What’s Hot (and Not) in Weddings for 2007
When it comes to weddings, it's true that trends have a regional spin. But a delightful way to get the big picture is to chat up some of the top wedding planners across the country. From coast to coast (and beyond), here four planners with "the most" — and some seriously inspiring insider trading on what's looking hot this season.
Terrica Skaggs
Chief Coordinator of Once Upon Your Wedding and host of online show WeddingStyle, Terrica shares a birds-eye view of trends taking hold from her gorgeous home base in Golden Isles, GA.
Custom Logos. Out with the same old monograms of yesteryear! Sultry, Exotic Colors. Paprika and chocolate, for example: a sensual spin on the chocolates we saw so much last year, like chocolate with pink or blue.
Hot Beats and Shows. A jazz quartet for cocktail hour and a funk band for the reception: hot. Live performances at the reception: hot. Especially for weddings with ethnic themes. Add in a dash of salsa, polynesian, flamenco, and then have your dancers serve up some "lite" dancing lessons to the crowd. Your guests walk away with a deep sense of experience.
Experience Transformations. Mainly the domain of high-budget weddings, these create a unique experience with lighting, props, furniture, and more. Preston Bailey's the master.
Alternative Favors. Unimaginative favors can be a big money sink. The unconventional, the gorgeous and/or the useful are bound to get the most raves. Especially when they tie closely to your theme. Really, what will guests do with a tiny placecard holder?
Mini-Moons. Taking a break with your honey (no wedding talk allowed) helps the sparks keep flying despite the toll of wedding planning.
Stunning, Creative DIY items. Handcrafted save-the-dates, invites, menu cards or programs
that just scream "you," not "anonymous print shop."
Khris Cochran
Wedding craft queen, DIYBride.com creator and author of The DIY Bride: Fun, Stylish and Hip Projects for the Bride-to-Be (Taunton Press, Spring 2008), Khris shares some tips for looking stylish from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Monochrome Color Schemes. In particular, white-on-white. Mix in plenty of texture or sparkle (crystals, glitter, ice) to give the look pop.
Black and White. It's coming back in a big way, but this time you'll see much more ornate patterns and designs.
Brown + Anything. We've seen it for years, but it's still wildly popular. Still, you'll start to see it paired less with pink, pale green and aqua, and more with purples, reds, and corals.
Teal + Red. We're seeing this, or similar pairings (light blue + orange) gaining ground among the indie crowd.
Avant-Garde Motifs. Birds, swirls, and geometric shapes are popular.
Micro-Weddings. Milkshakes and airline flatbeds might be supersizing, but weddings under 100 are really taking hold.
Sleeved Gowns. Rejoice! Brides are seeing options — gorgeous ones — besides the regulation strapless.
Linnyette Richardson-Hall
Linnyette probably caught your eye in Essence and Glamour magazines, or on Style Network's hit reality series "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" Diva-in-Chief at Premiere Event Management and a Baltimore native, she gives us a few tips for adding some East Coast swing to your event.
Hip to be Square. Anything but round tables for dinner — this is the season for linear looks.
Sweet & Savory. Inspired treat bars and displays are eclipsing the usual candy buffet. Try "sweet and salty," gourmet popcorn, or ethnic-inspired goodies to whet your guests' appetites.
Iced Martini Bars. Beyond hot. Generally, we host more than one flavor — and the bar stays packed throughout the event.
Louis Ghost Chairs. So fabulous; such a great change from the tried-and-true Chivari.
Opulent Place Settings. Clients are really going for textural interest and eye-catching shapes with dinnerware, flatware and glassware.
Kimberley Petyt
Youthful doyenne of Parisian Events, Kimberley plans full-service weddings and events in the City of Light, and coordinated Katrina Fund France. She tells us what's hot on both sides of the Seine: the results might surprise you!Colorful Wedding Dresses. Red's been hot for some time, but designers are trotting out other daring colors: seafoam green, for example.
Coral. Both in textiles and jewelry. You'll see it on tabletops, tie-backs, placecard holders, centerpieces and gowns.
Pearl Engagement Rings. Brides are flaunting a single white pearl in a clean, modern setting.
Feminine Feathers. If you want to bring some Paris to your wedding, weave in white feathers anywhere: your dress, bouquet, hats, tabletops — even jewelry.
