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"?

When and Where to Use Real and Fake Flowers in Your Wedding

Lazy Daisy - Pinterest

Brides on a budget are often confronted with this very dilemma: When and where is it appropriate to use fake or real flowers? Most brides looking to save money immediately think of using silks from the craft store for everything from bouquets to centerpieces. But, even when Hobby Lobby has their flowers half-off, their nicer roses are still $4-5 a piece and their premium "bunches" can still be $7-$10 each - even on sale.

Despite the fact that you would likely be separating the bunches to make 2-3 arrangements, it is easy to underestimate how many you will really need to make what you want. Also do not forget that you will have to buy a TON of florist tape and additional stems to make sure every piece is of equal length. I make wreaths as a hobby so I know how costly and time consuming it can be to make one. Realistically, I think making a centerpiece would cost just about the same as making a nice door wreath. I would guess on average each centerpiece would cost $30-60 to make. The last time I made wreaths, I made 5 for around $300 as an example.

Save on Crafts

DO NOT forget the extras you will need as well. You will need vases. If they are clear you will probably want vase filler because the stems of fake flowers almost never match and they look really fake even if the flowers look quite real. You will also probably need something weighted like stones for use in vases that are light weight (like galvanized aluminum) because fake flowers can be very top-heavy and will easily tip over. You could also get really fancy and put candles and things in with the flowers - which is an added expense to keep in mind. 

Also remember anything else you will be using along WITH your vases and flowers such as chargers, a table number, votive candles, bottles, pictures, and so on. Also keep a mental note or do a mock up at home at how much space all of this will really take up. It would be a shame to go all out and make a wide-topped arrangement only to find later you have no room or place for the table number or the table becomes too crowded with "stuff" in the middle.  
 

Hobby Lobby Tutorial

You might also need ribbon and pins to wrap the stems to keep them in a true "bunch". If you are using silk flowers for bridal and bridesmaids bouquets they will also need to be wrapped or painstakingly arranged into a nosegay to prevent them from falling apart. I found the Spring Sophistication pamphlet at my local Hobby Lobby (if you click on the link it has a very helpful image tutorial) that showed how to make a proper bridal bouquet - it is much more difficult and time consuming than you might think. 

Another thing that is a "peeve" of mine about fake flowers is that the heads can just fall off the stem. I also really get upset if I get a pre-made "bunch" and it has those weird Styrofoam balls that end up falling everywhere and making a mess. The last thing you want is for you to head down the aisle and a fake rose falls from your bouquet. From afar no one will be able to likely notice if your flowers are real or fake, but to have a silk flower head fall off mid aisle is pretty much a dead giveaway.

Adventures in Dressmaking

Do not forget you will also need boutonnieres for the groomsmen, fathers, and grandfathers of the bride and groom, corsages for the mothers and grandmothers, and something for a flower girl in addition to the bridal and attendants bouquets. You might also need flowers for your bridesmaids hair! And you cannot just stop at centerpieces for dining tables. You will need arraignments for a gift table, cake table, snack/treats table, pew/aisle, aisle end, altar or head pillars, arches, etc. Basically, if you just go to Pinterest and look at some really extravagant weddings, you can see just how out of hand the flower part of a wedding can become.

Ali Express (Alibaba)

Always remember, your time is in fact worth something as well. You might think you are saving money by making many trips to the craft stores and holing up in your house for several back to back weekends making flower arraignments, but your time is worth something. Furthermore, say you do go ahead and make 25 centerpieces, 10 bouquets, 5 corsages, and 10 boutonnieres, where are you going to store all this? Keep in mind you cannot lay faux flower arraignments down on their sides or stack on top of each other because they will smash down and look horrible (fake hydrangeas smash very easily). You get into the same dilemma if you order really cheap fake flowers from shops online like Alibaba because they will come smashed and crumpled and look really fake and cheap.

Hand Tied Memories

 Ultimately, cost is going to be the primary determining factor in deciding whether to use real or fake flowers. I was dead set on using fake flowers for every aspect of my wedding to save money. But, when it did occur to me that if I had 20 tables that needed decorating, I would not have any place to store the arraignments once they were made. Furthermore, if each centerpiece cost $50 to make, that would be over $1000 for fake table decorations. After I discovered how reasonable some of the local florists could do arrangements ($35-$50) it suddenly did not seem as worth it to me to go to the trouble of buying and storing all these supplies.

After thinking about it for a while and comparing prices of real versus fake flowers and arraignments, this is what I concluded:

Hand Tied Memories

Bouquets: REAL!

