Dissecting 15 Wedding Trends of 2014

Hype Events

April has arrived! In season weddings have officially begun! And, well, so have the "new trends" that will be plastering the pages of Bride Magazine for the rest of the year. Coming off the heels of fun Santa filled Christmas themed weddings, unavoidably cheesy Valentine's Day weddings, and the best reason to get drunk at St. Patrick's Day weddings, spring and summer wedding trends have hit the books - and have thrown up all over Pinterest.

I never really understood how "wedding trends" really worked. A large number of people spend 18 months planning a wedding. So, in reality you will have your wedding planned before the "newest trend" comes around. This has me personally peeved because the theme I chose back in December of 2013 of a "woodsy/woodland" theme is now being touted as a hot 2014 theme - which will probably make my October 2015 wedding look like something everyone has seen before. Oh well, I love it and will do it anyway!

Anyway, without further ado, here is my take on 2014 wedding trends.

1.) Crop Top Wedding Dresses: Huh? I had no idea we were in a flashback to a 90's episode of Blossom where it was cute to wear a crop top with suspenders and stove pipe Pluggs. Unless you are a stick like Keira Knightly and have no boobs, you will just look like your top is too short or you forgot the middle part of your dress.

2.) Pastels: You know those nasty Easter colored mints that used to be served at weddings along side a big tub of peanuts? Yes, those. The colors of those chalky squares are now "hot" wedding colors for bridesmaids dresses. This is a fact: your pale, short, slightly out of shape bridesmaids will look like washed out extras from Twilight in a pastel dress. Pastels on adult women can read so childlike and Eastery - couple that with a cutsie style and all they will need are Halloween fairy wings made out of glittery panty hose to complete the look.

3.) Woodland/Fairy/Lord of the Rings Themes: Maybe the baby pastels with wings will work if you are doing this up and coming theme. Facing backlash from the "rustic burlap bride" craze, these same brides who want a perfect blend of casual and elegant without drifting into rodeo hoedown territory are going this route (me included). However, for whatever reason there are dozens of Pinterest pins that feature weddings that look like Aragorn is marrying Arwyn in the Shire complete with elves, gnomes, and toadstools with barefoot bridesmaids waving streamer wands. IT IS A WEDDING, NOT A COSTUME PARTY, DAMMIT!

Green Wedding Shoes

4.) HUGE Ridiculous Bouquets & Flower Arrangements: On average a bride will spend $1,800 on flowers. JUST FLOWERS! But now it seems as if that price could skyrocket with the humungous flower trend of 2014. Brides want massive arrangements to take over their tables - so much so they forget guests cannot see over all that crap while they eat. Plus, they want to carry a massive, cascading spread as well or are opting for paper/fake blooms that look like they came straight out of Alice in Wonderland. At this point, why not just go to Lowe's and buy a 2 gallon potted mum to carry or a giant stuffed animal from a carnival?

5.) Unplugged or Super-Plugged Ceremonies: Oh, but wait, let me take a selfie! God. I agree with a large number of brides who are asking/demanding that guests put their two-foot long Galaxy away for 20 minutes while you say your nuptials. Nothing is more ridiculous than when you get your professional photos back that you payed a good chunk of change on only to see everyone with a stupid phone in their hand as you walk down the aisle. Then there are those other brides. The ones who create a Facebook page, Twitter, personalized hashtag, Instagram, website, etc. just for their wedding and encourage people to snap away and otherwise be totally self absorbed in their phones all night.

6.) Bright and Weirdly Paired Color Combinations: Sometimes I have to ask myself if a bride stopped at a taco truck at the state fair and suddenly had an epiphany that she needs ALL THOSE COLORS at her wedding. I am talking about John Deere green, royal blue, fire engine red, and sunflower yellow - all at the same time. Okay, we get it, it is the 4th of July. But, your colors should not remind us of a package of Franks or a baseball game. Unless you have a lot of white/ivory in your wedding you run the risk of it looking like a box of Legos with all those primary colors. I myself love, LOVE color but keeping it in moderation/adjusting the hue of the colors will work best for a wedding.   

Zazzle

7.) Small & Simple Invitations: This is actually a good thing. I think not only brides but people in general realized that an elaborate, expensive, multi-folding masterpiece of stationary is a total waste of money given that the second after they are opened, they end up in the garbage. Not to mention you wasted a whole tree on printing out tiny maps that are too small to read, a picture of the couple that everyone has seen already on Facebook, and an RSVP that the guest will ultimately not put their name on so you have no idea who returned it to you. Less is more, when and where is sufficient, and anything supplementary you can put on your wedding website. Ditch the RSVP cards all together and save on postage - guests can call or e-mail you instead.

