Once again, wedding season is upon us. Bring on the free cocktails, questionable hookups, and bridesmaid dress drama that comes with all things nuptials from May through September.
Along with said wedding season is the absolute anarchy that reigns with summer wedding trends. Beachy everything, cacti, obnoxious footwear, and questionable headwear all seem to come out when the weather is at its most brutal. I mean, what’s a summer wedding without a lemonade bar, right guys? And everyone needs to be barefoot because the temperature is over 80 degrees and we’re just outside folk now, right?
Wrong. There are ways to have a classy, cute, and true-to-you summer wedding without giving in to the absolute worst and most cliche summer wedding trends out there. Like, go nuts with flowers. Wear a lace dress. Don’t encourage your guests to wear flip-flops. Here are our least favorite wedding trends for summer, and if you’re caught doing any of them, know that you’ll be judged.
1. Succulents
Succulents had their f*cking moment in the sun (no pun intended) the last few years. It’s time to move on. I get that we all love Joanna Gaines and her super adorable succulent/Anthropologie-esque decor, but translating it into a wedding for the fifth year in a row is gonna be a no from me, dog. Opt for something more interesting, like long grasses, summer hydrangeas, or sprinklings of wildflowers. It’s literally summer, there are literally flowers everywhere. You don’t need to channel boring with an aloe plant as a centerpiece.
2. Flower Crowns
If you still think flower crowns are in, then I’m willing to bet that you still have a Live, Laugh, Love sign hanging somewhere in your house or apartment. Unless you’re heading to Coachella, flower crowns have had their moment and it’s over. They do not belong at your wedding.
It is a rare bride, indeed, who can pull this off without looking like a Manson family member. The only way a flower crown is acceptable is if your dog wears one as he comes down the aisle as the most goodest boy ring bearer there ever was. Oh, and don’t make your bridesmaids wear this sh*t unless you want to be the subject of a really mean group text. Opt for flowers woven into hairstyles, instead, if you insist on making this whole affair boho-chic.
3. Overly Minimal Sh*t
Plain dresses, a lack of decor, furniture, and rugs that look like they’ve been brought straight out of that IKEA up the street do not make a trendy summer wedding. We blame Meghan Markle for the boring dress trend and undone hair (yawn), but the minimalist sh*t seems to always pop out in the summer when folks feel the need to lighten up everything. Just because it’s hot doesn’t mean you need to cut corners on your decor or flowers. If you want a dress decked out in lace and sequins, then f*cking go for it.
4. Bad Hashtags
So, terrible wedding hashtags aren’t necessarily a summer wedding trend, but they are, overall, a sh*tty wedding thing we’re tired of. We’re all tired of seeing #BrandonPooSaysIDo or #TheNicholsonNuptialsAreNeat or #StanAndBranDoTheDamnThing. If you insist on having a hashtag, keep it short, simple, and nice. Try not to get overly funny, punny, or clever; it never translates, and your grandmother is already super confused about what Instagram even is. She did send you a birthday message on Facebook, though, which you have yet to respond to.
5. Flip-Flops
You know what’s f*cking disgusting? A man in flip-flops. Go ahead and @ me in the comments. You’re probably the type of person that loves seeing a dude’s big, hairy, un-manicured feet hanging off the sides of a cheap, plastic, $2 flip-flop. We get that it’s summer and you want your guests to yolo or whatever, but can you just trust that your guests are all adults and will, hopefully, wear comfortable, seasonally appropriate footwear?
Do you really need the large basket of multi-colored flip-flops with your wedding date stamped into the bottom, just waiting for their moment on the dance floor? Save the money and put it toward your open bar—something everyone can actually enjoy (except kids, but they’re not real people, so).
6. Mason Jar Drinks
Omg, it’s summer. So you need a lemonade station dotted with mason jar cups, right? Won’t that be so adorable? Won’t that totally communicate how down-to-Earth and super fun you are? No. Mason jars had their moment in the sun circa 2012. It’s time to put them back in your redneck neighbor’s basement where they belong. Put out adult beverage glasses and call it a day. I can guarantee that approximately zero people will see your mason jar setup, yell “HOW QUAINT”, and submit it to Vogue as a burgeoning wedding trend.
