2015 Wedding Trends and wedding inspirations
1. Personal and intimate weddings: Weddings are trending toward smaller affairs where the couple can spend time with all of their guests. They are becoming more personal as the couple tries to entertain and please their closest friends and families. Weddings are being looked at more like a party being thrown for the guests. The couple tries to make a wedding weekend out of it including lots of activities their guests will enjoy.
2. 1930’s inspiration: While the 1930’s were economically more depressing than the roaring 20’s the rich still enjoyed fancy outfits and travel. While the middle class suffered in order to take their minds off of the poverty situation they continued to enjoy swing music, and going to the movies which was deemed “Hollywood’s golden age.” The 2015 wedding trends continue to favor vintage and the wedding gowns have inspiration from those times. You will see sleeves, over both shoulders, the full use of satin, capes, beading, and high necks or deep V-necks. Even though the Great Gatsby wasn’t the 1930’s era you will still see influences of it in the 2015 wedding trends.
3. British invasion: Who is more in than the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. Her elegant chic style is catching and making everything British trendy. The colored engagement rings are continuing to gain popularity with the use of emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and yellow and black diamonds. We continue to see the use of creams and whites in bridesmaid dresses and wedding flowers, the use of more than one gown at a wedding, and of course the hats. In addition to these things Tea parties, castles and estates, and garden weddings are gaining momentum. The hit TV show Downton Abby also continues to inspire wedding trends with finger waves, head pieces, candelabras, fur, and antique cars.
4. Rustic weddings: Rustic is here to stay. There are all sorts of words that float around in relation to rustic….you have chic, elegant, bohemian, and barn weddings. When I think of Chic I think of the two in contrast with each other-competing trends that get woven together in some way at the wedding. My favorite mix is the rustic elegance it to me has a preppy but outdoorsy feel to it. When I think of rustic bohemian weddings I think of hippies and hipsters. They are whimsical, casual events with a 60’s and 70 retro rustic feel. Rustic barn weddings are very popular in Maine and the northeast with the use of the farmhouses that are often connected to the beautiful old barns it is a wonderful combination for wedding parties and guests. The rustic barn wedding is popular because barn light is beautiful, it offers an inside space in case of bad weather, and the laid back atmosphere usually brings a lively and fun event. Rustic often includes bonfires, smores, and BBQ. I consider those to be some of the best things in life.
5. Family Style Dining: Going along with the intimate wedding feel family style is gaining popularity. The idea that conversation flows freely amongst plenty of home cooked goodness. Often times the family style catering is done with local foods and prepared fresh. It breeds that idea of closeness amongst everyone–sharing and listening to a variety of stories. It allows for an extended table time and lends to a more casual feel.
6. Decked out invitations: The trend now is that the invitation sets the tone and feel for the wedding. Everyone wants to be different and communicate that their event is going to be the best weekend get away of the summer. There is an upswing in adornments such as ribbons and beading or gems to match the dresses. The invitation suite is being packed differently in fancy customized boxes, sometimes they offer a glimpse of what is to come at the wedding or tasty local treat.
7. Tweed suits and accessorizing the groom: The groom matters–he is now more than ever involved in planning and often as fashion conscious as the brides. Some things that are gaining popularity are fancy groom shoes, colored dress socks, custom ties and pocket squares, suspenders, pocket watches, and casual looking suits. Often the suits will have a texture like velvet or brown country tweed.
8. Seasonal Touches and locally grown florals: There is a big upswing in the use of greens as the primary element to the bouquet. Of course still trending are textured florals such as garden roses, dahlias, peonies, ranunculus, and anemones. We are also seeing the use of natural elements such as pinecones, fall foliage, evergreens, or nuts depending on the seasonality of the wedding.
9. Personalized Open Bar: It is more than just the usual line up of drinks these days. Couples are creating an environment around tasting and enjoying local and international drinks. Sometimes it is whiskey, bourbon, customized mixed drinks, or craft brews. It could be a sampling of aged whiskey or barreled beers. It could be an assortment of custom cocktails, or it might be the use of local greats here in the Maine beer world. The beer tastes range from bacon to fruity and everything in-between.
10. Funky Music: Just hiring a band with high energy–not someone who is going to play the typical wedding songs but a band that is going to give the wedding its own feel and get everyone out on the dance floor. The movement for these bands is to wear classic funky attire and give older songs their own spin. Some awesome choices are Decades by Deyzne, Hello Newman, and Motor Booty Affair.