November 05, 2011

Wedding Trends

One thing to keep in mind when planning a wedding is that nobody else cares

It's difficult for many brides to remember, or even accept, this small truth.  They are surrounded by wedding; it gets under their skin and into their brain.  They see wedding everywhere.  Every conversation they have seems to be about their wedding.  Lunch and after-work hours are spent on various wedding tasks and appointments.  Even decisions about what they'll eat for dinner are determined by their wedding ("can I still afford my aisle runner if I spring for takeout?", "will I still fit into my dress if I eat dessert?").  It can make them believe that weddings are ubiquitous, and as a result, that everyone else is just as preoccupied with weddings as they are.  Note to brides everywhere: they're not.  Nobody cares.  Just you.  Also (hopefully) your fiancé, and possibly your mother-in-law, but otherwise nobody. 

You're welcome.

Fortunately for brides, this nonchalance can actually be a blessing in disguise.  I've seen too many brides stress about whether their guests will be bored with the trendy touches they're dying to add to their big day.  The truth is, they won't.  Probably. 

In my time wandering through weddingland, I have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of "trendy" ideas floating around out there.  Wedding websites and craft stores are full to overflowing with knickknacks and details, and it can begin to look like everyone's been shopping at the same place.  Blogs post photo after photo of the same apparent wedding but for a new cast of characters.  Sometimes it seems that absolutely every bride in the world is spraying glitter onto manzanita branches for their centrepieces or hand-crafting kissing balls, and I don't even know what either of those things are.  And then I realize that the reason I don't know what half of these things are is that I have never actually seen any of them at a real live wedding.

See, when we remind ourselves of the fact that most of our guests have likely not spent the last year browing wedding sites, trying on gowns, flipping through bridal magazines or obsessively reading wedding blogs the way we have, it becomes somewhat clearer that they are not even going to know what the trends are.  Other brides may be sick to death of cupcakes, or bored to tears with brooch bouquets - but your guests have probably never seen those things before.  The fact is, most of these so-called trends aren't as popular or overdone as you might expect.  Most people only go to a wedding or two a year, or less.  Which means that any trends they have witnessed are probably past their expiration date, and that oh-so-boring photo booth you were considering will be something new and different for them.

"Overdone" trends that I have never seen:

  • Save the dates (seriously, not once)
  • Chiavari chairs
  • Moustaches on sticks


Why does this happen?

  • Ribbons on sticks
  • Actually, anything on sticks
  • Brooch bouquets
  • Manzanita trees
  • Oversized balloons
  • Photo guestbooks
  • Cupcakes
  • Pet involvement


What happens if he runs off with the rings?

  • Fairground games or live dancers (unfortunately)
  • Midnight buffets
  • Birdcage veils
  • Mason jars
  • Burlap
  • Signage 

In case anyone forgot why they were there?

  • Choreographed dances
  • Candy bar (again, unfortunately)
  • A "two dress" bride
And more.  So, so much more.

Naturally, since I've been to my share of weddings, there are plenty of trends that I have seen (such as old-fashioned cars, the horse-and-carriage, signature cocktail and alternative footwear), but none more than once.  Most weddings seem pretty much the same to me, and truthfully, I'm okay with that.  But if you're really pining away to put something on a stick, don't let a fear of "trendiness" stop you.  (Especially when there are so many good reasons not to do that).  It's your day, and the point is to have fun.  So go have it!

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