Now it’s that time of year when everyone’s talking about the wedding trends that will be big news in the upcoming year. However, instead of asking the brilliant suppliers that you’ll find in our Little Book Wedding Directory about their style predictions, we’ve asked them what they really love about weddings.
You see, weddings are so much more than those ‘on trend’ touches. In all honesty, trends really don’t have much to do with how much our suppliers (and us!) love weddings at all. We choose details for our weddings because we love them, or because they have personal meaning to us – and quite often, it’s not the trends that capture the hearts of guests and suppliers on the day itself, but the special moments and the individual details. Now is probably also the right time of year to ask if things we buy can ever be as memorable as the things we create?
As you can imagine, super talented wedding professionals see lots of weddings, of all styles and we were curious to know what really stands out to them at a wedding? What do they really remember and what do they really love? Grab yourself a cuppa for some rather heart-warming answers…
Make the vows personal
“Custom vows are a great way to make your day truly yours and stand out head and shoulders above the hundreds of other weddings taking place that day, all saying the same thing,” says Danny, filmmaker at Minty Slippers. “And for the guys, when it comes to your speeches… stay away from the internet. Apart from it being a HUGE time suck you end up with a speech that is not yours and even worse, not you. When you deliver a speech you found on the internet – you also end up reading it word for word.”
https://vimeo.com/303508090
“Take Hiroshi in this film for example. He has cue cards but never really uses them. His speech is genuine and heartfelt and so much more ‘in the moment’ than anything else. And because he isn’t reading his speech to a piece of paper he says those amazing words to his bride.”
Hold a ring warming
Wedding celebrant Yvonne Beck definitely agrees that vows, and the indeed the content of your ceremony, can make all the difference to your day:
“Personalised surprise vows that truly come from the heart and are the cement in the foundation of the marriage. I also love the inclusion of family and guests in the ceremony – when we hold a ring warming and every guest holds and imbues the wedding rings with their love, good wishes, or prayers. Every time the couple look at their rings they can remember the love and support that surrounded them.
Finally, it’s always special when the ceremony and reception too, are totally participated in by the couple with their ideas and style – from pets as ring bearers to blending a signature cocktail that’s theirs alone – it allows them to be fully present in life’s most beautiful and heart-warming moments.”
Involve the whole family – pets included!
“I also love being at weddings where the whole family can attend, dogs included!” says photographer Leah Lombardi. “Maisie and Michael brought their dogs Baxter and Bertie to be part of the wedding; they even attended the ceremony and walked down the aisle.”
Think about your guests
Thinking about your guests (both two- and four-legged!) can really make all the difference, as filmmaker Jessica Tottman explains:
“What also separates good weddings from great weddings is how much the guests have been considered in the plans. Yes, it’s your day, but you will love it so much more if everyone who comes has the best time too. Whilst they will be happy anyway to see you tie the knot, they’ll be ecstatic with a drink in their hand 😉 And it’s not just making sure people have plenty to drink and aren’t waiting around too long, a personal touch with the favours makes guests feel so appreciated.”
“One wedding I shot, the couple had a photo of each person to serve as the place name – guests had to find their pic, find their name on the table plan, then bring their pic to the table where they could choose their seat. It was a really fun element to the day. Another had photos up all over the reception room which told their story and again, included all the guests. I think I just love photos ;-)”
“We love it when couples can surprise their own guests on their wedding day! When couples book our Vaults for their evening party, the attendees all descend the Modern staircase into this stunning Georgian cellar. It is always amazing to see the awe on peoples’ faces as they discover this little piece of history waiting for them three stories underground.”
As the bride, give a speech
Quite often, the details that couples add to their days really stand out to suppliers, as well as to guests as this comment from the lovely La at Pennard House proves:
“At one of our weddings this year, the bride had thought of so many little details that really made the day very personal. The bridal party spent a few hours the night before the wedding making the Coach House look so wonderful – every element had been carefully considered, with lots of handmade decorations and place names. We also loved the fact that our bride took it upon herself to deliver a really heart-warming speech to all her friends and family. Not many brides do this but we love it when they do!”
Get Creative
Christiane, Founder of A Honeysuckle Flower Co. says “We absolutely adore flowering for an English country house wedding. There is something about a gorgeously wild and tumbling floral arch, masses of roses and greenery creeping up the walls and pillars, and beautifully light filled rooms filled with an abundance of flowers. These elegant venues are always full of romance and charm, and make for the prettiest of pictures. This year we have so loved seeing our soft apricot and cream flowers set against the warm stone and burnt orange walls of The Lost Orangery at Euridge Manor, for lovely couple Charlotte and Max.”
The gorgeous and wonderfully talented Helaina from Helaina Storey Wedding Design says…
“We’re big fans of creatively styled drinks stations, or any kind of special touch related to beverages, be it alcohol or soft drinks, this is a part of the wedding that’s usually enjoyed by all guests and can be a really effective and simple way of adding a unique twist, creating a visual impact and injecting your personalities with elements such as bespoke signage or menus, ‘Bride and Groom’s Choice’ cocktails and thoughtful aesthetic details, which can also make for great photographs and conversation starters.”
