Savoir Weddings trends 2011

Way back when 2010 was still fresh I wrote a post on what I thought would be big in weddings in 2010.

And I thought it about time to compile my list for 2011.

I'm just a wedding planner admittedly, not some kind of wedding guru so these wedding trends for 2011 are just what I think, and I have to admit, what I want to see more of.

2011 is going to be the year of Personalisation. So much so I'm pretty sure I just invented a new word for it.

Since I have been wedding planning the industry and indeed weddings have become more adventurous, fun and well, interesting. 2011 brides are more conscious of their options than ever before and increasing numbers of couples are going for what in the past only the quirky couples did.

Brides are increasingly influenced by the amazing blogs which are showcasing beautiful and personal weddings, more than done justice by the work of some exceptional photographers.

More and more couples are aware they don't have to follow the rules and can have a day that incorporates all that is them. This = personalisation and I reckon 2011 is only going to get more exciting.

Which sort of leads me on to...

Eclectic weddings



A little bit 20s, a little bit 50s? This couple mixed up quaint vintage tea cups with some retro style for an elegant and individual day. Check out photographer Chloe from Caught The Light's blog for more.

I think we're going to see more couples mixing styles, periods and themes to create a truly personal day. It's not going to be about the modern wedding, the shabby chic wedding, the marquee wedding. It's going to be about the mix and match.

The vintage inspired look will develop in 2011. Yes there will still be tea cups, bunting and the like but I don't think it's going to be as themed. I see couples bringing in aspects they like and mixing them up more with more modern trends - a bit of a modern vintage.

Wedding styling has evolved so much in just the past couple of years and judging by the creativity and wants of my clients alone I think we're going to see more and more confidence in the way couples style their wedding. Wedding styling will be less about 'getting the look right' and more about artfully incorporating different styles that the couple likes.

Mixing it up is going to be the way forward.


Colour pops

I've blogged about this before and I think 2011 weddings will definitely be incorporating pops of colour. This 'trend' is versatile and works with all sorts of wedding style from modern to rustic to vintage, hence the reason we'll see more of it.





Bow ties and interesting boutonnieres will reign supreme



2010 saw more grooms embracing the bow tie look. In 2011 I think we'll be seeing more and more grooms exploring their stylish side with quirky boutonnieres.


DIY ain't going nowhere



Brides are going to be getting their craft on just as much if not more than in 2010 like the bride above who made the most incredible bouquet. Maybe it's partly down to budget and the fact doing some things yourself is just cheaper. But it also allows a lot of brides to really explore their own talents and time permitting many really enjoying crafting decorations for their weddings.


DIY flowers

Not that I anticipate florists will become obsolete, just that for budget brides, doing the flowers yourself is a a great way to save money. I think florists will start to offer consultations and sourcing flowers for brides and allow them to pick up and arrange themselves. Especially if the single- bloom-in-bottle sticks around, as this is obviously a lot easier for a flower arranging novice to achieve.


Say goodbye to round tables







One of the first things most clients say to me with regards to the venue is - 'we don't want round tables', or ' we don't want a top table'.

Think the bride and groom sitting at their own 'sweetheart table', a mixture of different size tables and chairs, no seating plan.

All of which makes for a more flexible and relaxed evening and is perfect for complicated family dynamics. Plus it looks interesting in photos and allows for unique table design for each table.


Food will be less fancy

Again this is perfect for the budget savvy bride. Formal 3-4 course wedding breakfasts are going to be even less common than they already are. Buffets, finger food, Mediterrean style table plates - anything that's more sociable and cheaper (less catering staff costs) is going to be popular. Taste is going to reign supreme over formality.


Cocktails



I always recommend serving cocktails to my clients. They are a perfect opportunity to have fun and be creative and they're great if your budget restricts what time you open the bar. You can be much more economical with the alcohol and no one will know!


Dessert tables



Perfect if you've served buffet style food - why not extend it to dessert. Often cheaper than a 'proper' wedding cake, you can serve a variety of sweet treats and it's a great styling opportunity.