8.) "Naked Cakes" and Odd Fillings: As far as my mother, grandmother, and future in-laws are concerned there are two kinds of wedding cake flavors: vanilla and chocolate. While it is nothing new that brides also like to pick from red velvet, almond, and lemon, icingless cakes and questionable fillings are rearing their ugly heads. "I am having a coconut cake with sangria flavored jelly filling and key lime icing"...What? The more specific you get with your cake the less likely people are going to eat it. Keep this in mind when you are plunking down $4.00 a slice and if you care or not if it ends up in the trash after one bite. Also, people LOVE BUTTER CREAM ICING - do not rob your guests on the real reason they came to the wedding (okay, maybe not, but people do love cake AND icing).

9:) Blinged out Necklaces, Bracelets, and Belts: Us brides love our bling. We just do! But the new 2014 trend is for a bride to be in a simple, notice I said simple dress and have a huge, sparkling statement necklace and bracelet. This can go so bad so fast. I can see it now - a bride will pair one of this hideously and cheaply made rhinestone bibs with an already blinged out ball gown. She will look like a TLC Gypsy bride or a belly dancer - especially if she wears one of those aforementioned crop-top dresses. MODERATION LADIES, MODERATION!

Bridal Guide

10.) Edible Wedding Favors: HALLELUJAH! Brides finally got the hint that no one wants another silly shot glass with their wedding date etched on it! This holds true for personalized drink cozies, mini picture frames, single card holders, or other chotski that will end up at Goodwill or in the garbage. The only favor anyone will appreciate is one they can eat - 'nuff said. Cookies, chocolate, honey, BBQ sauce, salsa, etc. will be taken, used, consumed, enjoyed and probably remembered. They will not remember the cheapy pen that never worked from the second they picked it up from the guest book table.

11.) Elaborate Photo Booths: Photo booths became a trend several years ago and despite the fact that a lot of brides seem to think they are overdone, guests LOVE THEM! A photo booth is great for many reasons. People do not attend weddings often, so they likely have never seen one at a wedding before. People love to take photos, and they get to take a strip with them as a favor. You as a bride also get a copy to keep for yourself because every bride wants a picture of great-aunt Ethel in a disco afro (don't we all?). People get bored at weddings and not everyone dances, so this gives them something to do. And now, booths are getting more elaborate than ever with trunks of props, body length shots, they are BIG enough to get 15 people in one image, you can make movies in some of the new models, etc. Budget permitting, I am having one at my wedding - I know you will be jealous.

12.) Having Swanky Servers for BBQ: Now this is something I do not understand at all. Not only do brides want ushers (like your immature male cousins and geeky brother) to be in tuxedos like her fiance and groomsmen, but they are also expected to wear white gloves to shuffle people to their seats. Same for buffet meals featuring gussied up servers. I am sorry, but I thought buffet meant you got off your rear and got your food yourself? Oh no. Such savagery. Now, brides want to make their cheap BBQ more elegant by having white-glove wearing servers at each aluminum pan to gracefully slop pulled pork onto a plastic plate. Now that screams elegance. If you think having a self-serve buffet is too "steerage class of the Titanic" JUST HAVE A FLIPPING PLATED MEAL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

New York Mag

13.) Brides on a Budget: I guess it took a more than a few episodes of Four Weddings to get brides to realize that the $10K wedding always wins when put up against the $80K wedding. Brides are finally understanding that they do not need to drain their parents bank account (or their own for that matter) to have a nice wedding! More brides are taking up DIY projects, chopping the guest list, eliminating appetizers, hosting cash bars, and hoarding half off coupons for Hobby Lobby and Micheal's, anything to save a buck! I am a vintage dealer - I take no shame in digging a salvageable chair out of your trashcan. So, I am not ashamed to brag I am getting my flowers from an online wholesaler, my dress was pre-owned, and I am not spending any more than $14.00 a plate for food per guest. It seems that many 2014 brides feel the same as I do. Besides, when you boast to people about your wedding costing more than a house you automatically come across as a massive snob and people will say your wedding sucks if it does not meet the expectations of a Kardashian. 

