guest blogging with Ecclesiastical
Today I'm happy to welcome Matt of Ecclesiastical Wedding Insurance to the blog today to share with you the key wedding trends for 2011. Matt will be covering everything from dresses, flowers, venues and colour themes . . . so here's Matt's guide to what’s hot for weddings next year . . .
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As the wedding season starts to slow down across the UK {and US}, planning for 2011 picks up as the newly engaged start collecting ideas to help them plan their special day.
To help inspire those who have just started planning, we’ve scoured the Internet; reading the very best blogs, absorbing the best bits from leading fashion and bridal magazines and checking out previews of this October’s bridal shows in New York, to pull together the experts views on hot wedding trends for 2011.
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*** The blushing bride: Dresses in 2011 are all about the detail. The simple and refined strapless column dresses that have been popular over the past few years are blooming with adornment, appliqué, beading and trims on everything from necklines, to accentuated waists and hemlines.
photos courtesy of Maggie Sottero
Dresses are becoming more about romance than elegance and floral motifs will feature heavily. Fans of simple shapes need not worry, there will still be plenty of clean and graceful lines, but there are more opportunities to express your personality through detailing or adding accessories to your outfit.
Lace is big news in 2011 as it can be used across the whole dress, just to accentuate the bodice or even as a shrug across the shoulders. It’s also key to the vintage look that continues to be big in 2011, so if you’re looking for something really on trend, combine a vintage shape with a combination of luxe textures, for example, lace or toile and silk.
There is also more colour in bridal gowns in 2011. Influenced by the catwalk, more contemporary oyster shades, elegant cloud greys, nudes and the palest pinks are all features of the couture bridal collections this autumn, which will inevitably filter down to the high street.
No self-respecting bride will be bareheaded in 2011. The wedding shows have been jam packed with chic headwear. From glittering tiaras to headbands trimmed with extra large flowers in contrasting tones and sweet 50’s style half veils, the embellishment and detailing trend is finished off with headwear. Many bridal specialists are happy to sell you just accessories, so you can have fun putting your bridal outfit together from different designers in much the same way you would a new outfit for any occasion.
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*** Colour themes: There are three main trends for colour themes in 2011. The vintage feel, catwalk nudes and the colour ‘pop’.
photo courtesy of Duni
The love of all things retro and vintage continues with very elegant and formal colours. Navy, sage greens, creams and deep plums all feature but are accentuated with a modern twist. So navy could be teamed with yellow, cream with a brighter green or pastel blue and plum tones with midnight blues. These colours are certainly for the brave, but they will be striking if used sparingly, or during certain seasons.
Catwalk nudes are the perfect colours for the urban chic event. A palette of barely there oyster, soft blushes, corals and creams are often more flattering against the UK complexion and look fabulous with the more romantic dress styles. These types of colours can be used throughout a venue they are so delicate - repeat use of them really enhances a look. Spring and summer weddings are perfect for these colours.
The colour pop will work brilliantly at any summer or autumn wedding and bright big colours for 2011 include hot pinks, bright oranges, azure blues and apple greens. These colours are lots of fun and also work well together if you are thinking of having several bridesmaids – as each one can have a different colour which may not only suit them better, but will help them feel a bit more special.
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*** Flowers: A big trend set to continue into 2011 is to use one single flower en masse. It looks incredibly opulent, but also very distinctive and different. However, it doesn’t have to be budget busting. Choose your favourite flower for your bouquet, but then choose different types on the tables or in each vase.
A growing trend in 2011 will be the use of imaginative vases or containers for your flowers. Stand out from the crowd by using unusual containers like teapots, hatboxes, or old milk jugs. Alternatively, add a contemporary twist by opting for cottage garden flowers but in bright and unusual colour combinations like bright pinks, yellows and blues.
photo courtesy of Wedding Flowers
Making your venue smell as beautiful as it looks will be on trend next year. Matching scented candles to the bride’s bouquet is growing in popularity and candle light gives any venue a fabulous feel.
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*** Venues: For those for whom a church wedding is not a priority, it’s becoming more and more fashionable to have a civil ceremony at the local town hall, attended by just immediate family, followed by a bigger ceremony with personalised vows, their own choice of music and a real ‘party’ atmosphere at a later date. 2011 will see this trend developing even further with weddings taking place in forests, village halls, back gardens, on beaches and cliff tops.
Whatever dress, colour theme, venue or flowers you choose, the most important thing to ensure is that you have the day you want and that you enjoy the planning and preparation just as much as the day itself.
Thank you very much Matt for joining me today to share the hot wedding trends for 2011 with my readers.
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Ecclesiastical were formed in 1887 by the Churchman primarily to help protect their churches from fires. These days Ecclesiastical provide insurance to individuals, families, groups and organisations that care about the community they live and work in. As well as insuring churches Ecclesiastical supply cover to charities, educational establishments, heritage sites and care organisations. The company donates a significant proportion of its profits to charity. You can learn more about Ecclesiastical’s Wedding Insurance here.
The team at Ecclesiastical Wedding Insurance are pretty keen on weddings; they constantly keep their ear to the ground to monitor what’s going on. They search blogs, keep up to date with all the magazines and monitor all the latest trends coming out the relevant fashion shows in London, Milan, Paris and New York.