Videography

People communicate so much online these days and if you're better at your modern technology than me you can create yourself a pretty unique little save the date (or hire someone to do it for you) This concept could work well for invitations as well I think.

Save the Date: Blair and Maggie from Squid and Beard on Vimeo.

On the whole filming notion - I expect we'll see more wedding videography as couples look for this in addition to having a fabulous photographer.


Playing around with the timings and traditions

For example:

- both parents walk the bride down the aisle
- have speeches during a drinks reception not before the wedding breakfast
- cut the cake before the meal
- have the bride give the first toast

We've all been to those weddings where it looks pretty and all but it's very predictable and there's just no surprises.

I'm not saying we'll see tradition disappearing altogether, just that couples will and should play around with the key moments of the wedding reception especially. This is a key way to keep guests entertained and enjoying themselves.

After parties




Many venues have strict kicking out times and whilst for many by 11.30pm they're ready for bed, others want to carry on partying and an after party is the perfect way to do this. At a bar, your house, another carefully selected venue wherever you choose to do this you can guarantee it will be more relaxed and as they're be less family members and more friends present, you can really let your hair down.

The desire to end your wedding when you're ready rather than the venue permits, is definitely part of the appeal of hiring a country house for a weekend or longer and again this is something I'm hearing more of from my clients.

That's it! I'm going to have to stop here or else this is going to turn into the longest post of all time. I'm dying to hear what you think will be big in 2011. And for that matter what do you think we'll be seeing less of?

Monday Medley - Wedding inspiration from the world wide web

Here follows some pretties you may or may not have come across... perfect to look at with coffee and doughnuts this Monday AM I think.

This bride's dress and accessories are vintage divine. And look so pretty with the wildflower bouquet. If you read the full post on Hi Fi Weddings you can see the music they played at their day too.



And for a totally different style bouquet, check out this explosion of colour..



I seem to be having a bouquet day as I can't take my eyes of this beauty either. Found via the always pretty forget.me.knot.weddings, it's the colours that do it for me.



These may be some of the finest wedding shoes I've seen in a while. I mean, check out those ruffles! In fact the whole wedding is the epitome of style.



A super cute pic of Kat of Rock n Roll Bride fame shot by the never-gets-it-wrong Emma Case.



This day looks like muchos muchos fun. So much so that I had to post 3 photos.







And this is amusing is it not?!



Well I don't know about you but I had a pretty mental weekend, meeting long lost cousins amongst other exciting but exhausting things, so now I'm looking forward to a fresh new week. I'm meeting a few of my lovely brides, meeting some new suppliers and getting started on one of my new ventures.

And in other news... the wondrous Anna is to be a wife in a mere 12 days. Like many of you I have always looked forward to Anna's intelligent and interesting spin on wedding and un-wedding related things and hope she won't stop writing once she's married. I am super duper excited to catch up this week for a gossip, and hoping Liv (aka Blushless) and Charley (aka London Bride) might be free for wine and chats also ;)

So what's getting you excited for this week?

The 'vintage' backlash?

I'm going to use the phrase 'wedding trends' in this post warily, as I am well aware I'm making grand statements here! Plus, this is kind of a wordy post but bear with me, and let me know what you think!

So, we all like to think we're a little bit unique but when it comes to style, fashion, design, and wedding planning, amongst many other things, we are definitely influenced by trends. Where they come from and why they're popular is another matter but I think we'd all agree, that they exist is unquestionable.

And whilst there are very different style weddings taking place all over the world there are certain 'trends' that any subscriber to all the big wedding blogs will be familiar with.

The 'vintage' (and I use this term loosely) style wedding is still hugely influential. And chances are if you read a lot of wedding blogs and magazines, you'll know exactly what I mean by a vintage wedding without much explanation. Soft, dreamy photography, pale pastel colours, cupcakes, bunting, the whole 'shabby chic' thing - you get the gist.

