By Perfect Wedding Guide ‘National Wedding Expert’, Susan Southerland

It hardly seems possible that we’re just a little over a week away from 2011! It has been a fun and inventive year for weddings, and I’ve greatly enjoyed featuring all of the happy couples who have shared their stories for the real weddings blog with us over the months. Today I wanted to recap some of my favorite elements that we’ve captured in 2010.

Special thanks go out to the talented photographers who have contributed their images to the real wedding blog today and throughout the year: Ginger Midgett Photography (www.gingermidgett.com), Dan Higgins Photography (www.danhigginsphotographer.com), Bill Peck Photography (www.billpeckphotography.com), Katie Meehan (www.katiemeehan.com), Nikki Rosa (www.nikkirosa.com), and Dave Brosha (http://davebrosha.com/). Without you, we wouldn’t have a blog to post!

Please read on for some of what I consider the highlights from our weddings this year. If you have your own favorite moments, I would love to hear about them!

One of the biggest trends I noticed this year was the use of accessories by brides wanting to put their personal stamps on their weddings without necessarily doing anything elaborate and expensive. Whether it was using accessories with vibrant color or just a lot of sparkle and shine, the success was in the details!

To expand on the trend of bringing out personality through details, I met many brides who had quite the surprise under their dresses on the big day…creative shoes! What a fun way to bring out your wedding colors and individuality.

Some couples went with some tried and true wedding favors this year, while others branched outside of the norm to incorporate seasonal and personal elements. I love the caramel apple idea!

We had the chance to see hundreds of wedding gowns this year, many of them having unique elements. Whether it was an unusual fabric, shorter length, or it included dazzling embellishments or coloring, we learned that there is really no such thing as a “traditional” wedding gown these days.

Did I mention the adorable and fun shoes?

With shows about cake design flourishing on television right now, brides had much higher expectations regarding this particular wedding element. We saw everything from traditional round and white tiered cakes to intricate designs in squares and octagons. And don’t get me started on the flavor combinations!

Brides this year wanted bright, colorful floral, largely steering away from pastels and whites. They wanted their bouquets to pop and sizzle on camera.

The use of color and interesting design also applied to floral other than the bride’s bouquet. From smaller, creative centerpieces to aisle decor, brides really brought out their wedding vision with their floral.

And, of course, the absolutely best part of these wedding stories is the people. We have met some incredible couples this year, and you all serve to remind me why I love this business so very much!

Thank you, readers and brides, for sharing all of your comments and insights on this year’s real weddings with me! Do you have a real wedding story you would like to share? If so, please email me at the address below with your experience and some photos. You might be the next bride featured on our wedding blog!

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here on the wedding blog or send me an email to susan(dot)southerland(at)pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook (search: Susan Southerland Secret) or follow me on Twitter (@Susansoutherlan).

Your partner in perfect planning,
Susan