Wedding Trends for 2013

Kate Middleton's impact on weddings: Lots of lace, sleeves, ball gowns, more traditional settings and details like having flower girls and a white budding bouquet. Lace is even making an appearance on wedding cakes! Let there be Pockets: Finally, pockets are coming to the forefront. Why wouldn't you want pockets on your wedding gown? Amount of money being: For the first time since 2008 the average wedding budget has increased. In 2008 it was $29,334 per wedding. In 2009 the number went down to $28,385 and even further down to $26,984 in 2010. In $27,021 in 2011. Wedding colors: Purple is up to 15% from 21% in 2010 and 16% in 2009. Blue and green have been high on the list for a long time at 30% and 24%. So far, lots of pink weddings for 2012. White is "always," but today gold, red, blush and pinks (even black) are in style. The bold bride uses the colors in her gown, while the not-so-bold bride puts the splash of color on a sash, on the lining of her gown, or in her shoes. Prints and Bold Colors are stepping forward. Bridesmaids' dresses are popping in bold and beautiful colors, as floral prints on sashes, or on the wedding cake. Wedding cakes: (67%) opt for a traditional tiered cakes, but cupcakes are gaining in popularity. They've gone from 13% in 2010 to 17% in 2011. People think they want a wedding cake but by the time they get around to ordering it, they realize it's not going to fit in their budget. Cupcakes are a great cost-savings. Cheesy Wedding Ending: As an alternative to a traditional wedding cake, brides are selecting a variety of cheeses which can be arranged tiered fashion like a traditional wedding cake would be. The trend is new to the United States, but has been around in the United Kingdom for several years. Cheese is an excellent alternative for guests who don't love sweets. If you don't want to eliminate the wedding cake entirely, a cheese "cake" can accompany a small wedding cake and guests can choose between the two. Food and More Food: Traditional wedding reception far is getting a run for the money by more eclectic, perhaps more eccentric food item and food service. Look for taco trucks, grilled cheese, mac & cheese, BBQ, snow cones and cotton candy. Whatever the favorites of the bridal couple is showing up on the menu. Location, Location, Location: Brides are taking advantage of all the atypical and somewhat unusual wedding venues. As the economy slumped, farms, museums, historical societies, and estates are realizing that there3's money in wedding receptions, so they're offering fabulous until-now-unseen locations and the brides are loving it! Summer . . . is still "wedding season," but not as much as in the past. In 2011, 37% of weddings took place in the summer, down from 41%, while fall increased to 36%. Formal Versus Informal: Casual weddings are up. Semiformal remains most common at 65%. Casual up to 16% from 14%. Formal/black tie down to 16% from 18% in 2010 and 20% in 2009. Destination Weekend Weddings are still on the rise. Bridal Couples Personal Wedding Websites: 69% in 2011, up from 65% in 2010. 58% of brides use their smartphones to share wedding-related pictures. 47% use them to look up vendor information. 2013 Hot Beauty Trends ·  A sparkling nude manicure using the new glittery but matte polish. ·  High, twisted and coiled updo are in. We don't recommend doing it yourself. ·  Black-cherry lipstick takes the place of bright red for a fresh, glamorous vampy look. ·  Gold glitter-gradient nails . . . yes it's all about the glitter gradient, delicate but still very festive. . . . And last but not least the Pantone Color of the Year . . . Emerald Green Emerald is an elegant, yet standout color (think emeralds). Tradition associated the color with growth, renewal, prosperity, healing and unity. Pantone and Sephora are partnering to offer the Sephora + Pantone Universe 2013 Color of the Year beauty collection. Available in March of 2013, the collection will be exclusive to Sephora and feature all things emerald. Incorporate this "in" color into your printed materials, beauty products and more.   Want to know more? Visit HudsonValleyWeddings.com's Wedding Guide at  http://www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com/guide.htm

What About an All-White Wedding?

What About an All-White Wedding?

The white wedding gown is a tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria in the early 1800's. She could not have known that she would be a trend setter for a tradition that would live on long after she was gone. The tradition of the white wedding gown survives to this day as the favorite of modern-day bride, a tradition that some, as Chef Emeril puts it "kick it up a notch" to an all-white wedding. It takes a creative bride, one who is willing to put some extra thought into the details, in order to pull off such a wedding without her disappearing in the crowd. Let's get the "rules" straight first. Typically, at such a wedding, the bridesmaids and flower girls wear white and the flowers, tablecloths and candles, are white. The only place that there should not be any white is in the attire of the guests and it is for that reason that it's important to include that information in the invitation. The words "All white wedding" may not be sufficient, so No white attire, please" may be a better choice for wording. There are many ways that a bride can make herself stand out in the sea of white. These are a few suggestions. As to her gown, the bride might select a shade of white other than "pure white." Believe it, or not, there actually are hundreds of shades of white, including bluish diamond white, creamy, yellowed eggshell, "natural" pearl, champagne, and ivory. Another way in which she can set herself apart is by embellishments on her dress of pearls, crystal, or heavy beading. In order to avoid a monotone overload, some hint of contrast color can be added to the mix. The white flowers that are used can be ones with their green stems showing. The use of different fabrics, particularly ones with interesting textures will add a dimension of depth. In the bouquets, a mix of white flowers, as opposed to flowers all of the same variety. Orchids, for example, have a very different "presence" than daisies, or dahlias and, if a satin ribbon, or lace is thrown into the mix, the mission is accomplished! Adding metallic can be said as not adding another color, but they will add some interest and add interest to, for example, a white tablecloth with a white centerpiece. Even the menu items carry through the white theme. A creative caterer can make suggestions that might include things like hors d'oeuvres made scallops, yellowtail or crabmeat, vegetables like cauliflower and parsnips and dessert of vanilla ice cream and even white cotton candy. For party favors, boxes of white chocolates can be wrapped in white lace. Yes, it will take some extra planning and yes, there will probably be a bridesmaid or two who "look terrible" in white, but an all-white wedding can be done and will quite probably be better remembered than most others.   For answers to most of your wedding etiquette questions, please visit HudsonValleyWeddings.com's Wedding Guide at http://www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com/guide/!index.htm