As we said in the first half of the 2021 Style Guide, the trends keep moving along! Thanks to the hundreds of thousands of happy new couples that get married each year, the world of weddings is introduced to many new and exciting things. Some trends are completely unique to what is happening in the world at that time, and some are new takes on a traditional idea. It’s good to be in the know, isn’t it?
Trend Number 6 – First Dance to Last Dance
Special dances have always been part of wedding lore. There are trendy ways to dance the night away, highlighting individual dances and performances by including new dance possibilities like these in our reception timeline:
- First Dance – continue with tradition for the first dance of the evening. Make it personal, passionate, and entertaining, and make it yours and yours alone. Guests will watch in awe as you Tango, Boogie, Cha-Cha, or sway away for the first time as husband and wife. Yes, taking dance lessons is helpful, but making up your own dance moves is courageous!
- Group Dances – organize small group dances and avoid the cattle call to the dance floor. Enlist your maids to choreograph a dance performance to your favorite gal-song, have the men present their version of “Boys to Men,” hire ballroom dance instructors to show your guests the latest moves, or like this groom, clear the dance floor and dance on . . .
- Anniversary Dances – celebrate those guests who have achieved milestones in their marriage by arranging for them to dance to their wedding song. There won’t be a dry eye in the house when everyone sees how many couples have achieved 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 years of marriage.
- Last Dance – is not a reason to get everyone on the dance floor. The new year will see the last dance of the reception reserved for the bride and groom, not the entire room. Once again, we refer to your digital timeline, add the last dance of the evening to close your wedding photo book.
Trend Number 7 – Flora, Fauna, and Fabulous Themes
There are many ways to determine your wedding theme. Perhaps by the color of the maids’ dresses, the environment created by your wedding venue, a single inspiration photo you have held onto for years, courtship anniversaries, vacation memories, or a host of recollections that define you as a couple. However you choose your theme, let it include those elements that are kindred to your spirit. Trends for today’s couples are usually eco-friendly, often out of the norm, and most often depict the couple’s persona. Here is just the tip of the iceberg of ways to create your personal wedding theme:
Are you Woodsy? Living décor is on the rise. Choose to plant a tree together and watch it grow in the footprint of your ceremony. Select a variety of succulents and pot them as your wedding favors. Throw lavender buds as you recess from the altar—pot herbs for the guest table centerpieces, or top the table with a terrarium. The point is to erase your carbon-footprint by planting the favors, herbs, and other living décor elements as a remembrance of your wedding day.
- Do you love jewel tones? Some say these warm and vibrant colors are reserved for fall weddings; we say enjoy jewel tones in any season. Your color palette should speak to your heart, not be mandated by the season. Be bold and break from tradition like this jewel-toned summer wedding.
- Are you planning a white wedding? A tried and true wedding theme is the use of many different “whites” – cool whites, warm whites, even blue whites are still showing up all over the wedding scene.
- Silver White
- Warm White
- Blue White
- Winter White
- And the whites keep on coming!
Be avant-garde! Allow Stroudsmoor Intelligentsia to develop new concepts in the design and execution of your wedding. Take a page out of these weddings and give it a turn.
- Living room furnishing in unusual places.
- Don’t just shuttle your guests. Take a trolley on a trip to an after-party at one of many scenic locations in the Poconos. This one went to an ESU night game with tailgating baskets in tow.
- Puppies, kitties, and kids have always delivered rings to the altar. For one couple, we arranged a falcon!
Trend Number 8 – Food, Food, and More Food
These days, weddings have become more about the menu than the bar beverages. Couples choose to dine, graze, or truck their food in for a cocktail hour, dinner, and after-party. Take these traditional dining styles and bring them up to date:
- Buffet – this option limits the dinner plate touchpoints by ensuring only the guest touches their plate. Our buffet attendants will ensure serving utensils are handled with a gloved touch. Bring your buffet to life by adding a Sommelier to pair wines with each of the main entrees as guests leave the buffet table.
- Served menu – combine courses to decrease service time and increase dance time like plate duos, incorporating both appetizer and salad courses.
