By Georgina Clatworthy 

2009 sees many couples having to compromise on their wedding budgets, largely due to the global recession.  However, having to cut back on cost has not meant having to cut back on style & this year sees the best weddings being the most glamorous.

Large weddings are out, mostly due to cost cutting, so smaller more intimate affairs are on trend.  This means that couples then have more cash to play with & are choosing glamorous details & finishing touches worthy of a millionaires wedding!

Wedding dresses this year are very much in the ballgown style with large skirts & an abundance of crystal accents.  This trend for crystal beading continues with bridal shoes & accessories with the return of crystal chokers, chandelier earrings & sparkling tiaras.

But whilst ballgowns may be the big news in wedding fashion, many designers have continued with last years hot look of mermaid & trumpet gowns, as well as some stunning modified A-line styles.  Crystal accents with a touch of vintage appeal abound & you could be hard pressed to find a dress that didn’t include them!

But whilst you may be thinking all this glamour will be costly, the industry has responded to the recession crisis & you will find many budget options available as the style hits the top across all price ranges. 

Crystal seems the keyword here, appearing not only on wedding attire, but in wedding favors, wedding cakes & bridal bouquets.  Colors are slightly more sedate with emerald green, latte, chocolate brown & shades of purple.  Metallic is also a hot color trend with schemes of purple & silver proving very popular.

All of this may sound a little over the top to most but this trend has the potential for producing some very stylish & elegant weddings.  Using each element in small doses is the key & adopting a less is more approach has become the buzz phrase of the year!

Consider an elegant scheme of latte, cream & chocolate.  Add brushed silver or gold in the form of charger plates, center piece containers & in your wedding favors & wedding cake. Scatter some table crystals across the table & hang chandeliers from the ceiling. 

As guest lists get smaller then the various elements of the wedding become more glamorous.  Menu’s feature sumptuous dishes, reception venues are more luxurious & the finer details more beautiful.  It could even be said that the credit crisis has been good for the wedding industry, making couples spend more on the little details with smaller retailers rather than spending big dollars with larger vendors.

So go on & plan yourself a luxury wedding with all the glamorous details & trimmings.  It is your special day & you deserve to have a wedding that looks a million dollars even if it didn’t cost it!

 By Georgina Clatworthy

Being a city bride can mean her wedding takes on a totally different look to those of her urban or country counterparts.  For a start the city bride may find herself at the cutting edge of city chic, a host of stores & vendors at her fingertips & supreme organizational skills!

Cities move at a fast pace & everything can change in the blink of an eye, the city bride will no doubt have her finger on the pulse of what’s hot & what’s not & a wedding that is bang on trend & uniquely ‘her’ is all that is expected of her! 

For instance, her wedding dress will be a couture creation which may raise a few eyebrows but will definitely leave the guests in a state of awe in its wake.  Or perhaps she will go for something completely different.  Black perhaps or latte?  Maybe a short number or a stunning Oscar worthy creation?

With a host of designers on her doorstep & an ample budget her only decision will be choosing the right designer name for her.

Her reception will be at a venue that is a regular haunt; a trendy wine bar perhaps or a hotel function room with a reputation to match its hefty prices.  There won’t be a long guest list but those that are invited will want for nothing.  From stylish canapés & cocktails to vintage champagne; they will eat & drink the finest available & finish with a slice of wedding cake made by a cake designer to the stars. 

She may handle the wedding planning herself, but leave the finer details in the capable hands of an events manager or wedding planner with celebrity credentials.  The reception will echo with whispers of ‘yes – she got that guy in, you know, the one who did Brittany’s wedding!’  And at the end of the day the guests will walk away with a goody bag filled with designer delights, because she saw it in a magazine & simply had to have the same!

Some may call her materialistic others will call her driven.  For the city bride knows what she wants & where to get it.  There will be no frilly details or whimsical touches (unless they are on trend of course), style, elegance & sophistication are the order of the day; a traditional wedding with a contemporary twist.

She won’t turn bridezilla either.  Nor will she stress about spelling mistakes on the invitations or the champagne being the wrong vintage.  No, for her wedding planning will run with military precision leaving those around her wondering quite how she does it & slight envious that she can!

