Ah, spring. The season of love looms and the business of marriage booms. I fired up Google and searched for “wedding trends.” However there seems to be some disconnect between website weddings and real weddings. According to The Knot, tiaras are all the rage and weddings are shrinking along with the bridal parties. Hmm…
Sarah True has been one of Fairfield County’s most popular event/wedding planners for over 11 years. When I told her that an online wedding site indicated a frenzy for smaller parties and fewer bridesmaids she shrugged, “Not that I’ve seen.”
Sarah worked in Public Relations before getting into the event industry. She was the Director of Marketing and Events at Chamard Vineyard, obtained a degree in floral design from Parson’s, and learned everything she could about weddings before opening her event planning business. Her team at True Event are featured in a slew of impressive publications including Town & Country and, honestly, I could go on or you could click on TrueEvent.com.
Anyhoo, I tend towards an expert’s advice over that of a part-time blogger. Regarding the alleged craze for “small” nuptials, Sarah explains, “Most of couples have big groups of friends and are going to 10-15 events, they’re connected, their bachelorette party are over the top, everyone’s seeing big weddings.”
Instagram and social media has created a visual culture and soon-to-be spouses can view all types of weddings, not just magazine-curated parties. Of course, they’re all trying to out-fabulous each other.
“We try to get people to step back, to realize why they’re getting married and reflect on them as a couple,” explains Sarah.
Still, lovebirds are buying some pretty big blowouts. Details and trends include:
- Not only are the guest lists getting longer, so are the events. All-guests rehearsal dinners, brunches, welcome parties: a one-day funfest has ballooned into three days or more, especially if it’s an increasingly popular destination wedding.
- Fewer DIY “crafty” doo-dads, like personalized jars of honey or oyster-shell seating “cards” collected, cleaned and decorated by the bride’s family.
- “Timeless Elegance" is hip: black tie, white and grey neutral palette, lots of candles, designer (Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera) gowns, letterpress invitations. Basically following the sacred text of Emily Post.
- While colors have been neutral, brides are now taking more risks with punchier blooms (most popular of which are roses, peonies, and dahlias) and colored/patterned linens. “Pantone always sets the tone for the palette,” Sarah says. Pantone’s 2020 color is “classic blue”… it’ll be interesting to see what kinds of risks are possible with that.
- For the men, matching blazers and khakis are no longer a thing. Rental suits are kicking up the creative and even coastal weddings are opting for more formal blue suits.
- Some guy with a microphone introducing the wedding party is no longer “in”. Neither is the throwing of the bouquet or the beloved garter toss. Kidding. I can’t stand the garter toss. Nor can anyone else, evidently.
- Ginormous cakes fed to entire guest lists are on the rise again. They shrank a bit over the years and shared court alongside other confection selections.
- Waiters are hitting the dance floor to serve small sweets like spiked ice pops and mini ice cream cones so guests don’t have to break their fossie.
- At the end of the party, when guests are tired and hungry, a midnight buffet magically appears instead of, say, monogrammed boxes of breath mints or plastic sunglasses with fluorescent temples. “One couple,” Sarah said, “had a bunch of Happy Meals guests could take with them after the wedding.”
And the blog about tiaras cresting a wave of popularity seems to be, happily, fake news.
For more information, visit TrueEvent.com.