- Weddings are not for dieting – ensure your guests have enough variety, their dietary needs are addressed, and be sure they don’t leave the wedding wanting more. While a wedding day is not one for dieting, it still should be healthy over-eating. Charge your chef to lighten up on the fried hors d’oeuvres. Replace a creamy soup course with a big salad or individual crudité. Try to stay away from rich sauces like Bordelaise, Béarnaise, and demi-glaze by opting for the lighter au jus to finish your beef. There are so many ways to eat hearty and healthy, so explore options with your planner, caterer, or chef. Don’t hesitate to replace the chicken or beef with a healthy fish or VEGAN dish!
- Dessert – let them eat cake should not be your mantra. Your wedding desserts should be entertaining, innovative, and unexpected. Consider this and more:
- A cup of Joe and a Cannoli to go for the trip home
- Baked Brie and Champagne or a glass of Prosecco for a savory-sweet
- Chocolate covered everything – tray up dipped fruit, covered pretzels, emersed coffee beans, even disguise bacon in dark chocolate, but maybe draw the line at chocolate-covered insects.
Trend Number 9 – Be Entertaining
The etiquette of entertaining your wedding guests has not changed for decades; however, the ways we engage our guests have evolved for the better. Don’t stop at hiring a DJ; reach new heights in entertaining by considering one or more of the following:
- Performances – to elevate and stimulate your guests’ enjoyment add an acoustic performance to the dinner hour, include dance tributes like the anniversary dance or Maids’ Mambo. Share your love through song and hire a vocalist to perform your first dance, or even better, sing it yourself! The point is to add the drama (and WOW) of a theatrical element.
- Games – games are always entertaining; consider a Couple’s Newlywed Game over the Garter and Bouquet tosses. Bring in lawn, board, or card games that speak to your playful side. Create Couple’s Trivia cards, Wedding Scavenger Hunts, or mask competitions where guests can via for prizes. Dancing is fun, but add a little game to your wedding day, and the crowd will roar with laughter.
- Roast vs. Toast – gone are the days of the Best Man Toast. Today’s weddings feature multiple toasts and speeches by friend, family, and the couple. Another way to be entertaining is to allow many to say a few words and raise a glass more than once. Roasting is all the rage, but be sure to screen the speaker’s notes before the wedding day – ensuring only good surprises.
- Saying goodbye from afar – You don’t need another receiving line at the end of the reception. Plan to meet your guests “Outdoors.” Say goodbye with fireworks, a food truck, or from a horse-drawn carriage like a Royal. Staging a spotlight photo from the balcony of your venue or in the woods surrounding the reception area is a moment each guest will capture and remember. Say good night, not goodbye, with a written message and a farewell treat; always remember to say, “thank you for being part of our wedding and our lives”.
Trend Number 10 – Making Memories that will Last a Lifetime.
- A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration for most. It consists of many life-cycle celebrations – each one uniquely part of the couple’s courtship. Choosing a photographer that can follow through by capturing photographs at each event of wedding planning is crucial. Your pictorial love story must include the following events captured professionally or personally:
- Engaging Memories – photographs for the moment you became engaged (the proposal) to the party are a must. Remember to highlight the ring and record each reaction from your friends when you asked them to become part of your wedding party.
- Showering of Friendship – memories of the shower, bachelor, and bachelorette celebrations are highlights and should include all the activities planned, but remember to keep out anything X-rated!
- Planning Memories – take pictures when touring event facilities, discussing the details with your planner and wedding team, photograph the ceremony rehearsal and meal that follows. Remember to include photos from the after-party and post-reception brunch, all planned to perfection. Planning your wedding should be an incredible journey, so choose event production over catering space. To learn more about the differences between the two, send your questions to info@stroudsmoor.com.
- WEDDING Memories – a day of memorable moments, some of which you will not realize have happened until you see them capture digitally. So, hire professional photographers and cinematographers, create your wedding hashtag, and enlist your guests to share their unforgettable memories of the day. Many of them will become your favorite wedding memories.
Our goal is to continue to bring you new and exciting trends in wedding planning. We are delighted by all the trends our couples are sending and requesting. Please feel free to send your questions to info@stroudsmoor.com and keep following and sharing!