Eastern Appeal. While ultra-traditional tabletop florals are going strong, the Ikebana style has a growing share of fans.
What's Not-So-Hot
Every good "hot" list needs a "not hot", just for balance. But rather than name names, we thought we'd just include a few trends from days-gone-by that leave many planners with cold feet.
Balloons, Balloon Arches. "It's not a senior prom," says one coordinator.
Old-School Cakes. Skip the columns, stairs, and platoons of bridal party figurines. "Cakes have come a long way... embrace the change!"
Cheesy, Chatty DJs. Focus on the music, says one planner. Skip the big, crazy hat-changing schtick, pleads another.
Downmarket Silk Flowers. Some silks are beautiful, says one planner. But the ones from the dollar store, with the faux raindrops? "They smell like fabric and glue ... and even in the photos, you can practically tally up the thread count."
Monogram Mania. One planner admits she'd live if she never saw another monogrammed aisle runner or caketop. "What's a guest going to do with a single wine glass bearing your monogram?" Event logos, on the other hand, still hold plenty of charm.
Time to Wave Goodbye ... A few more trends planners could stand to see go: Cake toppers that dwarf the cake. Wine glasses as cake stands. DIY stationary ground out on an obsolete printer. Registry info snuck in with the invites. Homemade CD favors, with their murky copyrights.
And perhaps most of all: chocolate brown plus pink, green or blue. "We've seen it for three years now. It's time to move on."
It's your turn. What's hot in your eyes — and what colors, themes and accessories have long outstayed their welcome? Let us know below.
Tags: 
June 28th, 2008 at 11:41 am
you go meg!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 11th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Michelle said:
Cheap gowns ordered on ebay from China. Anyone with half a brain can see that your gown is cheap. The fabrics they use are terrible. Don’t try to justify it by saying that only people that work at a bridal salon can tell….your guests have been to more weddings that just yours. Your cheap chinese Maggie Sottero/Monique Lhuillier/ Eve of Milady looks CHEAP and TACKY.
ummmm excuse me…………… just because It comes from china doesn’t mean its cheap and tacky. I ordered my dress from china and it looks like its a 4000 dollar dress. Its made exceptionally great with real silk and the embroidery looks exquisite and thats not just my opinion many other people have said so too. Some people are on a tight budget and can’t afford an acual 4000 dollar dress. Besides what makes you an expert either? Your a bridal salon owner your not a wedding planner. What gives you the right to be snotty with people either?
December 16th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
i think arm bouquets are great. they are a change and look so elegant! they also can be made any size and can be used by the bride all the way down to the flower girl. i also think that couples should choose colors they like. silk flowers are a great way to save money if they’re not cheap or cheesy. a good way to revive an old color scheme is to use unconventional flowers. favors or not? that should be the couples decision. no right or wrong here. anyone going to a wedding expecting a favor or expecting an expensive one is tacky and cheesy themselves.
November 3rd, 2007 at 2:35 pm
September 21st, 2007 at 7:41 am
The first thing that people told me to do when I got engaged and started planning is to go with what I like. Yes, people tend to follow alot of the trendy themes, but if that is what they want, so be it. You shouldn’t go with something different for the sake of being different. You should go with what makes you happy. I’m using the Tiffany blue color. Not because it is a hot theme right now, but I saw an inspiration page for wedding ideas that had an aqua color along with a deeper shade of blue. When we went to the rental store to see the colors, my fiance didn’t like the two together, but he did like the idea of the aqua and white. He chose it, so I’m going with it. It just so happens that many people like that theme right now. Stop making people feel bad because they use common themes. Brides, do whatever they hell you please. It’s your day, and if people out there want to talk about it because it is “overused” don’t invite them!
September 11th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I’m having a books and coffee themed wedding in October of 2008. Our colors are deep red and espresso brown. I’m buying up loads of used books and covering them with red and brown paper to give as favors. We are also incorporating nicely bound leather books into the centerpieces with vases filled with red flowers and coffee beans. We’ve hired a bartender that is also a barista and we are planning on renting an espresso machine, so we can serve mochas, lattes, or whatever else we can dream up in addition to the usual bar fare. We are also serving red and brown foods such as chocolate-covered strawberries. I’m so excited about it because it is so “us” and I haven’t seen anything like it anywhere else!