By Georgina Clatworthy

Choosing your wedding invitations can be as involved & overwhelming as choosing your wedding dress!  The sheer choice of styles & designs alone is enough to send any brides head into a spin.

As with many things in this world, fashion can dictate our choices & wedding invitations are no exception.  It simply isn’t a matter of traditional over contemporary anymore; wedding invitations have to coordinate with styles, themes, color schemes & the latest trends.

Here are five trends for wedding invitations for 2009:

• 1. Incorporate the Seasons – A seasonal wedding theme was not a popular choice in the past, perhaps the only exception was for a fall wedding where brides would incorporate fall colors into their weddings. However, seasonal wedding themes are a big trend these days & wedding invitations are reflecting colors & motifs, patterns & designs relating to the fours seasons.

Typically, seasonal themes will look like this:

• Spring – pastel shades, daffodils, Easter motifs, birds, bees & butterflies
• Summer – vibrant shades & some pastels, roses, peonies, summer fruits, birds, butterflies & sunshine
• Fall – reds, oranges, golds, browns & yellows, leaves, pumpkins & harvest
• Winter – white, blue, silver, purple & festive holiday colors – red, green; holiday symbols, snow, ice, tarten, robins, snowmen & gingerbread.

• 2. Straight Lines & Borders – Simple invitations are incorporating straight lines & think borders into their design. Some will have embossed borders, whilst more contemporary styles will have on thick line down one side, perhaps printed with the couples names or the words – ‘wedding invitation’.
• 3. Bright Colors - It seems that couples are being bold with color these days. Gone are the traditional pastel pinks & pale creams & instead couples are opting for muted shades of green, blue, red & orange. Whilst others are even bolder, choosing vibrant shades of aqua, hot pink, bright red & chartreuse. A combination of bright colors & exciting designs can lift a wedding invitation from ordinary to unique & will give your guests a real wow moment when they first open the envelope!
• 4. Unique Fonts - Experimenting with different fonts is a big trend this year. Instead of traditional script, couples are choosing more modern & contemporary fonts, perhaps incorporating two very different fonts into their invitations, maybe using larger letter sizes for the first letters of each word. Whilst traditional invitations will still use scripts & calligraphy styles, modern & contemporary invitations look more like slick advertisements than wedding invitations! Choose a font that will reflect your wedding style.
• 5. Re-wording – This means to play around with the wording of your wedding invitations to fit the style of your wedding. Most invitation templates will have wording for a formal, traditional wedding, probably hosted by the bride’s parents. However, these days it is far more common for the couple themselves to be the hosts & for the wedding to be a more relaxed affair. Personally, I think that as long as your invitation includes the guest’s names, your names, the time, date & location you can word however you want! My wedding invitations were written from our dog! It led to some very interesting reply cards from her canine friends!

It seems to be the case this year that anything goes when it comes to wedding invitations.  The traditional & somewhat stuffy invitations of old, complete with wedding motifs such as bells, doves & rings, are in the past.  Couples want bright colors, interesting designs, modern fonts & wording which reflects the style of their wedding.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Every bride wants to look their best on their wedding day, & for most the wedding planning will also include loosing weight & toning up in vital areas.  But if you are short of time & lets face it with all that wedding planning, who isn’t, you might want to consider signing up to a bridal boot camp.

More & more brides are turning to these camps to help them not only loose weight but to also take classes in etiquette, poise & personality.  Bridal boot camps offer the ideal way to slim down & shape up & help brides achieve what may have seemed physically impossible just a week before.   They offer a fitness & nutrition program that will not only help you fit into that stunning wedding dress you ordered, but also help you on the way to a fitter, healthier lifestyle long after the wedding is over.

So what can you expect from a bridal boot camp?  Well many women are finding classes in calisthenics, pushups, running, aerobics, resistance training & much more.  Sessions typically last an hour a day with a full course running for a week, but you will find boot camps will vary in terms of what they offer & the length of their programs.  Boot camps will also provide you with nutritional counseling & personality development classes, as well as offering you the chance to talk with wedding planners, photographers, beauticians & stylists.

It also seems that budding brides do not attend these camps alone.  Bridesmaids, moms & even mothers in law are dragged along too, just to make up the party!  In fact it is a good idea to take along as many people as possible as many camps will offer group discounts for large parties.

