Personality and creativity are key this wedding season. As couples are becoming increasingly interested in making their weddings a more intimate and overall fun experience for their guests, the infusing of personal elements into various areas of the ceremony are sure to make your wedding unique and extraordinary.
The Celebration
Brunch Weddings
Brunch weddings are an interesting and different way to celebrate with your guests. Having a brunch wedding brings a more casual and laid-back vibe to the celebration where decorations can be kept simple and guests can dress up or down as much as they would like. A ceremony and celebration in this style allows the couple to be as elegant and extravagant as they choose, often with a smaller bill. Besides, who doesn’t love a mimosa!
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Anne Designs
The Look
Boho
Off-the-shoulder dresses in cream and blush are one of the biggest trends for brides this season. Perfect for the bride that wants a little bit of arm coverage without looking too covered.
Photo Credit: Krisztina Williams Fashion, Beauty, and Lifestyle
Deep-Vs
The deep-v cut gown steps away from traditional ideologies of a bridal gown, but paired with soft lace, enhances the collarbone and shoulders while slimming the overall figure.
Photo Credit: Canadian Living
Mismatched Bridesmaids
Similar colours and styles are essential to executing this trend successfully at your celebration. This trend allows the members of your bridal party to select a dress that they are more likely to feel comfortable in and wear again, while still creating a cohesive look among your party.
Photo Credit: Chloe Jackman
Decor
This wedding season brings loads of visual and aesthetic trends to suit any interest. From metallics, to bold pops of colour, to rustic chic there is something for every couple.
Metallics
As described by Harriette Rose, a New-York City event planner, metallics have the potential to be “elegant, whimsical, ethereal or even very natural”. Rosegolds or blush hues are key to creating a soft, romantic ambiance.
Photo Credit: elegantwedding.ca
Lighting
Intimate lighting with soft glows are a huge trend, contributing to the overall romantic aura of the celebration. Fixtures such as candelabras, chandeliers, and “Edison bulbs” are all great and simple ways to elevate the sentimental feeling of the room.
Photo Credit: Wedding Party
Rustic Chic
Wooden details bring a natural element to the wedding, providing a nice contrast to soft metallics and palettes. Decorate the venue with natural pieces such as lace, baby’s breath, and hay, paired with creative and modern elements that add personality.
Photo Credit: Amber Green Photography
Family Style Seating
Moving away from round tables, the incorporation of long rectangular tables and lounge areas with comfortable seating areas for cocktail and after-party hours allows for a more intimate atmosphere. These table styles also allow for flexibility with serving styles that allow for greater interaction among guests.
Photo Credit: Brides of Oklahoma
Pops of Colour
Bright accent colours are one of the final decor trends of the season. The incorporation of bold colours such as coral and plum among soft hues provides not only contrast, but visual appeal and personality.
Photo Credit: Bruce Gardner Photography
Centrepieces
Free-Form Bouquets
This “just-picked” look with both big and small blossoms in multiple colours and shades, can use whichever flowers are in season to create a distinct, fun look. To make the bouquets even more visually appealing, ask your florist to use various flowers in similar shades to create a gradient, ombre effect, or, opposite ends of the colour spectrum for a more romantic feel. For another creative twist, ask your florist to include fragrant “edible”items such as coffee beans or herbs, or even berries for an additional pop of colour. Remember, flowers aren’t always necessary for a centrepiece! Using decorative leaves, ferns, blooming branches and lavender sprigs can have just as beautiful visual appeal as a full bouquet of flowers.
Photo Credit: Martha Stewart Weddings
Cocktail Hour
His and Hers Cocktails
Incorporating your favourite beverages into the cocktail hour brings more personality to the celebration and creates a conversation piece.
Photo Credit: Southern Bride and Groom
Grown-Up Popsicles
Cool down your summer wedding with your favourite cocktail transformed into a frozen treat to put a spin on cocktail hour.
Photo Credit: Images by Lori
Pairings
Step away from the predictable wine-with-food pairing, and pair cocktails with food! This makes cocktail hour more fun and gives you the opportunity to infuse some personality and your favourite items into the menu in a way your guests will never forget!
Photo Credit: At Your Table
Deserts and Cakes
“Naked” Cakes
Many couples are moving away from fondant cakes and moving back to buttercream for the light and simplistic taste. A trend gaining more popularity that breaks traditional wedding cake perceptions are “naked” cakes – unfrosted or partially frosted caked topped with berries and fresh flowers.
Photo Credit: AFM Banqueting
Hand Painting
Hand painted designs on your wedding cake can give a more bohemian vibe to your celebration, and can even be tied over to your invitations or decor.
Photo Credit: Intimate Weddings
Flavours
Gone is the traditional custard or vanilla flavouring of cake – new cake trends include salted caramel, champagne, and white chocolate mousse, giving guests a decadent treat at the end of their meals.
Photo Credit: bonappetit.com
Photography and Video
Of course, photos and video are essential to your special day, capturing every precious moment. Action shots and candid photos are a great way to tell a story and convey the emotions you are feeling throughout your celebration. Mixing film and digital also brings interesting contrast to your documentation. Use polaroid cameras! Not only are the photos instantly printed, they give guests a special memory of the night to take home with them and brings an element of fun to the evening. Photos and videos beginning shortly before and ending just after the ceremony and celebration are a final way to capture the entire experience, capturing up to an entire week’s worth of the journey you are about to embark on together.
Photo Credit: Aevistas Weddings
On behalf of Kari Lywood Events, we would like to congratulate all of our brides tying the knot in 2016!
-Stephanie La Civita
Kari Lywood Events 