Thursday, November 11, 2010

New wedding trends shake things up

CNN is reporting on the trends we can expect for weddings for the coming 2011 season. Andrea Correale, owner of Elegant Affairs in New York, shares tips on wedding trends that will be making a buzz in 2011 and ones that should be avoided altogether.

A major trend with wedding receptions is mixing the shapes and sizes of tables. It's one of the quickest ways to switch things up at a wedding, yet it's a rather unique trend.

The days of just doing round tables of 10 are pretty much over.
So mix them up: Have a triangular table, raise some up, throw in different types of chairs and stools that complement each other. Also, people are getting rid of assigned seating. If you want to make it one big fab extravaganza, create a setting that allows for people to get up and move around, like a lounge, and allow people to sit where they want to sit. Ditch the nameplates.

Wedding planners are in for 2011 and its about time! An average wedding takes about two to three hundred hours to plan. Wedding coordinators used to be a luxury, but now it is essential to a well-planned event.   Hiring one saves you both time and money not to mention your sanity.

Another trend that are up and coming is holding a wedding reception at brunch time, you can get away with having a fabulous event without really breaking the bank. Brunch food items are less expensive, and you can always have a nice easy morning punch, like a cocktail or passion fruit juice mix. Couples can do this in lieu of having a nighttime reception.

With money being tight these days there are alternative trends for the wedding gifts. More people are being environmentally friendly and charity-friendly these days and asking for donations instead of gifts. I believe it has something to do with the economy. With all the recent events going on, more people are being driven to give, and they want to share that feeling with their guests. Donations to charities are becoming another trend that seems to be replacing the traditional wedding gift and reduces pressure on guests and their decisions of what to give.

Couples are thinking out of the box for locations to get married. The trendy places to hold a weddings, are venues that create a setting of togetherness. A place where people are breaking bread together, be it serving dinner family style on long tables, having salads in the center and drinking fine wine while being in a place that feels like home.

One trend that couples should avoid at their weddings, is don't be predictable. Stay away from the traditional timing of a wedding. Typically, you have the first dance, people sit down for the flower-throwing, and so on and so forth.
Take away some of the rigidness. Mess it up a little. Maybe you do the toast before you cut the cake, or as a couple, you can do the toast yourselves. You can move around the room to break up the strict formality of the event. Just keep it a little loose and clean so that the wedding itself becomes a surprise.

Happy Planning! We at Weddings InStyle are here to serve our couples at the highest level and look forward to meeting you someday soon.

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