Such is the success of these camps that even celebrities are joining them & not just for a wedding, but to get into shape ready for the swim suit season!  They are fast becoming part of the package of indulgencies that a bride treats herself to before the big day so she will look & feel her best when it arrives.

But as with all good things there is a drawback.  They are not cheap.  Training on a month long program could cost around $300, with those camps with a better reputation costing much more.  You will find bridal boot camps advertised on the internet, in bridal magazines & in bridal stores.

In short, these camps are perfect if you are struggling to shift those last few, stubborn pounds & perhaps need the distraction from the wedding planning!  For many brides, bridal boot camps offer them the quick fix to the body beautiful that they are desperately trying to achieve.  Hallelujah!

By Georgina Clatworthy

The second part of my guide to the hottest trends to hit wedding receptions this year!

• Fragrant Herbs – For a funky alternative to fresh flowers try using fragrant herbs such as lavender, rosemary & eucalyptus instead. Apart from the fantastic aroma, they can be used in many creative ways, such as table centers, napkin rings & wreaths. You could also have a few sprigs added to your bouquets & buttonholes.
• Sip in Style - Instead of the plain boring glasses that you usually get from the hire company, try using a selection of mismatched glassware. Different colored glasses or vintage crystal styles look amazing when set out on your tables.
• Carnival Tunes - For a relaxed but lively vibe to your party hire in a carnival street band. Their wonderful unique sounds will be a hot trend for summer weddings.
• Sweet Treats Galore - Create a decadent party with a lavish spread of jellies, macaroons, brownies, strawberries & profiteroles.
• Dazzling Dance Floors - For the ultimate in old school glamour hire in a fabulous dance floor, such oak parquet, inset LED lights or even a mirrored floor!
• Big Bubbles - Upsize your champagne bottles to super size, such as Jeroboam which will serve 24 glasses or Rehoboam which will serve 36 glasses. With bottles this big you will only need to purchase a few!
• Flames & Fireworks - Tea lights & candles on your tables will create a romantic glow & atmosphere. If you are planning a firework display, make it dazzling with a live fire act as well. Another alternative to fireworks are Chinese sky lanterns. These paper balloons are lit & then sent skywards by your guests.
• Mirror, Mirror - The hottest trend for table decorations will be clean crisp lines, lots of mirrors & crystals. Don’t forget to bling up your floral arrangements as well, add a sprinkling of glitter, diamonte pins or even diamonte buckles.
• Hanging Around - The most glamorous parties at the moment are featuring Burlesque performers. However a full on striptease may not be everyone’s cup of tea for a wedding reception! A good solution is to book a happy hour chandelier. This involves a dancing angel, suspended from a chandelier serving champagne to your guests!
• Mini Cakes - Rich fruit cake is not to everyone’s taste these days. As an alternative serve your guests mini cakes instead. This little cakes look really chic & your guests can take them if they didn’t want to eat them right away.
• Deck the Trees - For outdoor weddings create a bohemian vibe by decorating trees with bunting & wreaths during the day. When night falls light up some pretty colored lanterns.
• Keep Cool - Summer weddings can be hot affairs, so give your guests some cooling refreshment. Freeze your champagne glasses so that everyone’s first sip is crisp. Try freezing flowers in ice sculptures for beautiful centerpieces & for something a bit more quirky why not hire in an ice cream van!
• Simple Flowers - Many brides are now asking for simple arrangements of just one or two flower types. Arrangements in oversized wine or martini glasses are becoming very popular & are an inexpensive choice too.
• Classic Cocktails - Stick to classics such as cosmopolitans & whiskey sours as these always go done well with guests of all ages.

 By Georgina Clatworthy

If you want your wedding to be the trendiest, biggest bash of the year, then here are the hottest 2009 trends for wedding receptions: 

