Browsing CategoryTips & Trends

This isn’t your grandmother’s wedding, or even your mother’s. It’s all yours—and social mores certainly have changed. Elise Parham of Events by Elise sees wedding traditions like the bouquet toss, reception toast, and cake cutting—even the cake itself—being tossed aside. Haven Hatch of PEAK Event Services concurs. “The couple might have shared a cannoli on their first date and have a cannoli bar instead of a cake, or do an espresso martini tower instead of a champagne tower. It makes their wedding more a reflection of their own personalities. They feel free to get rid of traditions that don’t mean…

The saying “Everything old is new again” seems to apply to this year’s trend in engagement rings, with yellow gold making a big comeback, according to Sara Reisz Sargent. “Couples are choosing chunky yellow-gold rings—pave and halo settings are out. Antique cuts are popular, and east-west settings, where the stone is set horizontal rather than vertical, are trending.” Colored stones—yellow and brown diamonds, for example—are showing up in yellow gold for a warm look. “People bring in their own heirloom gems and diamonds all the time, so customization is huge, maybe using grandma’s or mom’s stone,” says Sara, adding, “A…

Yes, artificial intelligence is everywhere, but the members of our Editorial Advisory Panel agree—no AI creations in weddings, please! “I will say that AI can do some pretty cool things with jewelry design,” says Sara Reisz Sargent of Summerwind Jewelers. “That said, AI doesn’t know how to make jewelry, and what it comes up with might not be feasible—like too thin a shank is going to break, or the prongs have to be heftier—so it’s great for inspiration, but not for reality.” Other members agree; you can’t have a strapless, backless dress, for instance. “That’s a skirt, not a dress,”…

Talk about a centerpiece that looks good enough to eat! Haven Hatch says she’s seeing fruits and vegetables mounded on reception and serving tables for a sort of bountiful, Renaissance painting effect. “People are using fruit and other food as a design element,” she notes. “Citrus is huge, and I’ve seen pears, grapes, figs . . . I did a wedding where they had a very neutral tablescape and their color came from peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes, like a farm-fresh Capri market in Italy.” Stefanie Downs of Harmon’s Floral Company says the farmer’s market look is all the rage. “Brides…

It seems brides are tying their weddings up with a bow! “We’re seeing bows in every iteration imaginable and across all scales,” says Jacquie Westney of Wedding Angels Bridal Boutique. “From the little tailored Chanel bow and bow choker to a gown where the back is just all bows, they’re everywhere.” Elise Parham of Events by Elise agrees. “They’re on every chair down the aisle, around all the cocktail tables, even at place setting with guests’ names embroidered on them.” Lizzie Lin Johnson of Lizzie’s Bakery says the cake topper is gone, often replaced by a big, drapey fondant bow…

Your wedding day can be a blur under the best of circumstances, so our Editorial Advisory Panel suggests carving out some personal, intimate moments for just the two of you. For Kim Chapman of Kim Chapman Photography, it’s the private vows that are some of her favorite moments to photograph. “The couple will do their first look, then they’ll go on to their private vows, with only the photographer there. With all the noise in the world, they just want a private moment to say their vows, and they don’t really want to say them in front of all those…

If you’re having a “no children” wedding or simply want to honor your grandmother(s) in a special way, consider switching up your wedding party to include a “flower grandma” or two. “I think this is really adorable,” says Linnea Tangorra of Tangorra Wedding Planning. “I’ve had a few of my couples do this, and I absolutely love it.” However, we suggest you consider the personality of your grandmother and whether she’ll see it as the fun moment it’s meant to be. But if she’s on board and wants to sprinkle flower petals, it can be a genuinely charming, tender moment.…

Customized details are in everything from reception menus to day-of details. “We’ve seen custom dance floors, custom-embroidered napkins, even a customized crest made from the couple’s initials,” says Haven Hatch. “You can work with a custom designer or create your own stuff with Canva.” Linnea Tangorra recalls the mom who made her daughter a wedding-day purse from her own wedding gown. And Jacquie Westney tells of the bride who wanted to incorporate her mom’s dress into her wedding look. “The bride’s body type was completely different from her mom’s, so that wasn’t a concept we could explore. Instead, we took…