
are escorted by both father and/or stepfather, or by her mother,
mother and father together, or grandparents or by a significant
person in their life.
Traditional
guest books are popular, however, a trend that has been around
for a few years is to display the couple's engagement photograph
on an easel at the ceremony entrance. The
photo is matted, framed without glass and takes the place of a
guest book when guests sign the matting. Some couples
ask their guests to sign a scroll which they have framed later.
Reception
Decor: Brides are choosing centerpieces that
are in the same color tones, but of different sizes. This
gives the reception tables a more interesting look and a less "coordinated" feel. Break-away
vases are also a current trend and are basically smaller glass
or silver
vases of flowers gathered together in the center of the table. They
double as favors when the guests leave.
Faux
rose petals are the hot new confetti for table decorations and
sprinkling confections on
the table or placing them in bowls throughout the reception area
creates a fun atmosphere. Flowering vines or individually
cut flowers are placed directly onto table linens and chairs are
decorated with either fabric
overlays, floral swags or ribbons.
Bolts
of white or ivory tulle are
typically combined with white
lights and/or floral garlands for draping between pews and
decorating banisters and ceilings. Candles,
always a popular choice for centerpieces lending a romantic feel
to any room. Other trendy choices include pillars, tea
lights and tapers.
Other
popular decorating items include faux ivy and balloons. Fresh
flowers on the wedding cake are replacing the traditional bride
and groom cake top. Icing scrollwork and artistry are
replacing fresh flowers on cake layers. Disposable
cameras, placed on each table, allow guests to capture candid
moments.
Head
tables are replaced with a small table for just the bride and
groom. Many couples plan weekend weddings
that start on Friday and go for the entire weekend. Dove
releases and add drama and excitement to the wedding. Butterfly
releases, despite the environmental
issues, also remain popular.
Favors: Gone
are the monogrammed matchbooks and napkins. Couples
are now opting for more unique, useful, and personalized favors. In
many cases, the favors do double-duty as place-card holders or
centerpiece arrangements. Candles, boxes,
glassine bags, soaps, place
card frames, flower/tree
seeds, and confections are
very popular.
Favors
that fit with a particular wedding theme, such as shells, or
Christmas ornaments suit some occasions. Bath
salts, lavender
sachets, and custom wedding
CD's also catch the attention of brides wanting an upscale
favor. Small bottles of bubbles, bells,
ribbon wands, designer wedding
rice, lavender
buds, and rose
petals are popular items for guests to use as the couple leaves
the reception.
Photography: The
photo journalistic approach to wedding photography is a current
trend, in addition to requesting some of the photos be in black
and white. Some brides
request more candid pictures, with the photographer capturing the
day's events as they happen. Of course, some posed pictures
are still enjoyed.
Hair: For
brides with longer hair, wearing the hair up is the most popular
choice. Hair
ornaments, such as hairpins and combs made with crystals, pearls,
rhinestones, and/or silk flowers are starting to become very popular. Beautiful
tiaras made
with either rhinestones or pearls continue to be the top hair accessory.
Jewelry: Pearls,
rhinestones, and crystals remain the top jewelry choice for necklaces
and earrings, however, velvet or satin ribbon chokers, made with
a single silk flower or feather accents, are the choice of many
chic brides.
Themes: The
top wedding themes of 2004 are "beach", "rose/garden", "fairy
tale", and "butterfly". Destination and ethnic influenced
celebrations also remain popular choices.
Stationary: Stationery with ribbon, feather or floral accents remains in
high demand. Ribbon
is used for decoration, or to simply hold the invitation together. Handmade
stationary is a more personal, and with the explosion of "scrap
booking" and various computer programs available, there are
endless creative options. Many couples choose to add
this personal touch to their wedding.
