|
The Trendsetting Bride: What’s Hot in Weddings in 2008
By Cathy Baldwin
Stuck in a rut trying to plan your big day? Chances are, if you’re tired of attending cookie-cutter weddings, then your guests are, too. Give them something to remember with a fresh take on the traditional. Spice up your celebration with some of these hot ideas that trendsetting brides are embracing in 2008.
Go Green
Eco-friendly celebrations are undoubtedly the biggest trend in weddings today, and they’re only getting more popular. As environmental awareness moves to the forefront of our global consciousness, brides are making a concerted effort to keep their weddings from doing any more damage to Mother Earth. You don’t have to be a card-carrying member of Greenpeace to make your wedding eco-friendly; this is a trend that brides from all walks of life can incorporate into their plans. Whether you go green all the way with an organic menu, invitations on recycled paper and asking your guests to donate to your favorite charity in lieu of gifts, or you simply ask your guests to RSVP via e-mail rather than waste extra paper, this is a wedding trend we can all get behind.
Jewel Tones
Nothing’s hotter this year than bold, bright color. This year’s popular wedding hues are the colors of gemstones. Straight from the catwalks in New York, the opulent colors of citrus yellow, deep aubergine and emerald green are seeing a resurgence.
Not just for bridesmaids’ dresses, trendsetting brides are using color as a theme throughout the wedding. Forgo the usual off-white and send your guests boldly hued invitations. Weave your vibrant palette throughout the day, starting with your ceremony. Carry ruby red bouquets of roses or tie sapphire blue sashes on the backs of chairs. At the reception, decorate the tables with colorful tablecloths and napkins; play with colored lantern lights to set a mood; and put the focus on your cake by including your hot hue here, too.
Dessert Decadence
Have a sweet tooth? Then you’re in luck with the up and coming trend of dessert buffets and dessert-only receptions. Tables with jars of candies and silver scoops, ice cream sundae buffets or platters of chocolate truffles are sweet and delicious ways to please your guests and keep everyone on a sugar high. For drinks, serve a signature cocktail in a sugar-rimmed glass; pour sparkling wine with peach nectar over strawberries in a champagne flute; or, for cooler weather weddings, warm your guests with Irish coffee, complete with whipped cream and crème de menthe on top. The sugary possibilities are endless.
But just because dessert is taking the center stage doesn’t mean that the cake doesn’t have top billing. The wedding cake can still be the focus, especially with so many exciting flavors and shapes to choose from. Brides are having more fun than ever designing their wedding cakes, indulging their love for color, design and, of course, taste. Don’t be afraid to stray from the yellow cake norm by giving in to your passion for chocolate, lemon-cream or red velvet cake. From cupcake towers to square cake tiers that look like stacked presents, the wedding cake can be as unique or as traditional as your heart desires. Vintage cake toppers of the bride and groom are making a comeback, and are a fun way to show your guests your whimsical side. The bride and groom’s monogram in sterling silver is another hot topper that can become a fantastic keepsake after the wedding.
Destroying the Gown
You paid hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for your gorgeous gown. Which means you’ll want to preserve it for the next generation, right? Not so, say plenty of photographers. After paying beaucoup bucks for their dresses, today’s brides want to get their money’s worth – in photographs, at least.
The latest craze in wedding photography is wedding dress destruction. Usually taken the day after the ceremony, the photographer takes a series of whimsical photos of the bride playing in the ocean, rolling around in the surf or dancing through a fountain. The idea is to get unusual, artsy and – up until recently – unseen photographs of the bride enjoying the dress for the last time. If you can’t bear the thought of destroying a dress that you searched so long and hard for, wore on the best day of your life and one day want to pass down to your daughter, buy an extra, less-expensive wedding dress that you won’t be heartbroken to destroy.
Honeymoon Redefined
Your wedding’s over and you’ve got two weeks to go wherever you and your honey’s hearts desire. Maybe your idea of the perfect honeymoon is lounging beachside with a piña colada in hand, and his is a whirlwind vacay in Vegas complete with late-night dancing, dining at fancy restaurants and winning big at blackjack. What to do if you can’t seem to agree on the destination? Well, why not do both? You’ve got the time and the budget, so make one long vacation into two shorter honeymoons that please you both. Even the most chilled-out beach-loving bride might find herself bored after two weeks at the same resort, so indulge both of your fantasy honeymoons and everyone will be all the happier. Paradise found!
|