• Stylish Seating – Banqueting chairs are so last year! Choose funky clear Perspex versions instead which are available to hire.
• Confetti - Pastel colored paper confetti may look pretty but this year it is considered a bit too old fashioned! Add some real impact with sparklers for a winter wedding, balloon releases for a summer wedding or how about launching a flurry of color with a confetti cannon!
• Adults only - A good party does not need a roomful of over tired kids! This year opt for a no-kids rule so that the adults can get on with the serious business of partying! If you can’t bring yourself to ban kids altogether then have a curfew for little ones or hire in some professional babysitters who can take care of them in a neighboring room.
• Retro Food - This year has already seen a huge trend towards retro dishes. Consider serving up mini avocados filled with prawn cocktail & bite sized steak & beer pies.
• Bring on the Bling - Add some instant glamour with crystal chandeliers & candelabras.
• Modern Magic - For some sophisticated entertainment hire a magician who can wonder around your tables & impress your guests with some sleight of hand card tricks.
• Purple Haze - Many brides will opt for the traditional colors of pink & red when it comes to their wedding flowers. But for this year why not be bold & choose timeless purple instead? It looks amazing when used en masse & is becoming a popular choice for weddings.
• Asian Inspired Canapes - These are the most exciting choice for canapés at the moment.
• Entirely Ethical - There has been an increase in demand for organic food over the last year or so as many couples look to a more environmentally friendly wedding.
• Tea with a Twist - Serve up cocktails in a china tea cup for a fun twist on a classic! It looks very pretty & adds a sense of fun to the quintessential concept of afternoon tea.
• Table for Two - If your seating plan is giving you sleepless nights then avoid the drama & sit a deux with your beloved for the wedding breakfast. Sweetheart tables are a big trend at the moment, not only are they romantic but perfect for dealing with any family politics!
• Shake it Up - Hire a cheesy DJ for your evening entertainment. Get them to play all the songs that everyone loves but will never admit too! It never fails to pack the dance floor.
• Clever Lighting - Light your reception in a way they would never expect. Light your tables from underneath to create a lovely atmospheric effect.
• Ipod DJ - If you are concerned about your disco being the same old wedding songs then get your wedding soundtrack personally tailored to your tastes by programming your Ipod.
• Keep it Local - It has become very fashionable to source all your produce locally & celebrate the best your area has to offer.
• Table Games - Take inspiration from Demi Moore & Ashton Kutcher & set your guests up with a range of table games to play such as dominoes & Jenga. They are a real ice breaker & will keep your guests amused when there is a lull in proceedings.

The Wedding Trends That Are ‘Out’ for 2009

By Georgina Clatworthy

The world of wedding trends is an ever evolving place!  Trends come in, trends go out; color combinations stay in favor for year after year & then suddenly they are just not trendy anymore.  Things can come in & out of style season by season or simply hang around for years until someone decides that the look has run its course & declares is ’so last season’.  I would love to know who this person is that decides what everyone should be ‘wearing’ each season.  A bit of research on this years trends has us wearing ballgowns in shades of grey, purple, cherry, silver & emerald; accessorized with large crystal brooches!  So it might be better to start with what isn’t hot this year as opposed to what is!

Colors are the main stay of any area of the fashion world & it is certainly no different when it comes to weddings.  Time was when we were treated to just one key color each year – remember chocolate brown or duck egg blue?  These days though we are bombarded with a range of interesting & sometimes exotic combinations to work with.  So, chocolate brown is out.  Having been the mainstay of many a trendy wedding for the past few years, it is to be replaced with jewel tones such as emerald, purple & navy blue or vibrant combinations of cherry, tangerine & lime green.  Of course if those are just too much for you, you can stick to the one color that doesn’t go out of fashion – white!

Truth is colors have to change to stop wedding color schemes becoming too boring or overdone & to give us something new to enthuse about!  My personal opinion is pick whatever colors you like, wedding trend or not.  Because unless you are a major A-list celebrity & will be selling your photographs for the world to see, no-one will really care whether your combination of pink & champagne is hip or not!

So what else has been consigned to the wedding trends of yesteryear? Bridesmaid dresses have come a long way since the pink frilly monstrosities of the past.  But matching your bridesmaids in the same dress is now a big no-no. The ‘on trend’ bride must now co-ordinate her bridesmaids in similar dresses but not the same ones.  They must be in similar shades & similar styles, but still retain a certain unity when all the bridesmaids stand together – confused? I think you maybe!  This same rule applies to accessories such as jewelry & shoes, similar but not the same.  The key to it all is to treat each bridesmaid individually & pick dresses & accessories that compliment them perfectly.

This is actually a good idea.  Think back to those frilly pink monsters from weddings past.  Did every bridesmaid look good in them? Probably not.  So having happy bridesmaids in beautiful individual dresses that suit them perfectly can only be a good thing, especially when it comes to making you look good in the photographs!