Images: Unsplash; Shutterstock
Saying that planning a wedding is stressful is like saying water is wet or Jax Taylor has issues with infidelity. So I won’t sit here and wax poetic about all the nights you’ll wake up in a cold sweat because you had a dream that your table runners were apricot when you had specifically ordered tangerine. But I will say that you’re going to be left with a lot of decisions. What’s in, what’s out, and what’s totally gag-inducing when it comes to weddings seems to change by the minute. Is burlap still chill? Should you have a dessert buffet? How about a food truck? Are strapless dresses completely dead? To help guide you in your multi-tiered wedding plans, we asked our in-house expert, Caroline Greif, CEO of Birch Event Design, about what their team foresees as the future of classic, trend-forward weddings for 2019 and beyond.
What’s Out
According to my Pinterest page à la 2015-16, burlap, Mason jars, cowboy boots, and barns are very in. Did we all throw up together? Good. Every trend and decor element has its day, but there are definitely a few things that our friends at Birch Event Design say are right out. “Mason jars are outdated. Many people are still doing the earthy vibe, but in a more glamorous fashion.” In other words, bundles of twigs and rustic lanterns are a way to bring that nature/farm vibe without throwing a burlap runner down your tables.
Additionally, “Boutonnieres and corsages are no longer necessary—they are a little outdated—corsages more so than boutonnieres. However, they are more traditional, so I wouldn’t say not to include them if you like being traditional.” So yeah, if you’re absolutely set on a v traditional wedding with all the bells and whistles, go ahead and include the corsages, but don’t feel like you have to if it just isn’t your thing.
What’s In
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Last year we had food trucks, donut walls, and greenery f*cking everywhere. Our experts say that some of their new favorite trends include ceiling treatments and decorative walls. “These trends add a lot of excitement to a room and really make a bold statement. It’s no longer just about centerpieces and the ceremony, and I expect these trends to be around for a while.”
So if you’ve ever really wanted hanging flowers and walls decorated with pictures and draped fabric, you’re in luck, cause that sh*t is in. Plus, it’ll add softness and atmosphere without more centerpieces and (gag) uplighting. Nobody likes uplighting.
What You’re Likely Doing Wrong
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If you’re desperately searching for that perfect classic trend to weave into your wedding day, or the most amazing flowers for your bouquet, be careful where you look. “I think some trends tend to get overplayed because everyone gets their ideas from social media. I always suggest that our clients design their event based off of what they like, and not just off of what others are doing on Instagram. Be unique!”
Bottom line, you may see someone with hanging eucalyptus or a croissant tower (IDFK) on your Pinterest feed, but if it doesn’t feel like you, don’t feel like you have to fit in to the trend.
What’s Not Done Enough
Speaking of your floral arrangements, Greif says, “I always recommend to be bold. People often play it safe with whites or light pinks, but dark colors are much more dramatic. Natural flower colors are so magnificent and people are too nervous to let them shine.” You heard it here first: don’t be afraid to pick those near-black dahlias or those wine-red roses.
It’s better to have bold choices shine than to feel like you have to hide behind pastel everything (unless you’re super into that). I had a close friend get married in a flower garden, and the combination of flowers in her bouquets and the background of her photos was f*cking amazing. She chose nude and pink colored dresses for the her bridesmaids, too, so that the flowers could really be the star of the show. It worked so well, and I’m still hella jealous.
What’s Best To Avoid
If you’ve ever watched Four Weddings, you know that some brides are obsessed with the idea of sticking to a theme. Whether it’s “Halloween” or “Winter Wonderland”, people are really into the whole notion of making their guests forget that the theme is actually (and should be) “wedding”, with a few subtle thematic elements (like pumpkins for your Halloween wedding).
“You have to be very careful with themes. Doing it the right way can be costly, and if you aren’t going to do it right, it’s probably best not to do it. What you can safely do is translate your theme into a beautiful color palette with elements and floral arrangements that subtly reflect the theme. If you still want to bring it to life, but don’t have the budget for it, create a moment, such as a striking entrance design that goes all-out on the theme, but ties into other elements throughout the wedding.”