After comparing prices between buying materials myself, the time it would take me to make them, and storage I decided I want real flowers for my bouquet and my attendants. Having only 3 bridesmaids will keep this cost very reasonable. I am also still debating making a brooch bouquet for myself to walk down the aisle with. These are extremely heavy however - and you will still need something to throw if you are going to do a bouquet toss. Brooch bouquets are amazing to use for photos and to display in your home after your wedding. But, I still would plan on having an additional bouquet since brooch bouquets can be so heavy, cumbersome, and fragile in some instances.

Red Heart Creations - Etsy

Boutonnieres: FAKE!

Buying real boutonnieres is a total waste of money in my opinion. Not only do the guys not care at all what is pinned on their lapel, but no one will pay any attention to them - unless of course you get crafty and make some really cool ones! There are gobs of tutorials available on Google or you can get them cheap from Etsy sellers if you are not very crafty. I also have seen first hand the issues with wilting that comes with boutonnieres. 

If it it hot and humid out, daisies and asters will wilt in 45 minutes and look like a blob. After about 3 hours of body heat, roses and tulips can start to open up and lose petals. I attended one wedding where the bride had about 10 boutonnieres made from small Gerbera daisies - they did not even make it to after ceremony photos without falling apart. Luckily, the fake Gerbera daisies on the market today are incredibly realistic and can be substituted and no one would be any the wiser!

Wedding Decors

Chair, Arch, & Aisle Decorations: FAKE!

It really does not make much sense to fork over a gob of cash for real flowers to use for the arch and aisle if they will only be visible for the duration of your ceremony. Furthermore, guests will likely never get close enough to the arch to tell the difference nor remember if the aisle flowers were real or fake after the fact. If you are having your ceremony and reception at the same place, you can have an usher bring the arrangements into your reception area after the ceremony for additional decorations as well. 

I have also seen some photos where brides put single flowers in the centers of chair bows or a sprig of lavender. If you are like me and will be making your own chair bows, you really need to go with fake flowers. You can save a lot of money by purchasing some "bunches" of fake flowers and getting 10-20 sprigs from one bunch. 

A Bride Beautiful

Flower Girl Petals: REAL!

For the sake of nature and cleanup - please do NOT use fake flower petals for your flower girl to throw. If you are getting married outside or at a park, fake flower petals are usually banned anyway because they blow away eventually and become trash since they do not bio-degrade. Yes, they make paper/tissue petals that are *supposed* to decompose but they really do not and you cannot use them in parks. Silk or paper petals might work better if you are getting married in a church since they can be swept up for disposal, but check with the rector to make sure before you buy one or the other.

Depending on where you get your flowers, rose petals can either be somewhat pricey - or really cheap. If your local grocery store has a floral department, sometimes they will just give you left over petals for free if you call them ahead of time. If you use a florist for your center pieces, often they will give you all the extra petals removed from your arrangements. Also, you do NOT have to use rose petals...  If you are getting married in the fall you can have your flower girls throw autumn leaves from your yard, or they can toss fern fronds, daisy petals, shamrocks, etc.

Oh Joy

Hair Up-Do Flowers: FAKE! 

If you want your bridesmaids to have flowers in their hair, fake flowers are much easier to work with. Silk flowers will not wilt or lose moisture. If it is humid out, real flowers will eventually wilt and begin to fall apart. This is not so much an issue if you just want something like Baby's Breath, but lilies, daisies, and other delicate flowers might be an issue. You also do not have any issues with accidental stem breakage when using fake flowers. I have only been to one wedding where the bride had real flowers in her hair. They looked gorgeous, but the stamens of the lilies got yellow stuff all over the shoulder of her dress and she could not wait until the ceremony was over to get them out of her hair because they itched so bad.

Weddinggomania

Centerpieces: BOTH!

Brides have become extremely creative with centerpieces in recent years. Some are opting not to even use flowers at all - floating candles, twigs, feathers, pine cones, stones, etc. There are SO many options now, brides should not feel compelled to use ONLY real flowers for centerpieces. What I think I will do is use a combination of fake roses (with burlap and glitter), real accent flowers, real greenery, and preserved sticks for my center pieces. My arrangements will not be tall, so that helps keep things simple. I will also probably use single stem flowers in bottles around the cake table and at the head table. Going all out with massive centerpieces made from real flowers can set you back $100 a piece. By using cheap fillers like twigs or Baby's Breath mixed in with a few real flowers can make them very budget friendly.

Brocade Designs

Corsages: REAL!

Not all brides do this, but I think it is extremely important to make sure you have lovely corsages for the mothers and grandmothers in attendance at your wedding. Do not skimp and just do a single rosette either - they should look much more substantial than boutonnieres. Trust me, your mother-in-law will remember her corsage, especially if it is quite nice! If you make your own boutonnieres, you will have quite a savings there to splurge a bit more on corsages if need be.