Sometimes, it’s the surprises for guests, and their reactions that are memorable. The team at the iconic RSA House say:
Take time to choose songs that mean something to you both
Of course, the elements that you choose for your day are likely to have personal significance to you and these really are the things that always stand out to suppliers. This story from Matthew and George, from the great band that is The Redfords, really shows what those personal touches can mean to everyone:
“The details that we love the most about the weddings we perform at are how much the couples song choice tells us about how individual their love story is. Every love story included the families of both the bride and groom. This year we were privileged to accompany a beautiful bride down the aisle to the classic moon river. We later found out that this was her late father’s favourite song, and she chose it so that she could feel him with her during these precious moments. Needless to say that wasn’t a dry eye in the house, and it’s exactly this type of detail that sets one wedding apart from another.”
And they’re exactly right – if you opt for details that will always be special to you, they can never go out of style AND you’ll love them that bit more on the day itself.
Enjoy + document the getting ready moments
Speaking of the wedding day, there’s most definitely a lot to love here:
“I love documenting the time before the ceremony with bride and groom getting ready, especially when they give themselves enough time and are surrounded with their closest friends and family,” says photographer Maja Tsolo. “Couples sometime dismiss having that part of the wedding day photographed, saying they don’t need photos of hair and makeup being done. In truth, getting ready shots for me are hardly ever about photographing your shoes or putting your make up on but rather about all the emotions and the excitement building.”
Makeup artist extraordinaire Kylie McMichael also adores mornings:
“My absolute favourite part of every wedding morning this year is the reaction of the bride when she opens the door to me the morning of her wedding. The look on her face of recognition, excitement, the overwhelm, the rush of nerves and the ever so slight relaxation that everything they have planned as a couple is at the beginning of the crescendo. That, and a big hug from me helps prep her for the day ahead.”
Enjoy a couples photo session after the ceremony
Photographer Kate McCarthy loves a part of the day that comes a little later in the proceedings:
“This year, my favourite part of the wedding day has been the couples who let me take them out for a second photo session. The light is different, they’re always so much more relaxed and there’s no pressure so we really get to be a bit more create and capture some beautiful images. They always seem to enjoy having just a moment of quiet to themselves before the evening kicks off.”
I personally love this – I love the fact that for suppliers, your wedding day is special from the first moment until the last and, as someone who’s already thinking that her own wedding day will be over in a blink of an eye, the thought that those special moments can start so early on in the day gives me even more to look forward to.
Don’t be afraid to break the fashion rules
As you might expect, for lots of brides are in love with their ensemble before they even put it on and again, it’s fab to know that suppliers feel the same, especially when choices reflect personalities:
“We love when brides get creative about their outfit and choose less traditional colours for their shoes, such as fuchsia & scarlet red, which has been the most popular combination of the year,” says Victoria from Faber Novella, designers of glorious bespoke bridal shoes. “The modern bride is certainly not afraid to break the rules and even ‘shock some people’, as one of our customers said, to express her personality and style.”
Photographer Lauren McGlynn agrees:
“This year we’ve had so much fun working with brides who choose glorious colourful wedding dresses. It’s wonderful when couples think outside of the box and go for something that really suits them over what tradition expects of them.”
Show your love for the environment
I wrote about ethical and environmentally friendly weddings a little while ago here on Love My Dress and for some suppliers, this is something they adore too:
“I love the increasing importance attached to eco-friendly and sustainable weddings,” says Ann-Marie at stationery company Paper Tree. “Couples are really trying to take this on board by choosing recycled or FSC certified stationery, selecting locally sourced food or, like Princess Eugenie, omitting plastic or using bio-degradable decorations and details.”
Finally, let’s not forget your wedding rings – the most important piece of jewellery you’ll ever wear. Your rings will be special from the moment that you put them on but, with a little extra touch, you can make them unquestionably yours:
“I’ve recently started offering laser engraving for wedding rings, and it’s a lovely way to add a really personal touch to a wedding band,” says jeweller Nikki Stark. “I have seen some really beautiful ideas this year, from song lyrics to Shakespeare, to the grid coordinates of the place where the couple first met. The ideas people have are so creative. I was just expecting dates or names.”
Live in the moment
So, if you’re still wondering what’s the one thing you can do to make your wedding amazingly memorable, special and utterly brilliant, Jessica Tottman has the answer:
“The best weddings are when the couple have clearly decided to live in the moment and enjoy every second for the once in a life-time love fest that it is. Things won’t always go to plan, but if you remember what is important, you can’t go wrong. If your feet are hurting, take off the shoes, if it’s raining, embrace the good luck and get some amazing shots against a moody sky. Hell, if it’s the end of the night, run around in it with your new life partner! Just enjoy it. It really does go so fast.”
To find out more about the creative and caring suppliers in our Little Book directory, just take a look here.
Love,
Tamryn x
Thanks for sharing the post. I really love the glass jars holding candles on the floor.