So if you’re dying to have an Art Deco/Gatsby wedding (honestly so 2016), then really f*cking go for it. Don’t get some geometric cocktail napkins and a feather headpiece and call it a day. Go big or go home. That’s why it may be better to take theme elements from several eras or styles you love and marry them together, rather than backing yourself into a corner just for the sake of paying tribute to the 1920s or a v spooky holiday.
Images: Clane Gessel Photography; Shutterstock (2) Unsplash (2); bircheventdesign / Instagram
Another year, another parade of invitations, registries, and all the bullsh*t that goes with weddings. Weddings are super fun, don’t get me wrong. But when you’re super #popular and get invited to more than one per month, they quickly become exhausting. The good news, though, is that we’ve gotten super amazing at spotting trends. We’re like J.Lo in The Wedding Planner, minus the crippling loneliness and love-match with Matthew McConaughey.
Here’s to hoping 2019 is the year that mason jars and burlap finally eat sh*t and die as acceptable wedding decor. Fingers crossed that boots with wedding dresses becomes a fashion offense so serious it stays on your permanent record. These are the wedding trends that you’ll probably see this year, like them or not.
Darkness
Less blush and pastel, more maroon, emerald, and black. 2019 weddings will be more edgy in terms of color than previous years, when we saw light and feminine color overkill. This is 100% grool with us, considering black is all we own and working it into a wedding just feels right. There are tasteful ways to incorporate dark, mature colors without turning it into a goth wedding, and we’ll be seeing a lot of this.
“Cheese” Cakes
This one goes out to all the brides, grooms, and wedding guests that couldn’t give two sh*ts about wedding cakes. No one eats them, they’re crazy expensive, and they very often don’t live up to expectations. Those reasons and others could be why we’re expecting to see an uptick in “cheese” cakes at weddings this year. We don’t mean a multi-tiered NY Style Cheesecake from cousin Vinny’s mom. We’re talking about a literal tower of cheeses like brie, gouda, and/or gruyere arranged to give off cake vibes. Europeans have been offering cheese courses as dessert for like, ever, and we all know they’re better at everything anyway.
Smoke Bombs
Yikes. We’ve been waiting for, like, a while for something to dethrone sparkler exits at weddings. Word on the street and Internet is that colored smoke bombs will become the go-to for flashy goodbyes at 2019’s weddings. Think gender reveal, but more elaborate. I’m literally dying to see the “wedding smoke bomb fails” compilation on YouTube in approximately five months.
Banquet Tables
Banquet tables make guest feel like they’re more involved in the reception and wedding action, and they’re making a comeback this year. Instead of individual dinner tables that require you to VERY carefully choose who’s sitting next to who, banquet tables allow for everyone to be a part of the cool kids’ table even if they are, in fact, v lame.
Velvet
Yassss. Velvet has been creeping it’s way back from the 80’s slowly and surely over the last two years, and 2019 may finally be the time it makes its mark on the wedding industry. Look for velvet smoking jackets on grooms (really), velvet two piece dresses for bridesmaids, velvet ribbons on flowers, and even velvet table runners. If you’re the bride, though, be sure to work with specialty linen companies to nail this trend as it can look v tacky when it’s done wrong.
Grasses
Eucalyptus, ferns, and roses will never stop being a go-to for flower arches or decor. But in 2019, we’ll start to see soft, wild grasses like wheat and pampas utilized more frequently. It goes with the whole trend of bringing neutral, natural beauty to nuptials without a) adding in several thousand for flowers and b) having to get matchy-matchy with your wedding party attire. If it’s done right, I’m totally into this.
Natural Beauty
Well, Meghan Markle did something right. Turns out the actress’ penchant for very natural makeup on her wedding day has translated pretty well to us common folk. In 2019, there’ll be less dark lipstick, crazy stage makeup, and overly intense highlighter adorning brides. Think more soft, pink, and natural-hued lips paired with light smoky eyes for this year.
Obviously, weddings are super personal, and everyone has their own taste, but we all have access to the same sh*t on Pinterest. How are we feeling about these trends? Honestly, I might be excited to start going to weddings again.
Images: Nathan Dumlao / Unsplash; The HK Photo Company / Unsplash; Giphy (2)
