What will the hot wedding trends of 2008 be?

I just came across a list of wedding trends to watch out for this coming year. The trends I liked best were:

Green Weddings
…for couples who want to do their part to help the Earth. Green weddings can incorporate such things as invitations made of recycled paper, conflict-free diamond jewelry and honeymoons to eco-resorts.

Interactive Planning
Everyone has a wedding website nowadays, so why not make your wedding planning interactive? Set up a bunch of polls and have your guests vote on various aspects of the wedding (e.g., first dance? cake flavor? favors?).

Cover Bands
How cool would it be to have a Guns N’ Roses cover band at your wedding? Or… maybe that’s just me. Swing orchestras, Latin ensembles, and many other types of cover/tribute bands can add a special feel to a wedding.

Sample Stations
Wine and cheese station, chocolate station, champagne bar… yum!

Vintage Visions
More couples will aim for an old-fashioned look with dresses, suits and rings that are either genuinely vintage or cleverly designed to seem that way.

Other trends included: Switching up one’s gown or hairstyle halfway through the event, ’steel gray’ as an accent color, and having weddings at home.

Special Diets Driving You Crazy?

     When trying to decide what and how to serve the food for your wedding, you will want to make sure that you offer things that everyone can eat. You may have family or guests that are on special diets due to diabetes, or other health issues. There may be those that are on lo-calorie, lo-fat, lo-carb, lo-salt, or even allergic to peanuts or wheat, or those that are lactose intolerant.

Be confident that if your menu offers variety, even those that are diet restricted can eat something you offer. Don’t let it drive you crazy. You as the hostess are responsible for offering a variety of foods, but you are not responsible for a complete days dietary requirements for each person. For example those that are vegetarians can easily eat pasta, salads, and other side dishes and just choose not to eat the meat. If it is a matter of a severe allergy like with peanuts, you may want to give that special attention. However with a good variety of meats, produce, and carbs, your guests can pick or choose what they can and want to eat.

My Bridal Show Experience (And Some Advice!)

I’m just starting to plan my wedding, and yesterday I attended my first two bridal shows.

The best part of each was definitely the free food. I sampled tuna, pork, scallops, potatoes, egg rolls, sushi, assorted finger foods, and 6 different types of cake. (Never go to one of these things on a full stomach!) And then there was the wine — I had a glass of so-so pinot grigio and fantastic pinot noir. Yum.

Besides the good food, though, there was the real reason for going: to learn about my local vendors and decide which (if any) would be a good fit to the party I’m trying to plan. I talked to photographers, videographers, florists, cake people, chefs, DJs, officiants, stationers, and even a chauffeur. From each of these people I received at least one (more like 3 or 4) pieces of written information, so that by the end of the day I had a bag brimming with booklets and brochures.

Overall it was a really fun, helpful experience. I do have some ideas about how I might do it differently next time, though, so I thought I’d share them here:

• Set up a separate e-mail account to give to wedding vendors and wedding websites. I gave my main email address to 50 people over the course of the day, and now I’ll probably be inundated with messages I don’t really need. In hindsight, I wish I had used an alternate address — both to keep all wedding stuff in one place, and to keep it from taking over my main account.
• Go with specific questions in mind. And have a pen. Ask your questions, and if you like the answers you hear, jot that down on the literature they give you to remind you later on. For instance, I’m considering a double wedding with my soon-to-be sister-in-law, so we went around asking various officiants how they would handle such a thing. Some people came up with great responses; others did not.
• Don’t eat too much! I know it’s hard not to try a little of everything, but remember that a lot of the food is rich, filling, and exotic — the type of stuff most people aren’t used to eating and that may or may not mix well in the stomach. Add to that the noise, the heat of a crowded room, the strong odor of other foods and flowers, and you have the perfect recipe for nausea.

If you’re planning a wedding and you hear about a bridal show in your area, I encourage you to attend. Even if you don’t find any vendors you like, there are a lot of fun things to see and cool people to talk to — and, best of all, many delicious foods to sample (in moderation, of course). Have fun!

A Simple Affair

Congratulations! You are getting married. Now it’s time to make at least 100 different decisions on a weekly basis until the Big Day. One decision to make early on is how elaborate a wedding you will be planning. Some brides opt for a simple affair with fewer than 100 guests and a more casual setting. Some brides want more and that is OK, too. It is your day after all. For a simple wedding, there might not be as many details to iron out, but there still is much to do. One order of business will be food.

For a simple wedding, a caterer may seem like overkill. If you are just having a few close friends and family at your wedding, save the money for the honeymoon. There are some simple food solutions that can be done for small weddings. First you will need to decide the menu. The menu will depend upon the time of day. If your wedding will fall during a normal eating time, then a meal should be served. If it’s more of an afternoon or morning affair, then appetizers should fit the bill.

Serving a meal doesn’t have to equate to a lot of money. Chances are you will be asked by family if there is anything they can do for your wedding. Take them up on their offer and ask them to bring something. Maybe an aunt has a great chicken recipe that would go great for your reception. Most family members will be more than happy for the chance to have a part in your wedding day.

Snack foods like cheese and crackers make a nice spread for a wedding reception. A fruit and vegetable tray will help to balance all of the cake eating that guests will be doing. The food doesn’t have to be fancy to be good. Simple foods will be a huge hit since everyone will know what it is and eat up.

Meal planning for a simple wedding will depend upon budget and time of wedding. Once those two details are hammered out, the possibilities are seemingly endless even on a tight budget.

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