With holiday season in full swing, it can only mean one thing. It’s ENGAGEMENT SEASON! This time of year, it’s impossible to scroll through Facebook or Instagram without seeing someone getting engaged. In the wedding industry, we love it!

Rings are on fingers, venues are getting booked, and wedding planning for 2019 is going strong. There are some new trends happening and some old ones that we are bringing back!

Illustrated Invitations
Invitation suites are the first thing that set the mood for your wedding day. The style, color, and overall design create the first feelings your guests have of your wedding. A trend we love and adore are illustrated invitations. We are seeing more and more couples go the personalized route and get invitations tailored to them. Some include maps of where the couple met, are getting married, and where they are going to live or honeymoon. Some include illustrated pictures of the couple themselves and maybe their fur babies. It’s a great opportunity to think outside of the box and get creative!

Happy Tines Calligraphy | Six Foot Photography

Interactive Stations
Say goodbye to the boring buffet – action stations are now the IT way to serve, display and entertain your guests. Interactive stations are small plate stations where a chef cooks the dish right in front of the guests. This is a fun and interactive way to serve guests their food. while entertaining them as well. Shrimp and grits, taco bars, and carving stations are just a few we love to see! Stations can be set up in different areas of the venue to allow guests to smoothly flow around the venue. It’s dinner and a show!

Colored Wedding Dresses
Wedding dress designers are starting to stray away from traditional white or ivory gowns, and move towards pinks, lavenders and grays. The ivories are getting darker, whites are turning into grays, and blushes like the one Melissa wore in her Pinehurst Wedding are gorgeous! It is a great way to stand out and show your own personal style on your wedding day. Hayley Paige, Maggie Sottero and Martin Thornburg are just a few designers who have made these colors pop!

        

Joe Payne Photography | Jack Hadden Floral | Hayley Paige Designs

Unplugged Ceremonies
This is a trend that we are bringing back – from before smartphones! Couples pay thousands of dollars for a professional photographer to take great pictures of their wedding. Do you know what’s not so great? Having cell phones and handheld cameras in the hands of your guests in photos of the ceremony. It’s very distracting in the photos and doesn’t look very nice. It can also be distracting to the guest, having to look around cellphones. A great way to combat this is by creating an unplugged ceremony. With some great signage, couples can convey to their guests that they would prefer if their guests were in the moment and not on their electronic devices. You’ll have gorgeous photos that you can share with everyone afterwards!

Natural and Organic Florals
Flowers are out, greenery and texture is in! As we are in the middle of designing our 2019 weddings, a lot of our brides are skipping the flowers and opting for lush greenery instead. Using different hues of green and different textures create volume, depth and a gorgeous array for any location. Greenery with texture like pampas grass and ferns can create a magical look that the guests will always remember. You can mix shades of green by using ivy, silver-dollar eucalyptus and dusty miller for instance. Not only is this a unique and beautiful way to bring nature into your wedding, it can also be more cost effective than flowers themselves.

                    

The Fair Barn | Specialties Florals and Events | Pinehurst Photography

Traditional Wedding Rituals
Couples are bucking the traditional wedding rituals and saying no thank you to the bouquet toss, garter toss, and having a bridal party. More couples are now skipping these reception traditions and focusing on the party! There’s no need to single out your solo friends, or make your new husband go under your dress in front of your grandmother. We personally CRINGE at this. Also trending are couples having smaller or even no bridal party at all. Couples want their friends to be able to enjoy the day without having to worry about buying dresses, tuxes and holding bouquets. It’s all about the making the most of the time with your loved ones.

Jewel Tones
Jewel tones are in everywhere right now. We’re seeing them in clothing designs, home decor, and of course, weddings. These colors transcend seasons and can be used all year long. They are rich and vibrant, and can be used in large amounts or small accents. The possibilities are endless! Emerald green, dark plum, and soft teal are perfect accents to create a unique and elegant feel. 

 

Southern Love Studios | Megan Morales Photography | Embellished Blooms | Bowerbirds Flowers & Apothecary | CE Rental | The Cloth Mill | Greenhouse Picker Sisters | Beau Catering 

Wedding Weekend Experiences
Weddings are more than just a one-day affair now. Wedding Weekends are creating a whole different experience for the couple and guests. Wedding Weekends may include a welcome party Thursday or Friday night, the wedding on Saturday, and then a farewell brunch on Sunday morning. We are seeing this more, especially in destination areas, like Pinehurst, North Carolina. This gives the guests some down time to explore the area the couple getting married in, as well as more time to see the couple and their families. Often times, the wedding day is very rushed and there’s barely enough time to see and speak with everyone. Wedding Weekend Experiences create more casual time to visit with all your loved ones.

Check this awesome video recap thanks to Candid Light Films. Follow along with us on social media into 2019 as we showcase our wonderful brides!