September 5th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
everyone and their mama’s are wearing brown and tiffany blue, come on, are you really trying to be like everyone else? you say your trying to be different…… your not! change it up. PLEASE!!!
August 21st, 2007 at 10:41 am
I am having an orchid themed wedding. My colors are light green and purple (more like a yellowish green and orchid purple) but all the girls are wearing a Smoke gray. I am having a terrible time choosing favors, and I found orchid soaps that look nice, but is this a good idea? I want people to enjoy what they are taking home and not buy favors that are a waste of my money. I also found bamboo place card holders but I am not sure if they “go” with what I am doing.
August 12th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
As a bridal salon owner, these are the trends that make me hurl:
1. Brown with pink/blue/green, etc. This is OVERUSED. Time to move on.
2. Candy Buffets- Again, overused.
3. Mermaid style gowns, especially on overweight brides. I’d love to slap the designer that first convinced brides that “everyone” looks great in a mermaid style gown. It’s not true. Most of the brides that get them don’t look very good in them.
4. All-lace gowns in an attempt to re-create Monique Lhuillier. If you can’t afford the real thing, a cheap copy looks just that…..cheap. I don’t care what brand it is, if you are trying to copy the original, do yourself and your wedding pictures a favor and find something unique that you can actually afford.
5. Tiffany Blue- If you can’t afford a ring from Tiffany, you are just going to look stupid and trailer park if you try to have a “Tiffany Themed” wedding. You aren’t fooling anyone with this.
6. Matted photograph signed around the edges by your guests. So early 90’s.
7. Half-up, half-down hair. Please, please stop bringing us the ad of Melissa Sweet’s “Hallie” gown. Yes, her hair was pretty. No, it’s not going to be pretty on you. You don’t look like her, you aren’t her. You are not a model. So, stop trying to act like you are.
8. Gluing crystals/pennies on the bottoms of your shoes. Totally overused and extremely childish.
9. Cheap gowns ordered on ebay from China. Anyone with half a brain can see that your gown is cheap. The fabrics they use are terrible. Don’t try to justify it by saying that only people that work at a bridal salon can tell….your guests have been to more weddings that just yours. Your cheap chinese Maggie Sottero/Monique Lhuillier/ Eve of Milady looks CHEAP and TACKY.
10. Living on “TheKnot” and getting snotty with “newbies”. Get a life! Especially after your wedding is over, it’s time to move on. I don’t care if you planned your own wedding. You’re NOT an expert. Stop pretending that you are.
11. Get your own ideas! Stop being a sheep. If I have on more of you come in to my store telling me that you are doing any of these things, I think I will puke on your feet!!!!!!!!
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:06 pm
I’m getting married 6/14/07 and my colors are tiffany blue and ivory. Me and my fiance are paying for everything and we are on a budget. I want a elegant but inexpensive wedding. Can you help me with a inexpensive but FABULOUS wedding?
July 27th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
hey i really need help for my upcoming wedding. My colors are tiffany blue and chocolate brown how can i decorate my hall to make it extremely beautiful. Help somebody
July 17th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
To Jessica - You could make your centerpieces your favors. You wouldn’t have extra (or too much extra) to spend and no one with think you’re cheap. They’ll probably think you’re pretty savvy!
Depending on what your theme is or desire for centerpieces you could have stalks of lucky bamboo in a vase - each guest gets one. Or small bunches of flowers tied individually, but made to look like one big bunch. Here are a few sites I found.
www.wanderfuls.com/
www.weddingclipart.com/guide/wedding-favors/Making-Centerpieces-into-Wedding-Favors.html
www.florelle.com/
Another option could be using plantable paper for the programs or place cards. Once the wedding is over they plant their paper goods and have a nice bunch of flowers to boot!
www.botanicalpaperworks.com/wholesale.php
www.greenfieldpaper.com/
July 17th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
4 boys: I have my 2 sons in my wedding. One will be the ring bearer & the other the bell ringer who will either ring a bell (which will be used later in our home) after our kiss. Some sites have bell ringing during the processional, too.
