Forget rustic mason jars and burlap. Set aside showy bouquets and fondant cakes. Minimalism now prevails in simpler affairs filled with elegant details and fresh, contemporary twists on traditional favorites.
See the latest buzzwords come to life Sunday, when the Omaha World-Herald presents the Wedding Essentials Idea Show at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs. Nearly 100 wedding professionals will showcase in vogue trends in food, flowers, décor, attire and more.
Guests can spend the day meeting industry pros, seeing what’s hot on the runway, snapping pictures of what they love and checking off to-dos on their way to “I do.”
Here, several vendors provide a sneak peek of wedding “musts” they’ll be sharing at the show.
Images: bridesmaid dresses
All that glitters
Gold is hot. Whether shiny or matte, burnished or platinum, champagne or rose, the metallic detail warms up receptions and gives weddings a dramatic, glamorous feel.
“We’re focusing on a return to gold; it’s old-school elegance with a nod to tradition, but one that’s not too tricky,” said Brett Foster, lead designer for Wowfactore, an event design firm. “The rustic wedding trend has given way to something warmer and simpler with a lot of attention to detail.”
Ways to incorporate gold include: golden rims on crystal stemware, spray painted matte golden leaves on ceremonial arbors, gold chargers under fine white china, bright golden beaded backdrops for head tables or muted Chiavari chairs for the wedding couple.
Other metallic options include copper, which is toastier for fall, or gun metal, a warmer choice than silver and less gender specific. Forget lace accents and instead, complement these new looks with cognac-hued leathers or textured linens in cotton ivory (not creamy) to create layers and dimension. “It makes metallics less austere,” Foster said.
The warmer approach, Foster added, also provides an element of masculinity, which makes weddings “about both people. More grooms have an opinion now.”
Go green
Big bouquets laden with showy blooms and single rose boutonnières and nosegays have given way to greenery. “The past 15 years, there was none whatsoever,” said Tracy Diehl, owner of Florals Etcetera, who once incorporated upward of 400-500 stems per wedding and today uses closer to 50. “Now greens are very, very trendy.”
That doesn’t mean there’s a lack of high-impact visuals. A recent wedding for a client featured an 8-foot tall arbor draped with greenery and accented with an elaborate chandelier.
Seeded or silver dollar eucalyptuses dominate. Branches of Italian Ruscus and ivy are also popular. Even fern makes an appearance in wedding arrangements. These can all be combined to create beautiful bouquets or what Diehl describes as “budget garlands,” which don’t require a lot of material or labor.
She also loves the look of greens on textured table linens paired with candleholders of varying heights. “You can tuck flowers in here or there,” she said. “It’s overall, very basic, with detailed simplicity and texture – simple versus spectacular.”
Let there be light
Lighted backdrops are still popular, but twinkle lights are passé. Instead, backdrops and fabric-draped ceiling décor are showcased with mini lights and strategically placed strip lights and uplights, usually LEDs.
The trend started about four or five years ago and has steadily gained in popularity. “LED lights are super cost-effective and easy to install,” said Steven Sinkle, CEO and events director for 402 Event Services. “They can be set on the floor and angled the way you want. They really open up a space and can be customized and matched to wedding colors.”
Sinkle typically uses custom fabrics in white or black and likes the way they play off bright metallic accents like tall gold centerpieces or gold or silver Chiavari chairs. “Over the past six months, we’ve really seen that a lot. It’s very elegant.”
Make it personal
When Dani DeJoy married Riley Anderson this past June, she kicked aside tradition to replace a bridesmaid with a bridesman.
“I knew I wanted to break with tradition … but how?” she said in an email interview from the newlyweds’ new home in Vienna, Virginia.
The bride turned to one of her best friends since childhood and asked him to join her wedding party. “It was one of the most special elements of my wedding, and I will always cherish it and be forever grateful. Several people came up to me saying, ‘This is so you, Dani!’”
Other ways to personalize weddings involve throwing “bro-dal showers,” which give grooms their due. “There’s less of an appetite for stag or bachelor parties,” said Foster. “It’s the idea of the groom getting together with his friends and having a celebration.”
The focus can be tailored to each groom. For a casual approach, try flannels combined with craft beer and custom-made wood coasters; the more sophisticated take might feature a scotch and cigar bar or perhaps martinis, craft cocktails and retro hors d’oeuvres from the “Mad Men” era. Some grooms elect to compete in physical challenges as party games.
“Millennials are experiential,” Foster said. “These events coax guys into something more participatory and make it more personal to the groom.”
Let them eat naked
Naked cake, that is. Unfrosted cakes of exposed layers with icing in between have been the rage for quite some time, but they’re not quite as simple as in years past. Lindsey Rodgers, digital marketing specialist for Hy-Vee, has been designing cakes for a decade. “A lot of bakeries have seen the rise of naked cakes, but the rustic trend has given way to something a little more elegant,” she said. “They’re still big, but they’re more understated.”
The updates include drizzles of caramel or syrup down the sides, berry blends for extra flavor and floral accents that tie the whole look together. The basic palette is neutral — ivory or white — with wedding colors added through the strategic placement of flowers. “It almost looks like they’ve been put there by a fairy. It’s very casual but intentional.”
Rodgers said the focus is more on natural elegance. “Sometimes, you see a combination of a fondant tier and then a naked layer as a contrast,” she said. “It’s mixing tradition with current trends — but it’s still all about the yumminess.”
Also see: SheinDressAU
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