Weddings: The hottest trends you need to know now
"Mad Men," "The Great Gatsby" and tradition. It turns out all three are inspirations behind some of today's biggest wedding trends. Read on to find out what else today's brides are doing to make their big day picture-perfect.
"The Great Gatsby": With Leonardo DiCaprio's long-awaited film, "The Great Gatsby," now in theaters, it's no wonder brides and grooms are opting for a little extra charm.
"We're seeing a lot of fashion that's echoing this 'Great Gatsby' glamour --- a little fringe or beads on dresses. I think this is one trend we're going to see more and more of," said Rebecca Dolgin, editor-in-chief at TheKnot.com. Dolgin often sees celebrity and pop culture seeping into wedding concepts. Take "Mad Men" or Prince William and Duchess Kate's nuptials, for instance. "We're still continuing to see things from the royal wedding," she said. With that, Dolgin said, brides are choosing deeper tones, such as emerald green, as well as gold embellishments.
"Downton Abbey": English romance is also making its way into the bridal scene, with softer colors, pinks, lace and silvery accents showcased throughout the weddings and receptions. "It feels a little bit more Victorian in a way," said Dolgin.
Rustic goes contemporary: According to celebrity wedding planner Sarah Pease, two or three years ago brides and grooms were opting for the "rustic wedding" -- peppered with wooden fixtures and signs, chalkboards with quirky, "homegrown" messages. Today that rustic look is getting a contemporary edge. "Brides are taking more chances and working with their wedding planner and/or their vendors to completely customize and transform typical, traditional venues into much more modern spaces," said Pease, David's Bridal's resident wedding and proposal planning pro.
Colors: "Pastels have been really big," said Elizabeth Graves, editor-in-chief of Martha Stewart Weddings. "We've been seeing a lot of mint and peach palettes recently, and any color scheme with a soft vintage appeal -- the colors of a Laduree macaron box or sherbet ice cream come to mind. Neutrals we also seeing coming into the mix a lot -- black and white weddings, as well as gray and nude colors, for example," said Graves.
Personalization: Brides and grooms are getting personal -- and not in the way you may think. "Gone are the days of cookie-cutter weddings. Couples are planning their day their way," noted Graves. "Brides aren't always in white dresses. Some choose to forgo the cake altogether in favor of a dessert bar, pie bar, ice cream sundaes, or a favorite sweet. People are also wedding in a variety of different venues -- from art galleries and historic estates to their own backyard. They are putting their own twist on every tradition."
Specialty cocktails: Signature cocktails continue to be all the rage at receptions. Some couples are even forgoing a full bar -- and instead opting for a signature drink or two, coupled with beer and wine. "Elderflower is huge," said Dolgin, noting that champagne cocktails have become very popular.
Dessert: It used to be commonplace for brides and grooms to have towering tiered wedding cakes, but cupcakes are still gaining in popularity, said Pease, owner/creative director of Brilliant Event Planning. She also suggests ordering a wedding cake in a size smaller than you may need. As a money-saver, couples can serve the smaller cake, along with one or two sheet cakes (in the same flavor).
Timing: Times are a changin': Think weddings are only in June? Think again. "May through October is when most weddings occur, with June now being the most popular month to get married," explained Graves. "But we are starting to see a lot of couples planning April, October and November nuptials. It can be less expensive to marry outside of the popular months and it's often easier to secure a location."
And although many brides may want to stay on trend, there's one rule when it comes to weddings: there are no rules.
So have fun, get creative and get planning! And check out the video above for more on today's wedding trends, including one of the go-to dress trends of the moment, as well as one of the today's popular flowers trend by A Votre Service Events and the of-the-moment cake from Sugar Flower Cake Shop.
