Trend 1: Retro-Chic Weddings
Retro-style weddings -- at a hotel, in your parents’ backyard, or even at a
restaurant -- are huge right now, and we’ll continue to see a lot of the style
in 2010. It’s really no wonder: A wedding filled with vintage details, whether
from the 1950s, ’60s, or even ’70s, can make for a meaningful heirloom-filled,
back-in-the-day vibe, and the decor options are limitless. Use a
turquoise-and-raspberry color combo, get milk-glass cake stands for your dessert
table, dress the tables with pretty eyelet runners, and ask your florist to
arrange your centerpieces in small porcelain vases or silver pitchers. Even your
menu options can get in on the action with pigs in blankets and punch (served up
in glass punch glasses, of course) at the cocktail hour.
Trend 2: Dinner-Focused Receptions
Say good-bye to informal buffet lines and light hors d’oeuvres stations and
welcome back the sit-down reception dinner. Think of it as a re-creation of a
dinner party in your own home: lots of food and a comfortable setting are both
key. To achieve this level of comfort, order starter plates to get guests
munching and chatting from the get-go and choose a dinner menu of the
meat-and-potatoes variety. Have the meal served family-style so that all the
food, wine, and iced tea or lemonade is set in the middle of the table for
guests to help themselves, just like they’d do at their own homes. Do it this
way and you’ll encourage conversation and create a more intimate atmosphere.
Trend 3: Innovative Ceremony Setups
This year, it's really all about comfort, so whether your ceremony takes
place in a church, at a farm, or in a ballroom, consider adding elements that
make your guests feel right at home. Skip the common aisle-down-the-middle
arrangement and create a living-room vibe using a mix of couches and chairs,
replace all those chairs with hay bales covered with quilts, or even spread
blankets on the ground right in front of the altar for the kids. The best part
is that anything goes just so long as the details create an intimate feeling.
Trend 4: Shorter, Tea-Length Dresses
From ball gowns to slim, structured sheaths, a shorter-than-floor-length
style will make a huge resurgence on ceremony aisles this year. And you don’t
have to have a casual wedding to pull it off, either -- the key is in the
fabric. Find one made with cotton or layers of airy tulle for an outdoor spring
or summer wedding, get a silk-satin gown for a more formal wedding, or go for
heavy silk with a soft bolero or even an overcoat for a wintertime wedding
Trend 5: Classic White Wedding Cakes
While dessert tables and candy bars have been popular for the past few years,
wedding cakes have made a comeback. But instead of the colorful two-tiered
styles we saw in 2009, this year it’s all about the classic white wedding cake.
Order a simple, round, three-tiered cake frosted with white buttercream or
covered in white fondant and finish it with an antique cake topper (from your
parents’ or grandparents’ wedding), a few fresh flowers that match your bouquet,
or leave it clear of add-ons for an even simpler look.
Trend 6: Textural Flower Arrangements
The typical tall centerpiece, overflowing with roses and calla lilies, has
given way to low, textural arrangements that call to mind a springtime garden,
crisp autumn foliage, or a snow-covered evergreen. To throw extra color and
texture into the mix, have your bouquets wrapped with lace or patterned fabric,
or line your flower-filled vases with birchbark sleeves. As for the centerpiece
vases, ask your florist to use small planters, classic pedestals,
vintage-inspired vases, or even rustic apple crates.
Trend 7: Turn Table DJs/Specialty Music
Everyone loves a live band, but DJs are resurging in popularity -- and we’re
not talking about the old iPod-and-speakers setup. We mean skilled turntable DJs
who can create a unique mishmash of music tailored to your guests, guaranteeing
you a packed dance floor all night long. If it’s in the budget, hire a specialty
band that speaks to your relationship or wedding locale (like a jazz trio,
bluegrass band, or even funk group) for the cocktail hour.
Trend 8: Souped-Up Photo Booths
The photo booth trend is so not going anywhere -- it’s just becoming
more personalized. If you’d rather not rent one, make one. Create your own
backdrop using a piece of patterned fabric, a simple curtain, or even paper
streamers. If it’s an outdoor wedding, pin the fabric to an arbor or trellis;
otherwise, use a wardrobe frame to secure your fabric. If you’ve rented more of
a traditional wedding space, ask your site manager whether they have in-house
“pipe and drapes” that you can use (a fancy term for a stand-alone bar with a
curtain attached). You could also make a completely custom photo backdrop out of
wood, cover it with wallpaper or paint, and then decorate it with fun frames or
anything else you can think of. Cut out circles for your guests’ faces, or
encourage everyone to get comfortable together on a great couch placed in front
of the backdrop. And don’t forget the funny props, like hats, fake mustaches,
and glasses!
Trend 9: Themed Engagement Photo Shoots
Just like your dress and reception decor, your engagement photo shoot should
be completely “you.” Follow that line of thinking and you’ll understand why
couples are coming up with the most creative themed engagement photo shoots,
from Mad Men and Breakfast at Tiffany’s to more obscure 1950s backyard barbecue
shoots. Not into the theme idea? Tone it down with a couple props, like colorful
balloons, umbrellas, or a tandem bicycle.
Trend 10: Wedding Videos (They're Back!)
While classic cinematic wedding videos are still an in-demand style, couples
are also asking their videographers to use motion picture in new and creative
ways. A few ideas we love: short wedding Super 8 wedding videos for that grainy,
vintage look (which can later have music dubbed in), the one-minute wedding
video first created by the Flashdance DJ out of Los Angeles -- a fast-motion
version of the dance floor throughout the evening, or an ultra-creative
save-the-date video.