14.) Old Hollywood Themes: This seems to contradict the idea that brides are trying to save money...Another trend still going strong from last year is the "Old Hollywood", "Roaring Twenties", or "Great Gatsby" theme. Everything is gold, everything is crystallized, candles are everywhere, people have ostrich feathers in their hair, birdcage veils, rhinestones, glitter, and pearls. I am all about a girl embracing her theme, but all this decor going on is going to make your wedding look like a caravan belonging to a traveling fortune teller. Furthermore, all this elaborate decor, an "era specific dress", historic get-away car, an olde-tyme pianist named Sam playing "As Time Goes By", and other period touches are not cheap to buy or rent. And again, it is SO EASY to drift so far into masquerade party territory that it no longer resembles a wedding. Also, I would like to take a poll in regards to how many 20-something brides have actually read the Great Gatsby...

15.) All Nighter or All Weekend Long Weddings: Now this is just plain ridiculous and unnecessary. Some couples are using their wedding as a means to start a party on Friday night, and make it last until Sunday morning. In short, it gives guests the green light to start drinking heavily at the rehearsal dinner, drink all through the wedding, then party until dawn on Sunday. Not only will this probably create some embarrassing moments at your wedding courtesy of your Uncle Bob and half the groomsmen, but if they get really out of hand you might need to call security, a cab or other "collection service", or even the police or hospital if guests get too out of hand. Don't make the elders attending your wedding feel like they suddenly entered a frat party or a rave or abruptly have to leave because your bridesmaids start booty-popping on a table. Be respectful of your guests and keep it classy. If people are still in party mode, arrange an after party somewhere else and they can hire their own cab to take them back to their respective hotels.

Keep in mind this is all in good fun and congratulations to all the 2014 brides! What is your take on some of this years "hot trends"?

Using Plastic Utensils at a Wedding

WEBstaurant Supply Store

This is FAKE silverware...yes is it plastic! I think this is the coolest thing to happen to outdoor dining in recent years - especially for weddings. My fiance and I decided early on we wanted a buffet style meal. We are leaning towards BBQ because everyone generally likes it and it is not as "stuffy" as a plated meal. Not to mention it is WAY cheaper to go with buffet anything than have a plated dual entree meal. And when I say way cheaper it can be $15-$30 less per plate to opt for buffet. 

However, we did not want it to look super cheap and just use the generic clear or black plastic utensils. Not only do I feel that your run of the mill plastic utensils should be reserved for birthday parties or back yard picnics, but most of your guests will probably think this too. I think the metallic silver looking utensils are a perfect bridge to the gap between cheap and practical! The WEBstaurant Supply Store sells boxes of "silverware like plastic" knives, forks, and spoons much less expensively than GFS or the party supply stores around town.

But, of course I had to find something cheaper...I was able to get packs of these utensils for $1 at Dollar Tree (It might be "Deals" in your state but they are the same company). So, a 3 piece place setting for 4 people is only $0.25 per setting. I went ahead and bought enough packs of these for 150 place settings because when I had to call Dollar Tree Corporate about the plates I will be using, they said once they are out of certain items they will likely never get them again. Although the ones from the WEBstaurant Supply Store had fancier stems at the base, I will be making silverware sleeves out of burlap and you will never see the bottom of the utensil until they are being used.

Daveynin - Flickr

In another blog post I did I outlined the pros and cons of using various kinds of plates. Well there are some cons to using plastic utensils - no matter if they are white, clear, or "fake silver". The biggest pro for me is that you just throw them away when you are done. They are not heavy, there is no washing, and they are cheap. And, for most foods that appear on a buffet, you will have no problem whatsoever using plastic utensils. 

But, there are some foods that will  not hold up well to plastic. Most crudites you eat with your fingers, so it is unlikely you would try to use a plastic fork to eat raw broccoli or carrots. We personally will not be serving salad at our wedding, but I feel like it is somewhat difficult to eat salad with a plastic fork. 

Fruits on the other hand can all be easily "stabbed" with a plastic utensil. Cheeses and meatballs also hold up well to the mighty plastic. You could also use toothpicks for this kind of thing as well.

We will likely be serving shredded BBQ for our entrees, and I have eaten this fare with plastic forks without issue many times. Fish is also very easy to eat using plastic - such as shrimp or salmon. You DO get into trouble when you are trying to eat chicken, ribs, or steak with plastic.

Flame Master Grill

BBQ at weddings has become increasingly popular with cowboy, rustic, vintage, and country themes. They just seem to go hand in hand! However, you have to consider most people who will be attending your wedding will dress up and look nice. When people are dressed up, they really do not want to make a mess with food - which is hard when you are serving a traditionally messy meal like barbeque. 

Some brides make this dilemma a "funny" thing and offer bibs and wet towels at the table. Others, like me, will simply provide utensils to be used to eat food traditionally eaten with the hands. 

