I'd like to thank Cori at Elegala for emailing me over the following information on the top 2009 trends for wedding flowers. What flowers are you planning to use for your wedding? I'd love to hear.
from Elegala . . .
Today's brides are following the old adages, "less is more" and "use your imagination". The sayings may be cliche – but the latest trends in wedding flowers are anything but.
Daring Colors:
Gone are the days of adhering to light pastels and muted shades in wedding decorations. Today's brides are opting for bold and interesting pairings of colors in their wedding flowers and floral schemes. Not afraid of mixing purples and orange's, the post-millennium color palette is expanding.
More than Just Flowers:
Mix it up a bit by incorporating produce. One of the hot trends in wedding flowers is arrangements featuring fruits, herbs and even veggies as a playful and fun approach. Their naturally vibrant colors coincide with the daring color trend. Many brides are also turning to the woods for inspiration. Green grasses add dimension and structure and can elicit a warm, summery feeling.
Dynamic Tables:
Table arrangements are also becoming more dynamic. Instead of conforming to identical floral arrangements on each table, some brides are using different containers, varying the heights, or grouping an assortment of low centerpieces together.
Keep it Simple:
Gone are the days of overpowering floral arrangements adorned with excess filler flowers. Today's brides opt for a more natural and tailored look to their wedding flowers. One bouquet style rising in popularity is the hand tied bouquet. The fresh bunch of flowers presents the look of simple elegance that brides desire.
Above information courtesy of Cori at Elegala.com (online site for Gala Weddings Magazine) All images from Elegala.com's photo gallery.
Today's post is from Nancy Jaeger, founder/publisher of USABrideWeddings.com. She has spent more than 12 years in the online bridal retail industry and today she shares with you her Bridal Accessory Trends for the new year.
According to Nancy, "2009 will be all about bold accessories and expressing your personal style and individuality. Flaunt your unique look by choosing a simpler, less expensive dress, and kicking it up with affordable and fabulous bridal accessories. Forget the cookie cutter, mass-produced jewelry sets and head pieces. Go for hand-crafted, artistic accessories - these types of luxury items are not only affordable, but will give you that one-of-a-kind look!"
Continue reading for the top 6 trends for 2009 - for any bride on any budget, according to USABrideWeddings.com
1. Vintage Inspired
The vintage inspired look includes rhodium or antique-silver hair accessories and jewelry, bird cage or visor veils as well as outrageous feather and flower combs - all of which are a throwback to the 1920s. The vintage look is also the perfect opportunity to incorporate family heirlooms, such as Grandma’s silver brooch – timeless pieces that can be used with the visor veils or as an embellishment on gown sashes.
2. Hollywood Glam
Big hair, big jewelry, sparkling head pieces, and tons of glitz! That is Hollywood glam at its best. Use dazzling bouquet jewelry and long dramatic beaded gloves for extra glam! Long, layered, draping necklaces, oversized earrings and bold colored stones in red and black are perfect to draw attention.
3. Don't Settle for Subtle… Chunky is in!
Brides are choosing to accent their gowns with big, bold jewelry sets--dramatic collars, clusters, or long strands of large pearls and beads, asymmetrical looks and multi-strand drops are all great ideas. Another new trend is a bare neckline with large chandelier earrings, paired with a wide, bold cuff bracelet to really make a statement – layering several smaller bracelets creates the same effect.
4. Go for the Gold!
The past year has been dubbed the return of gold bridal accessories! Brides are choosing darker-colored gowns in tones like champagne and dark ivory, in natural fabrics such as raw silk. Victorian style gowns accented with gold-tones are also popular this season. Nothing compliments these colors and textures like timeless gold jewelry. There is just something about the richness of the color gold that gives the feeling of luxury and elegance!
5. Organic or Natural Pearls and Stones
Continuing to be very hot this season is the trend to incorporate natural or "organic" elements and shapes into jewelry designs. The natural shape and beauty of Keshi and Fresh Water Pearls, mixed with glazed stones and dazzling Swarovski crystals, inspire exquisite bridal designs. A perfect match for a romantic destination wedding!
6. Greek Goddess Style
Want a look that’s sexy and modern, yet utterly classic? Go for the enchanting look of a Greek goddess-inspired style. The dress should be a long, lean and fluid silhouette or a romantic series of overlapping layers. With this look, the accessories are key to bringing it all together. Look for chunky leaf or vine patterns in a head piece or hair pins (depending on your hairstyle), as well as the jewelry. You could go with any color, but make sure it is artistic and fanciful.
Images shown include: Vintage Birdcage Veil, Felicity Bridal Comb, Whisper Feather Comb, Crystal Letter Bouquet Jewelry, Fingerless Bridal Gloves, Emerson Gold Crystal Earrings, and the Pearl Bliss Bracelet
Nessa, of Cardgirl Invitations, joins me as my first guest blogger to discuss her favorite Wedding Invitation Trends for 2009 . . .