The Bell of Truce (how we are using the bell):
Ringing the Bell of Truce is a custom that can be performed as a part of the wedding ceremony. A bell is blessed and then presented to the bride and groom by the officiant. The couple is then asked to give the bell a good hardy ring, while thinking lovely thoughts of each other and, most importantly, of their furture together. The bell is then kept at home as a reminder of the couples wedding day. When arguements arise, the bell is put to its intended use. One of the quarreling couple should ring the bell to call a truce in the argument. The tinkling sound will remind the couple of their wedding vows and conjure up the happiest memories from their wedding day.
www.weddinghelpers.com/weddingcustomsbells.html
www.dayofdreams.com/Children%20In%20Weddings.htm
Also check this out:
www.topweddingquestions.com/forum/Bridal_Party_C13/Children_in_the_Wedding_F44/Little_boys_in_wedding-not_ring_bearer_P12860/
July 10th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Daughter’s wedding coming up. Need a non-traditional idea for encorporating 4 nephews (ages 10,9,6,2) Something other than jr. ushers. Something unique….any ideas?
July 6th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
I’m getting married in October 2008. I have no idea where to start. My fiance and I are paying for everything ourselves, needless to say, we are on a BUDGET. Planning a wedding is not my thing at all, I just keep stressing about how much everything is going to cost. Do you have any money saving tips for me? I want my wedding to be inexpensive, but not to look cheap!
June 28th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Ok so I know everyone think that red and black at a wedding is so 3 years ago but I found a dress I LOVE and it has red in it. We have had like four weddings in the family this year and they all used brown and blue or pink. I wanted to use something different but what else is there? Is there any way to make the red and black not so 3 years ago?
June 27th, 2007 at 10:59 am
we are planning our wedding “party” not reception in late oct and we are having a live band- how do i decorate? or not? we are so not traditional or formal- casual and fun is what we want and on a budget- so do not want chessy table decor or balloons! can you help please
May 31st, 2007 at 8:57 pm
I am planning a brown and light blue wedding. The tux I am using is a chocolate brown stephen geoffrey suit. It has same color vertical stripes. I CANNOT FIND A BRIDESMAID DRESS IN THIS COLOR-brown looks better beside my ivory dress than the blue does- any ideas! All the dresses look maroon.
May 31st, 2007 at 11:49 am
I too do not get wedding favors. My fiance’ and I are getting married 02/28/09 and are paying for EVERYTHING ourselves. We are having 150 guests and our venue has a minimum of $25 (food and beverage) per guest. If I am spending so much money on my guests to eat, drink, dance, and have a ride to the hotel. Why should I give them favors that they probably don’t want, are never going to use, or will leave on the table? It doesn’t make sense to me, but we feel pressured to have favors because everybody else does it and we don’t want to look cheap. Tell me. What is a bride to do?????
May 21st, 2007 at 6:18 am
May 9th, 2007 at 7:21 am
Im 18 and Im getting married in September at the Falls around here and I dont know what to do for a theme. I want it to be perfect…not only for me…but for my fiance as well. Do you have any ideas of what I can do for my wedding…?
Please help me…I really need it.
Thanks -Lindsay
April 16th, 2007 at 8:31 am
A great and trendy favor or treat is chocolates from Christopher Elbow Chocolates!! Not only do they look great, but taste even better!
March 12th, 2007 at 7:49 am
How miserable! I went to my sisters wedding last year and she wrote each guests name on a little tealight holder and for the women we had some lovely hand cream and some fudge. The men had some cornish cidar, which my partner loved!!!! I am getting married and I will definately give favours! It is a nice surprise for the guests! Kids give party bags so why cant we too!!!!
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:49 pm
I hate to see the Mother of the Bride/Groom wearing those horrible pale two piece skirt and jacket sets. UGLY! I recently saw a MOB wearing a very elegant pant suit(sheer material)and she was able to dance all night long and look chic doing so.
I think wedding favors are the most ridiculous things. When I attend a wedding and notice the same thing set out for men and women it makes me feel bad for the poor bride who spent good money on this junk. It’s sad that she feels she has to waste her money on plastics, boxes, candy pouches, or keychains in an attempt to thank us for sharing her wedding day. I feel grateful to be invited, I feel grateful to eat such wonderful food and have a few drinks, so why in the world would the bride feel as if she needs to give favors? The favor is being invited to the wedding. DO away with the favors! WASTE of good money.