Now, we will not be doing racks of ribs, but I have tried to eat ribs with plastic forks and knives before. It does not work...trust me...You look awkward for one because the men will just grab a rib and shove it into their mouth not caring they are getting sauce all over their face. But women will typically not do this at a wedding. So, they will pick and poke to get morsels of meat off the bone and it is just very difficult to do with plastic. You get into the same thing with roasted or fried chicken on the bone. What you end up with is a lot of broken utensils, wasted food, and hungry guests who will load up on sides instead of using their hands to eat a messy meal.

Sports Fans United

While grilled chicken breast is not difficult to eat with a fork - using a plastic knife to cut it is not easy. You spend so much time sawing away at your entree it will get cold before you can eat it. You can get around this by providing buns so you can eat a whole chicken breast like a sandwich.  

BUT, if you have steak you absolutely have to provide guests with a real knife. You can get by with plastic forks and spoons for sides but it is just too difficult to cut steak or pork chops with a plastic knife. 

You can get boxes of super cheap knives at the Dollar Store as well. They are less than $1 per guest, but well worth it if you want your guests to be able to cut their meal. We are going with already shredded chicken and pork BBQ to avoid this mess all together, but it is something that is often overlooked. In fact, as I was thinking this over and writing this blog I was watching Four Weddings on TLC and this issue came up. The ladies could not cut strip steak with their plastic knives so they just left it at the table. That is a lot of money down the drain due to poor planning in the utensil department.

Gospel Coalition

If you are eating an entree that requires a knife, you also cannot skimp on the plates. You cannot use paper or foam plates for steak or pork chops. Paper and foam are really not suitable for anything that is not meant to be eaten on a bun. 

Plates made of paper or foam will sag or break for one - but you will then STAB right through it with a real knife. This will likely soil your linens and make an unnecessary mess that will embarrass your guests. You have to be careful because while some of the caterers who do a buffet will offer china plates as an option, remarkably this does not include real silverware. So even with the china plate up-charge, you are still stuck with plastic utensils unless you ask.

The Verdict:

If you are wanting to stick with a super casual BBQ/grill fare, keep it simple and plan on guests using utensils for sides and not primarily for the entree. Anything on a sandwich will go over great. Beef brisket, pulled BBQ chicken and pork, fish filets like salmon, hamburgers, and hotdogs. Also think of having buns or rolls so people do not have to messy their hands or use a knife to cut tough foods. If you are going to have racks of ribs, steak, or pork chops, bite the bullet and just do china plates and real silverware. These foods will cost more than hamburgers and hotdogs anyway so it would be appropriate to splurge a bit. If your caterer wants to nickel and dime you for every metal fork and plate, keep the Dollar Stores in mind - you can get matching china plates for $1 each and flats of 50 pieces of stainless steel silverware for $10.

Beautiful Beginnings Bridal Show 2014

On Sunday, my mother and I attended the Beautiful Beginnings Bridal Show in Muncie, Indiana. This year, the event took place at the Horizon Convention Center, which is downtown. I had not looked at this facility when I was searching for venues, but this is a VERY nice venue. Although it is not what we were looking for, they DO have a ceremony site outside and a gorgeous interior! We spoke with Melissa at length about the venue and I would highly recommend it! If you want to check this venue out, ask for Melissa because she was super informative! Anyway, I love flower arrangements and the above image I personally took. These flowers were arraigned by Lazy Daisy and I was really impressed with what they offer.

Lazy Daisy had vintage handkerchiefs wrapped around the bouquets and others had lace. They also said they would rent out glass vases for free! The overall feel was very rustic and outdoorsy. I loved their flowers!

This STUNNING lace cake was on display from Under the Sun Bakery located in Frankton, Indiana. I fell in love with the lace and the sprig of green on the top. Mona, one of the owners, quoted this cake at about $100 which I thought was reasonable.

This was another cake on display, which the owner quoted at around $300. I am loving the natural wood cake stand and charger idea. I think I am going to see if my lawn care extraordinaire, Randy, can make me a bunch for the wedding! Their cake was good, however we decided yesterday that we will be using Amy and Kelcy at Slice of Heaven Cakery in Lapel, Indiana.

This picture was taken inside one of the reception rooms of the Horizon Center. My mom and I had a fit over the Christmas lights underneath the tablecloths. Now, no matter what venue we choose, I must do this!

The Horizon Center also had two of these really cool lighted fountains with flowers around them. It was very impressive looking and fun! I think you could also move these around to where ever you wanted.

This was yet another cake by Under the Sun Bakery. Notice the impressions in the icing and all the flowers on top are real. So adorable!