Receptions have seen a change this year too.  In recent years there has been a big trend towards individual serving ’stations’ at receptions.  These ’stations’ would serve up everything from ethnic inspired snacks to candy & desserts.  The idea was that these stylish settings would allow guests to circulate at their own pleasure & help themselves.  In other words a posh buffet!  But no more, this year serving stations are out & long rectangular tables are in.  These long tables also present brides with the task of designing ultra stylish centerpieces which will decorate the entire length of the center of the table.

At the end of the day brides are constantly being told to design their weddings with their own personal taste & style in mind.  So if your colors aren’t in fashion at the moment or you like the idea of posh buffet stations or you don’t fancy the headache of trying to co-ordinate 12 bridesmaids in different but similar dresses, then don’t worry about it.  This is your wedding & you don’t have to follow what everyone else is doing.  Start your own trend – you never know it might just catch on!

Key Trends for Summer 2009

By Georgina Clatworthy

This summer’s weddings will see jewelry & color play a major part in the key trends for this year’s weddings.  Accessories such as brooches & bracelets, with large colorful stones, eclectic beading & the ever popular crystal will be the top trend.  The choice of color should blend with your wedding color scheme without loosing the overall effect of your wedding jewelry.

Spring & summer weddings are seeing floral & rosette designed pieces becoming very popular & brides are combining them with timeless classics like long pearl strings worn to mimic chokers.

With wedding themes becoming a popular choice there is also a rise in the use of ethnic styled jewelry as weddings are themed around a particular cultural influence.  Carved gemstones & Thai silver are a good choice for Asian & Far East themes, whilst gold & rubies are the focus for an Indian wedding theme.  Brides who are getting married in an exotic destination are also looking to their chosen location for inspiration for their jewelry.  

Traditionally brides would air on the side of caution when it came to wedding jewelry, choosing simple & small pieces to accessorize their wedding outfit.  But the trend this year will see large dramatic pieces such as ornate earrings, taking center stage.  Chandelier earrings, ornate crystal chokers & multi row crystal bracelets are all popular choices.  Don’t worry though if you find this look too much for your own personal tastes.  You can stay on trend with smaller, elegant pieces or just choose one jewelry piece such as a pair of earrings or crystal bracelet.

Vintage pieces are still a big look & you will find that vintage style has spilled over into the costume jewelry market too.  Stick to the old adage that less is more & choose just one feature piece of jewelry such as a crystal choker.  You then add in simple timeless classics like a pair of crystal stud earrings to compliment it.  Experiment with various looks before the wedding day to find the right combination & look for you. 

A splash of color is a key trend this year & you can use your jewelry choices to great effect here.  A large colored crystal brooch on a vintage style dress or multi colored stone bracelet can add just the right hint of color without overpowering your whole look.  Vintage style crystal brooches are a great accessory for your bridesmaids & can double as thank you gifts as well.

Whatever your choices, shop around for the best prices.  Check out high street stores & online sites like Ebay or specialist wedding jewelry sites.  There is plenty to choose from out there & at prices to suit every pocket.

By Georgina Clatworthy

As a small girl you probably dreamed of your perfect wedding.  Maybe you kept a scrapbook & planned every little detail, right down to the last one.  Eventually that day arrives & it is the most important day of your life so far.  So it is natural to want to capture every moment in some way & create memories that will last forever.

At most weddings you will find a guest book, simply a landscape book with blank pages in which your guests can write personal messages to you both.  Along with your wedding photographs & video, they make a lovely memento of your day.  But did you know of other alternatives to the traditional wedding guest book?  Read on to find out.

1. The Instant Guest Book – An instant guest book is a combination of a photo album & guest book in one. The idea centers around taking Polaroid photos of your guests, inserting them into a guest book & letting your guests write a message alongside. You could also hire a photo booth, which is becoming a popular trend with weddings at the moment.

An instant guest book is great fun & gives you an instant snapshot of your day.  If you don’t want to hire a photo booth, ask your photographer if they could take Polaroid snaps for you, or ask a member of the wedding party to do it for you.  The great thing about an instant guest book is that it can be worked for all your special occasions – from your engagement party, to your first born’s christening.

