I spend hours trawling the internet to gather inspiration to offer my clients about the latest wedding trends. What can start as a quick browse of a new product or location can easily turn into a three hour marathon of click throughs, videos and Pinterest pins. The thought that is often running through my head as I embark on these creative interludes is where would I even begin to look as a newly engaged bride or groom as I set about planning what is likely to be the biggest event of my life, with a guest list of all our nearest and dearest?
Experience tells me that wedding trends come and go, while often being an idea or style of days gone by – consider the use of milk bottles and mason jars at every second wedding or event. Some couples have very clear ideas of how they imagine their big day will come together, while others look to the latest trends to play a backdrop to their day of love. There are many reinvented styles coming through internationally and locally for weddings – think vintage, rustic charm, shabby chic and bohemian. These nods to yesteryear are being modernised to fit the styles of today’s couples.
Along with the styling trends here are a list of my top five wedding trends for this season:
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Mis-matched bridesmaid dresses
Gone are the days where we want all our attendants to dress the same. This summer will see dress styles as unique as those who wear them. No matter your size, height or dress length preference, if you are a bridesmaid you can be sure you will look your best as you complement and contrast the rest of the bridal party.
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Stations, stations and more stations
As we continue to want to control every aspect of our day to day life, including what we eat when we are at
weddings, the food station is becoming an ever popular and evolving must have. From antipasto stations to candy bars and everything in between, guests can now graze at their leisure while mingling through the crowds. What a great way to enhance your wedding style throughout your day as stations provide another creative opportunity to stamp your own unique mark on your wedding day.
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Make some noise for live entertainment
Hail the return of live music and entertainment to weddings. Anything goes as we shift away from the humble
DJ and iPod playlist to offer our guests an entertainment filled extravaganza. We are seeing soloists, jazz bands, full bands, Latin dancers and even table to table magicians.
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Unplugged wedding trends
Unplugged Wedding downloadable templates available for free from www.offbeatbride.com
We have all seen it before, a guest moving right into the line of the professional photographer to get their shot on Facebook or Instagram as fast as they can. Although it can be great seeing your wedding through the eyes of your guests (some couples even provide a wedding hashtag), many couples are now asking guests to put away
their smart phone and their camera to look up, live in the moment and share their day without technology or social media getting in the way. The up side of this approach is the professional photographer gets shots of the wedding guests having a great time enjoying your hospitality rather than looking at their phone updating their status!
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Have planner, have fun!
Brides and grooms are forgoing the wedding planning details and engaging the services of a wedding planner
as everyone’s lives become busier. The feeling of being in the driver’s seat while not having to worry about researching, chasing quotes and confirming suppliers is leaving couples to enjoy their engagement and the creative process of planning their wedding. Combine this with the savings you can make, as wedding planners know all the tricks of the trade to make your money go further, and you have paid for the planning services in no time. Knowing every detail is taken care of leaves you both to head into your wedding day cool, calm and collected, ready to marry the love of your life.