The Verdict:

I would say this bridal show was more successful than the one we went to in Indianapolis. Not only were there far less people in attendance than the one in Indy (the Muncie one had a $6 a person entry fee but the Indy one I reviewed in a previous blog post was free), but there were only about 35 vendors, which made it manageable. It was much easier to talk to individual booth attendants about what they offered and to discuss options and prices. 

AND - I think we found our photographer!

Dale Pickett Photography

Dale Pickett and Sally Wolf had been recommended to me by two different people previously. However, after viewing Dale's webpage, I thought for sure he would be at the top tier of photographers in terms of cost. Their photographs are STUNNING! However, after speaking to Sally at the bridal show she was able to tell me just how flexible they are and how affordable they can be! Most photographers have you pick "packages" where they give you a number of hours and then you must buy prints from them. In other words, you do not have the exclusive printing rights to the photos - which also means you cannot put them on Facebook, e-mail them to friends and family, print your own, have collages made, or anything like that without their permission. Usually this permission will cost you an extra $1000 on top of them simply providing the photo sessions. 

Dale and Sally DO give you the disc of all your photos and you can print at your leisure or they can do prints or books for you. I really needed the option of printing my own pictures or making my own books on Shutterfly because Groupon has a deal about once a month on books or prints where you can get a bunch of nice items for really cheap. This was very important to me because I did meet two wonderful photographers at the Indy bridal show - but their packages were $4,000-$5,000 and then you had to get all your prints, books, and canvasses through them. This is simply not something we could ever afford. Dale and Sally also will do shorter photo sessions to save on the cost. Because honestly, I do not think our wedding will last for 12 hours so why need a photographer for that long?

MCL Cafeteria Catering

Biggest Surprise of the Day:

Did you know MCL Cafeteria does wedding catering? No? Neither did I. They have a TON of stuff on their menu and are really CHEAP! And no, it is not all fried chicken and roast beef. We received a great booklet with pricing from the manager at the Muncie, Indiana MCL. She was WONDERFUL in explaining how they do delivery and you can have a plated meal or a buffet. They even have china and linen options! The way they do their pricing is you pick ONE entree, two sides, a roll of choice, and then you can add salads, desserts, drinks, etc. 

Example: Family style lunch and dinner - where you pick it up and set it up yourself. You pick packages that serve 10, 15, or 25. So, for 150 people that would be 6 packages of 25 - so you could get 3 of one entree and 3 of another if you wanted. Grilled Teriyaki Chicken is $219.98 per package for 25 guests. So, if you got Teriyaki Chicken for everyone it would be $1319.88 - THIS INCLUDES TWO SIDES AND A ROLL. 

Do you have any idea how cheap this is?! It is less than $9 a person! I am almost positive we will be going with a BBQ smoked meats meal for our wedding, but the prices at MCL cannot be beat! For the sides you can order Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (let's face it, no matter how casual or fancy your wedding is going to be, you NEED mashed potatoes because everyone will eat them) and Steamed Broccoli. Or you could do Broccoli Cheese Bake and Cole Slaw. They have 10 - yes TEN side options available. They have 12 entree options as well. You can pick from 5 different rolls...including cinnamon rolls! The only things that this option does not include are salads and drinks. But honestly, drinks are almost always cheaper if you buy them yourself at the grocery.

The difference between this meal deal and the "Full Service" meal plan is that with "Full Service" you get table linens and they deliver to your venue. I think the pricing for the meal deals above is more for like if you are going to pick up the trays of food and set it up yourself with Sterno and all that. The manager however said she can work with anyone regarding any aspect so it was not that big of a deal. However, the pricing for Full Service is still EXTREMELY reasonable at $16.95 to $22.95 a person for buffet or $30.95 for a served meal. For the $22.95 a person buffet, you get THREE entree options! For the $16.95 a person plan you get a salad, ONE entree like stuffed chicken or lasagna (there were 10 options), TWO sides like potatoes or carrots or baked beans (there were 15 options), and a roll (3 options to choose from). With this option you ALSO get DRINKS - water, tea, and coffee. For 150 people this would cost $2542.50. Still, very reasonable for a wedding! Even if you did the top tier of the buffet at $22.95 a person it would be $3442.50. The average cost of the main food for a wedding (not including appetizers, snacks, or extras) is about $4,400.00 according to a recent survey. With MCL being almost $1000 cheaper than that for a 3 entree options you really cannot go wrong!

Overall I would say the Muncie Bridal show was very successful, and luckily I will be able to attend again next year since our big ceremony will not happen until October of 2015.