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Hello! My name is Nessa Sander. I own Cardgirl Invitations and run the CardgirlDIY blog. Thank you so much to Brenda at Best Wedding Sites for inviting me to guest blog today about invitation trends!
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Cardgirl Invitations is a custom design studio, specializing in letterpress wedding invitations. Because we do all custom work, we are able to incorporate custom artwork and calligraphy into your invitation design. This adds such a personal touch to the invitations, as it offers a true one-of-a-kind look. This is a hot new trend. Get on the early train!
After the invitations have been mailed, I often work with my clients to "complete the look & feel" with wedding programs, escort cards, thank you notes, stickers…just about anything created on paper. I am also not shy about passing along the artwork to my clients for some DIY projects…as I know it all starts adding up. I have also created a DIY site for those clients of mine.
Here's a quick summary of my favorite trends for 2009 wedding invitations:
My favorite new color combinations for 2009
Butter & Black
Eggplant & Ecru
Teal & Slate Grey
My favorite design elements for 2009
The Damask (of course!)
A Wide Stripe
Pattern Printing onto the Backside of Your Invitation Cards
Block lettering complemented by hand lettering
Print a Design onto Your Envelopes
Cardstock
Crane's 100% Cotton Extra Heavy Cardstock
(amazing, heavy like a coaster, works beautifully with a letterpress printing)
I hope you will take the time to visit my DIY blog for more ideas & my invitation website. Thanks again to Brenda for including me in your lovely blog!
Nessa
Thank you Nessa for guest blogging today! Please check back later this afternoon to see more invitation designs created by Nessa.
Today's post is from Christina Demarco and she unveils the bridal fashion trends for 2009. It's time to say good-bye to A-line wedding gowns. 2009 brings new looks in bridal wear and Cristina DeMarco (Vice President and General Manager of Bridal Reflections in New York) shares with us what's hot in bridal styles that will suite even the most fashion forward and traditional brides.
1. Cap Sleeves: Keeping your shoulders covered may be favorable in some churches but it is also stylish, sophisticated, and sexy. "Cap sleeves show off a lot of skin while simultaneously keeping a sense of mystery by covering your shoulders," states DeMarco. Look for St. Pucchi for the best in this trend.
2. Soft-Ware: You'll see less and less bold hardware and beading on the gowns because the latest looks keep treatments subdued. "You'll see lots of delicate beading this year," she says. Gowns will still have intricate treatments but with a rich, fine look. Look for Ines Di Santo for the best in this trend.
3. Rich Fabric: It's all about the fabric this season from rich taffeta and delicate lace, to heavy silk. Choosing your fabric is just as important as the style and cut because it really brings your whole look together.
4. Cut: Sexy, low-cut backs are making their way down the aisle as are V-neck cuts in the front. "More and more brides are moving away from the strapless, A-line gown. Styles are evolving to help brides show off their best assets, whether that it their arms, neck, or back." Look for Ramona Keveza for the best in this trend.
Thank you Christina for sharing these trends with us.
Dress Designers: (all images courtesy of Bridal Reflections)
Top Left {St. Pucchi} Top Right {Ines Di Santo} Bottom Left {Avine Perucci} Bottom Right {Ramona Keveza}
Today's post is an article written by Bonnie from BonitaJ.com (we'll be having a contest sponsored by her in November)
With such a fashion forward world it makes sense that brides would choose trendy jewelry for both themselves and their bridesmaids. There are types of jewelry that will become dated and look old; however there are many new trendy bridal jewelry options that transcend time.
Chunky necklaces with vintage looks are one of the newer looks this season. Using quality products like Swarovski pearls and crystals, these chunky vintage necklaces look gorgeous on the bride or her maids. Large pendant style necklaces with beautifully faceted balls, pendants and teardrops are becoming a more popular selection. Since Swarovski offers a wide variety of color options for almost all of their selections, bridal and bridesmaid jewelry designers have a wonderful palate to work with.
For this reason, bridesmaids receiving necklaces and jewelry pieces for their thank you gifts and to wear for the actual wedding are even luckier with the new designs. Imagine after asking your closest friends to help with your wedding plans, wear the dresses you pick out for them, to then receive great jewelry that they can actually wear again after the wedding.
Chandelier earrings have been more popular in the last few years; however the handmade designs and creations that bridal and bridesmaid jewelry designers are creating are beautiful and better because they can be color customized to match your wedding colors, dresses and themes. With the variety of bridal and bridesmaid jewelry designers online, there are endless color and style possibilities that suit almost every style.
Take advantage this year of the newer designs of chunky bridal and bridesmaid necklaces with beautiful designs, patterns and faceted beading. There are a wealth of bridal and bridesmaid jewelry designers online that carry a full line of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and hair accessories that can be color customized to match your wedding colors.
Above article courtesy of BonitaJ.com - thank you Bonnie.
PS - Now thru September 30 you can save 10% on all orders plus free shipping - see home page for coupon code.