2. The Wish Bowl – This is a great idea & will cost you next to nothing to set up.  The idea revolves around asking your guests to write their wedding wishes on slips of paper & then place them in a large decorative bowl that you have provided.  If you would like something more formal or want to keep the wishes secret, then provide mini envelopes for guests to slip the paper into first.  Match the paper to your wedding colors or theme.  After the wedding, you can sit in delight as you open each one & read what your guests have written, then slip them in to an album or scrapbook.

3. The Wish Tree – This is similar to the wish bowl, however, your guests will pin or peg their wishes to a ‘tree’ instead of placing them in a bowl.  Set this up with some tall branches in a large vase or planter, you can make it as decorative or a simple as you like.  Provide pegs, clips or pins so your guests can attach their wishes.  Try some branches of twisted willow, silver birch or even metal branches.  A variation on this is a washing line complete with pegs & I have seen decorative screens which have fret work or are made in metal scrollwork, used to the same effect.  A wishing tree is a great addition to your reception decorations & won’t cost you much to put together.

4. The Signature Platter – These have been about for a few years now & are growing in popularity.  The idea is to have a large (or several small) plain china plates, provide your guests with special markers & they can write their messages directly onto the plate.  You can choose to have one large plate or place a small one on each table.  After the wedding you simply fire the plate in your oven at home.  A variation on this is to provide your guests with glass markers & ask them to write on to the champagne or wine bottles served at the wedding.

5. The Framed Signature Mat – Similar in nature to the signature plate.  A signature mat is a large, mounted photograph of the couple taken before the wedding.  It is displayed during the reception & guests can write messages on the picture surround.  After the wedding it is framed for the couple to hang in their home, they can also replace the ‘before’ photograph with one from the wedding day.

6. The Typewriter Guest Book – This is a Martha Stewart creation & is a great alternative to a traditional wedding guest book.  Look out for an old fashioned typewriter, try charity shops, flea markets or Ebay – just make sure it works first!  At the reception, set it out on a table of its own & load it with long sheets of paper.  The idea is that your guests can then come & type their good luck messages to you.  Afterwards you can frame it or simply roll it up, scroll like, & tie with some ribbon.

Stylish Additions to Your Asian-Fusion Theme

By Georgina Clatworthy

If you are planning an Asian-Fusion wedding theme, then here are some great tips & ideas for little details to give your wedding the perfect finishing touches.

When you reach cocktail hour, jazz it up with bowls of edamame placed on the the bar & serve up ice-cold Kirins, Sapporos, Wasabe Brew or create your own signature green tea maritinis.  Don’t forget the non drinkers amongst your guests & treat them to bottle lychee or mango sodas.  Create some stylish appetizers presented in Asian style spoons.

Although it could be expensive, a sushi chef would be a definite hit with your guests.  Alternatively you could present a raw bar to treat your guests to heaven on a half shell.

Set up an Asian station or buffet bar, laid out with favorite delicacies such as dim sum, tempura, spring rolls & noodles.

Accompany your wedding cake with a palette cleansing cup of mango or green tea.

The Beautiful Bride

Coordinate with your wedding theme & glide down the aisle in a zen like gown, with an obi inspired bow at the back & orchid blooms in your hair.  Dress your bridesmaids in brightly colored, tea length gowns with ribbon details & flared skirts, accessorize them with paper parasols.

Fresh Ideas for Asian Favors

Fortune cookies are the ever popular choice & you can find companies that will produce customized versions for you, with personalized fortunes.  For favor boxes choose miniature Chinese take out boxes, personalized with double happiness stickers or purchase small silk boxes or purses.

Other ideas for wedding favors include moon cakes, although these are traditionally eaten in fall, they can be used at any time of year.  Give little canisters of tea with a miniature strainer, packets of incense, small engraved stones, sake cups or little lucky bamboo plants.

For you’re younger guests give them “gummi shish kabobs” – Asian-style candies you thread onto chopsticks? Or fish gummis in red, yellow or orange, exotic candy fruit slices like madarin, pineapple & pear, or adorable animal forms like geckos, frogs, & cats.

Finally: candy buffets are a big trend at the moments, so stock yours with individual Korean confectionary, which you can purchase from an Asian store.  Provide little scoops & bags so guests can take some home.