Wedding Trends for 2011~ By W Weddings

Photo by~Andrea Hanks Photography

Wedding Trends for 2011

Written by~Brynn Whitchurch with W Weddings

We are a few months into 2011 already but now is a great time to talk about wedding trends. Weddings are so personal and individual but it never hurts to get ideas from what others are doing.  Just because you follow a wedding trend does not mean you have to lose yourself. Take these trends and use them as elements in your wedding; then make sure you add your own personal touches as well.

Photo by~Swensen Photography

Vintage Car~Something Vintage Something Blue

The first trend of 2011 is ‘vintage touches.’  What’s old is new again and brides are incorporating this trend into their own wardrobe with vintage-style wedding dresses, red lips, finger waves in the hair, etc. One idea is to even re-use your mother’s or grandmother’s wedding dress. You can rework the dress to fit your own style but what a sweet idea to be able to wear something so personal to your family. We are also seeing a lot of vintage touches in the photography at weddings. This can be done with old photo booths, setting up wedding photos of your different family members, or the style of your photography can be very vintage. If that is the look you are going for make sure you talk to your photographer and let them know what you have in mind.

Photo by~Andrea Hanks Photography

Dress created by~Modest Couture by Elizabeth

Remember this dress?  This was her Grandmother’s dress that she had Modest Couture By Elizabeth remake special for her. Read that story here.

Photography by: Donahue Photography

‘Eco-friendly weddings’ are the second trend of the year. Brides are looking to be more environmentally friendly when planning their weddings.  This could mean using LED lighting, recycled paper for your invitations and programs, old mason jars as decorations and maybe even food from local providers. Along with this trend comes another sub-trend: ‘outdoor weddings.’ If you feel confident about the weather then by all means, plan a wedding outside. There is simply no substitute for natural light and the beauty of the outdoors. Of course, it’s always a good idea to have a plan B just in case weather becomes a problem.

Photo by~ Claire Marika Photography

Our third wedding trend is ‘DIY weddings.’ Many people are still looking to save money and doing little projects on your own is a great way to stay on budget with your wedding. On top of that, it really adds personal touches to your wedding day and it allows you to incorporate your own interests or hobbies. Some of the easiest DIY yourself projects are your wedding favors, place cards, table decorations and maybe even your programs or invitations.

Photography by: Claire Marika Photography

‘Social media’ is our fourth trend of the year. With Facebook, Twitter and blogs it is extremely easy to keep your guests in the loop while planning your wedding. You can keep friends and family up to date with all your wedding details, or maybe just a few you want to share. These social media tools are also a great way to collect addresses or maybe even send an e-vite to friends and save on some postage.

Now let’s talk fashion! Gray will be taking over as the neutral IT color for 2011. You can pair gray with vibrant hues to really make the colors pop. Navy blue is also showing itself as a trend for 2011. Metallics are making a large presence in weddings; whether that means using a bright color with a metallic accent, or even using several metallic shades together. Gold, silver and champagne colors will definitely be seen a lot this year. As we all know, the focus of a wedding is on the bride. Dramatic ball gowns are making a comeback this year and we will be seeing these fairy-tale inspired styles on many different girls this year.

Photography by~Swensen Photography

About the author, Brynn Whitchurch~“I am a wedding coordinator located in Salt Lake City, UT.  I have experience planning many different kinds of events ranging from intimate gatherings to celebrations with thousands of guests. I have worked with many different vendors and I’m a firm believer weddings don’t have to cost a fortune. I will make sure you stay within your designated budget, while still making your wedding day wonderful.

I love the detail that goes into planning an event and weddings are definitely the most fun. I can help plan all aspects of your wedding, or just the areas you don’t want to deal with.

Please visit my website for more details: www.wweddings.blogspot.com“