Perhaps a key to it's success is that it's also easily obtainable for DIY weddings or budget weddings. It can look amazing for relatively little money which was maybe influenced and therefore so popular, by the world wide economic situation. Being flashy was somehow uncouth. It was all about quirky, personal weddings and the shabby chic, vintage wedding was a perfect fit.

I have to say personally I do love this style. I like the romance, the dreaminess. And for this matter I think it naturally suits weddings. And when it comes to wedding trends, whilst we might all be influenced that doesn't mean we should necessarily pay attention. Like in fashion, if something is popular and it suits you - great - but you shouldn't buy into something if it isn't you. So if vintage weddings start to become less prevalent that doesn't mean you shouldn't have one if it's what you like.

But I've been wondering lately what's next. The wedding industry is like any other it shifts and changes shape, reflecting moods and cultural happenings. Maybe in this new post recession world things are going to change and I've been wondering what this will mean in weddings.

Change is good. In any industry and in fact in your personal life change is important. It shakes you up a bit and makes you reassess what you like, what's important. That's not to say I think vintage inspired weddings will die a sudden death, I just think they're going to adapt and develop, like everything does and I'm kind of excited about what will come.

I'm interested in what you think. Is a 'vintage' wedding your thing or will you be glad to embrace a new style? What do you think the Next Big Thing will be? Or what do you want it to be?

I'm going to save my opinions about what's next for another post but I have to say, I hope it involves bright splashes of colour., a little bit of edge. I'd love to plan or style a wedding with a bride telling me she wants it BOLD!

Why use a wedding planner eh?

Massive apologies for the lack of posts of late. I have been uber busy being a wedding planner and unfortunately have not had the time for my beloved blog world. Having had many chats with brides-to-be recently I thought it about time to wax lyrical on my profession...

Should I use a wedding planner?

To plan or not to plan... that is the question.

Of course when it comes to weddings it's a silly question because of course you're going to plan it. A more thought provoking question might be: 'To use a wedding planner or not to use a wedding planner... that is the question'. A little wordier and a tricky decision for many brides. I say brides because let's face it, it's mainly the ladies who do the planning.

Hiring a wedding planning is still a relatively new concept in the UK ( although our US sisters have been at it for ages) and is still regarded as a luxury or for those with big budgets. But basically we're just wedding experts and you consult an expert in other areas of your life so why not use one the one time you spend possibly more money (aside from property or cars) than you've ever spent before? You want your hair cut well, you go to a salon; you need the car fixed, you go to a mechanic. The latter not a very glamorous comparison maybe but you get the point. Planning a wedding requires expertees like anything else in life so why not use a professional at least for part of the process.

And good wedding planners have good supplier contacts and know lots of wedding secrets meaning we know ways to save you money. Save, not cost you money you see.

Weddings and planning for yours is a wonderful, challenging, exhausting and generally new experience for many couples. You have a million decisions to make and a lot of money at your disposal to be used wisely. Oh how much easier it would be if money was no object (this being true for very very few). And there's no pause button unfortunately on your 'real' life to enable you to get everything done. For brides planning lower budget weddings it can be even harder because you really need to make every penny count.

Wedding planning isn't rocket science. We're not geniusses (is that even a word?), we just love weddings. Most of us live, breathe, eat, sleep everything wedding related and to top it off, we actually have experience organising weddings.

Before I ramble on too much I should say, I know there are many women who don't need any help planning their weddings and enjoy it immensely. But for those who feel stressed, want to save money, or just want the ideas from a wedding planner, they shouldn't feel we're a luxury they can't afford.

WhiteKnot.org - Marriage Equality

WhiteKnot.org - Marriage Equality

I came across White Knot and thought I'd have to blog about it. White Knot is an US based organisation that promotes marriage equality. Anything that celebrates equal rights for everybody gets my vote. As they say on their twitter page, 'everybody should have the right to tie the knot'. Couldn't agree more.


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