Wedding Blog

I had a great time on Monday chatting with Lisa Benz, host of “The Wedding Zone.” Below is the broadcast. I hope you enjoy it! Hopefully I will be able to make another appearance soon.

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If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland(at)pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

Purple is a hot color for 2010. (Which is great because it is my favorite color!) Leave it to my good friend and fellow wedding planner, Lisa Konecny to be ahead of the trend and produce a stunning purple color scheme for her clients’ wedding. I hope you find the images inspirational. Thank you to Abby Liga for the beautiful images!

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland(at)pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

The best part of being Perfect Wedding Guide’s national wedding expert is that I get to travel around the country and meet thousands of couples every month. I love chatting with them to find out what’s on their minds when it comes to trends and wedding planning challenges (and triumphs!) Based on those great conversations, I have compiled a list of what I think are going to be the top wedding trends of 2010 (and probably beyond).

1. Cash is King!: Gone are the days of overspending. Whether or not couples feel like they are trying to reduce their wedding budgets, they are all definitely paying close attention to how they are spending their money. Also, they are not planning on going into debt for the wedding. They are saving up and spending what they have.



2. Passionate Purple: Just like the experts predicted, purple is one hot color for 2010. Brides are choosing varying shade of purple from light to dark (monochromatic) to make a rich and regal look.



3. Spending Money on Memories: Great experiences that are captured by great photography and great video are of great importance. Beautiful decor is still in-style, but couples want their wedding day to have a special feeling… One that is shared by all the guests—think video presentations, meaningful speeches and choreographed surprises (remember that widely circulated processional video on YouTube?).
   Photo credit: Cristiana Paula Photography

4. Bridesmaids Picking out Flattering Dresses: Brides are no longer making their one-size-does-not-fit-all friends wear one style of dress. Brides are giving color guidelines and allowing her wedding party to pick out dresses that are flattering to their figures. Many gown manufacturers are embracing this trend by offering several dress styles in the same color. Some even have mix and match tops and bottoms so you can get the perfect fit!


Photo credit: Alfred Angelo

5. Fun Activities: Things that used to be seen more frequently at Bar/Bat Mitzvah parties and sweet sixteens are now being seen at weddings. Look for photo booths, flip books, and digital photography with personalized backgrounds.


Diane (PWG Detroit), David (PWG Detroit), me, Tammy (PWG President) and Julie (PWG Detroit), at the Detroit Perfect Wedding Guide bridal show (definitely no palm trees there). Digital photo booth by Onsighteventphotography.com.

6. Remembering the Environment and the Community: While I don’t see 100 percent carbon-neutral weddings, couples and wedding professionals are definitely trying to consider the environment and the local community when planning weddings. From not serving bottled water, and composting food and flowers, to making charitable donations on behalf of their guests and reusing heirlooms from family and friends, couples are taking small steps to promote the environment on their wedding day.


Photo Credit: The Daily Green

7. Destination Weddings: In the interest of money, destination weddings may be closer to home, but they are definitely still a strong trend. Couples are choosing to run off with their closest family and friends creating a memorable experience to share with the group.


gingermidgett.com


8. Alternative Wedding Days: Saturdays are still the primary day for weddings, but couples are choosing alternative days to help save money. Likewise, wedding venues and professionals are capturing more revenue by making special off-peak wedding packages with discounted pricing.
9. Smaller Guest Lists: Gone are the 400-person guest lists that include acquaintances and business associates, now brides and grooms are really putting emphasis on celebrating their weddings with the most meaningful people in their lives. There are several benefits to this, the couple feels as if they can really enjoy celebrating with all of their guests (this alleviates a lot of wedding-day stress) and it saves money.


Gingermidgett.com

10. High-Tech Wedding Planning: Nearly every bride I speak with tells me that she is looking to the Internet for wedding-planning information. While nothing will completely replace magazines, books and printed planners, most couples are surfing the Web to get inspiration for decor, gowns, menus, and vows. They are also using online budget calculators, guest list managers and building wedding Websites. (check out Perfect Wedding Guide’s free planning tools at my.perfectweddingguide.com/tools/)



If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland@pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

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