Wedding Trends for 2013

            According to several sources, including emilypost.com brides this year can expect to see weddings that reflect these changes and influences.

• Personalized Weddings continue to be important to couples who are looking to include elements that have personal meaning to the couple.  Ceremonies and receptions can reflect multi-cultural and/or inter-faith statements.  Monograms remain important and reflect the couple's first names.
• The Internet continues to play an important role in wedding planning.  High tech access is used in vendor selection, gift registries, information sharing, guest information sources and communication with members of the wedding party.  Note:  Email invitations and thank you notes is still not considered correct or classy.
• The importance of color continues in bridal apparel.  While white and ivory remain favorites, wedding gowns are showing color touches, shoes are colorful (with blue the odds on favorite) and floral decorations carry the color theme throughout the wedding plans.
• The role of grooms in wedding planning continues to grow.  There are more and more joint decisions being made by the couple (who tend to be older and funding their own weddings).
• While the formal structured wording of the wedding invitation is still customary, more couples are choosing to individualize their invitations with colorful papers, ribbon trims and unique wording.  It is important to note that even if the format of the invitation is unique, it should still contain all the information guest need plus be grammatically correct.

            Brides need to remember that no mention of gifts, even"no gifts, please" is ever made on a wedding invitation.  It is acceptable to mention a website on an enclosure card and that website can contain information about gift registry options.  The phrase "black tie" may appear on the reception invitation, but is not printed on a wedding invitation.