Trend 11: Grand Exits
We’re not saying you should blow the budget on fireworks, but having a formal
ceremony or reception exit is not only fun for you and your guests, it’ll make
for great photos. Alternatives to bird seed: paper airplanes, ticker tape,
sparklers, and eco-confetti.
Book-Inspired Details
Read much? Go for novel-esque programs and invites, centerpieces atop stacks of
book, and bookmark wedding favors.
Bright Lips
Makeup artists say that more and more brides are asking to emphasize the lips.
Try out bright pinks and reds to see what looks right on you and finish with a
sheer lip gloss on top.
Creative Photo Displays
Rethink interrupting dinner to present a slideshow of through-the-years photos.
Instead, set up a digital photo frame on a table in the cocktail hour space, or
display your engagement photos on a rotating card display.
Classic White China Registries
Register for classic white, patterned china to mix with more fun colorful
dinnerware. Even if you just register for white, patterned dessert plates, you
can’t go wrong with this registry staple.
Family Tree Motifs
Give a nod to the fam and show off your new union by adding a family tree
display to your wedding day. Feature it on the ceremony programs, make it the
guest book cover, or display a large version on an easel next to the escort card
table.
The Knot's dates to avoid in 2010
and 2011
Ready to start planning? Before you put down a deposit, check this list
of dates you might want to steer clear of when booking your wedding.
Holiday Weekends
Holiday weekend weddings have pros and cons. You've got an extra day for the
festivities (and recovery!); plus, it's easier to host a Sunday wedding, which
is often less expensive than a Saturday one would be. However, costs of travel
and hotels may be higher. Also, having a holiday wedding might adversely affect
your wedding guest list. Some families have standing holiday weekend plans or
traditions that they'd prefer not to disrupt.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (always a Monday)
January 18, 2010
January 17, 2011
Presidents' Day (always a Monday)
February 15, 2010
February 21, 2011
Memorial Day (always a Monday)
May 31, 2010
May 30, 2011
Independence Day
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Monday, July 4, 2011
Labor Day (always a Monday)
September 6, 2010
September 5, 2011
Columbus Day (always a Monday)
October 11, 2010
October 10, 2011
Thanksgiving (always a Thursday)
November 25, 2010
November 24, 2011
New Year's Eve
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Religious and Cultural Holidays
Be mindful of religious and cultural holidays (your own and those of your
guests) when planning your wedding. There may even be restrictions at your house
of worship as to whether you're allowed to marry at these times.
Palm Sunday
March 28, 2010
April 17, 2011
Easter Sunday
April 4, 2010
April 24, 2011
Passover (begins at sunset the night before)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tisha B’Av (begins at sunset the night before)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Rosh Hashanah (begins at sunset the night before)
Wednesday, September 8, until nightfall on Friday, September 10, 2010
Wednesday, September 28, until nightfall on Friday, September 30, 2011
Yom Kippur (begins at sunset the night before)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Hanukkah (begins at sunset the night before)
Thursday, December 2, until nightfall on Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 21, until nightfall on Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Christmas
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Kwanzaa
Sunday, December 26, 2010, until Saturday, January 1, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011, until Sunday, January 1, 2012
Costly Holidays
If you're looking to marry around Valentine's Day, be wary of your floral
bill, especially if you've got your heart set on red roses -- they're likely to
be more costly than at any other time of the year. Likewise, reception sites
often charge a higher fee for a New Year's Eve wedding.
Notable Holidays
April Fool's Day
If you and your fiance are jokesters at heart, this could be the perfect wedding
day for you. If not, choose another day.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Friday, April 1, 2011
Mother's Day (always a Sunday)
Make sure your mom is okay with sharing this weekend with your wedding -- but it
could be the perfect opportunity to honor her. If you do choose it, make a toast
to all the mothers in the room at your post wedding brunch.
May 9, 2010
May 8, 2011
Father's Day (always a Sunday)
Ditto for Dad.
June 20, 2010
June 19, 2011
Halloween
Avoid it if you're terrified that someone might actually show up in costume. (If
you love the idea of it, get our top Halloween wedding ideas!)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Monday, October 31, 2011
Days of Remembrance
Historically significant days may cause a conflict of interest for some
guests.
September 11, Patriot Day: It falls on a Saturday in 2010 and a Sunday in 2011.
December 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: It falls on a Tuesday in 2010 and a
Wednesday in 2011.
Super Bowl Sunday
If you don't live in the host city and are marrying on the Saturday rather
than the Sunday of Super Bowl weekend, then the big game shouldn't affect your
wedding too much -- unless you and your husband are diehard pigskin fans and
can't bear to miss the big game instead of leaving on your honeymoon. If in
doubt, steer clear of these dates and cities:
February 7, 2010, in Miami, FL
February 6, 2011, in Arlington, TX
Final Four/March Madness
Everyone loves the excitement of college b-ball (and betting on it!). Keep
your sports fans at bay by avoiding these dates and cities:
Saturday, April 3, and Monday, April 5, 2010, in Indianapolis, IN
Saturday, April 2, and Monday, April 4, 2011, in Houston, TX
Quirky Dates
10/10/10 falls on a Sunday
9/10/11 falls on a Saturday
11/11/11 falls on a Friday
Other Dates to Avoid
College reunions and/or homecomings, big conventions in your city (call your
local chamber of commerce), and any annual charity events that involve your
family or close friends.
-- Our Thanks to The Knot
