Wonderful Day Wedding's Trend Report for 2011

Wonderful Day Weddings is an enthusiastic observer of wedding trends and we have years of experience and so many creative ideas to share with our brides! We are seeing so many Minnesota brides on the cutting edge of emerging styles and we are always looking for ways to help you personalize your wedding.

Marriage is and will always be a serious and sacred event, but today's etiquette allows for so many innovative and personal ideas to band the traditional and contemporary together.

For instance, more and more couples are choosing to exchange personalized vows or are asking their officiant if they can incorporate personalized vows into a traditional ceremony.

Additionally, instead of scriptural readings, couples are choosing to use classic romantic poetry such as Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson and Lord Byron. In the case of civil ceremonies, an emerging trend is to use the "Apache Wedding Prayer."

The most popular colors for the entire wedding season are chocolate brown paired with pastel colors such as light pink, powder blue and apple green. As always, the classic white wedding is very popular but today's brides are updating the traditional by having sleek flower arrangements and centerpieces filled with simple and elegant blooms such as calla lilies, orchids, or hydrangea.

For spring we are seeing bright, vibrant colors. The use of honeysuckle pink, beeswax, or lavender goes perfectly with a charcoal gray. Summer weddings are featuring the classic pastels such as periwinkle, apple green, violet, light pink, Tiffany blue, and pale yellow. Mixing and matching these pastels always creates a sunny, yet sophisticated color palette.

In autumn, your wedding can mirror the season by pairing chocolate brown with deep rich reds, burnt umber or golden tones. Another twist is using the monochromatic shades of coffee and mocha together. These colors mixed with autumn foliage makes a breathtaking color scheme!

Winter weddings don't have to utilize the holiday colors of red and green. If you want to have a hint of traditional colors for your winter wedding, consider pairing burgundy with chartreuse. Other options are to use rich, jewel toned colors such as navy and gold, deep purple and teal. Silver and gold will make any winter wedding splendid!

Finally, no matter what the time of year some brides are considering themed weddings. The most trendy theme for a wedding in 2011 is the honeysuckle color scheme done in the “shabby chic” style. For inspiration, turn to Rachel Ashwell's books or website.

PHOTO CREDITS: JACK VON TOBEL HOME,SWEETCOTTAGEDREAMS.COM,PHEONIX BRIDE & GROOM,BESTHUDSONVALLEYWEDDINGEVER,DEJANAEVENTS.COM,SAS INTERIORS,ALLWOMENSTALK,BEACH CITY READER

Inspiration board created by Wonderful Day Weddings.

There IS Hope...

Like many of you, I have struggled with my weight for years. Up, down, up down. Recently, since hitting my 30's it seems that even a 30 minute run and eating right isn't enough! Jeez, what is a gal to do? How about trying on some flattering wedding dresses? Yes, I know, those only come in sizes 8-12. Well, not anymore, ladies!

I have found this fantastic boutique that serves full figured women. AMEN! HALLELUJAH! Glass Slipper Bridal Salon specializes in sizes 14 on up. They offer lines from Angelique's, Allure, Private label, and Liz Fields...just to name a few.


So if you want to try on an empire waist, strapless or fit-and-flare, go for it! There are so many options available at this bridal salon. I know you can find the gown that best represents YOU on your wedding day (and your man will be so pleased!) Check them out.

Glass Slipper Bridal Salon
13783 Ibis Street
Andover, MN
(763) 427- 5600
www.glassslipperbridalsalon.com.


PHOTO CREDITS: ALLURE

Pantone Color Forecast

As we all know, Minnesota can be a bit "behind the times" when it comes to fashion. Meaning, when the Pantone color fashion Gods forecast that the "it" color of the season is going to be honeysuckle we know that the trend will get here about a year later. So, I've decided to challenge my brides to be as forward thinking as those on the coasts.

This year, the hot colors are vibrant! The "it" colors are very summery and perfect for midsummer weddings in Minnesota. A few of them even go together as different shades of the same color. So, without further a-do here are the hottest trends for 2011. Obviously, the most popular color will be honeysuckle. This is a deep, mauve pink with gray undertones.

Next we have Fire Cracker, which is a subdued Terra-Cotta color and the correlating Beeswax would look absolutely fabulous with Firecracker! Beeswax is an understated Goldenrod color. It is deeper than a sunflower yellow but not to the depth of mustard.

The final two shades that are the trend this year are Regatta and Lavender. Regatta reminds me of a deep periwinkle sky and Lavender is, well, light purple. A beautiful soft purple that stands the test of time. I think that a very interesting and surprisingly beautiful combination would be Lavender and Beeswax!

I realize that an easier combination would be Honeysuckle and Beeswax but I think that has been done before. In fact, I've found some inspiration boards on the web that have been put together with those colors. I decided that although these colors a beautiful, I wanted to do something a little different.

The deep goldenrod color set against Lavender is just such a lovely combination. It is eloquent and spirited at the same time. I think this color combination is forward thinking and timeless. This is why I chose it as my favorite for 2011.

Now, not to say that Honeysuckle and Beeswax with a touch of Firecracker is not a beautiful combination...because it IS but I think (humbly) that this year's HOT colors have inspired many cool combinations and I really want brides to think about what best fits their style. I also want to make sure they are happy with their color scheme 20 years from now. Classic with a twist is always a good thing.

A White Winter Wedding (And Blue, and Silver)

Living in Minnesota, I have a lot of experience with the winter. Although winter weddings are not the most popular here, they definitely should be. We have a wedding season where most brides get married May - October (early November) and then the weddings slow to a trickle.

I've often pondered why, especially since it really is beautiful here in the winter. Cold but beautiful. I wish that more brides would consider a winter wedding here but I totally get the spring, summer and fall weddings too. We have such a majestic landscape during those seasons that it would be tempting to pass up winter nuptials. However, I think that a winter wedding would be just as fantabulous!

I think a Chalet type setting or North woods lodge would be a great setting for a winter wedding. However, there are so many other venues just fighting for your attention during the winter you really could do a great hotel or landmark wedding.

Not only do you get killer deals here during the winter, but this easy event schematic would be so effortlessly beautiful. I would ditch the traditional reds and greens, unless you want a Christmas wedding. For a January or February wedding I would absolutely use whites, icy blues and silver to express the cold yet delicately beautiful setting of nature.

There are so many fun details that could be incorporated into a white winter wedding! A snowflake cake, silver bridesmaids dresses and icy blue ties for the gentlemen! Of course, the bride could wear a white fur shrug over her dress. I imagine fun details like fur boots and glittering broaches.

The flowers and centerpieces would pay homage to the white and silver color scheme of the wedding since blue is not traditionally found in flowers unless they are dyed. I think that white branches with a dusting of glitter and surrounded by candle votives would be just heavenly! This could be a DIY project or something you get from a florist.

Favors could be snowflake cookies or white, embellished cupcakes! I love the idea of using a snowflake ornament as an escort card holder and as a favor. Double duty is always a cost effective way to save money and still have elegance and style at your wedding.

For me, winter is all about comfort food so I would incorporate hot hors d'oeuvres such as Swedish meatballs and bacon wrapped shrimp. YUMM-O! The main course could be our native Walleye instead of Salmon or a hearty steak meal. Of course, a mashed potato bar with all the fixins would be a perfect late night snack for all the guests partying the night away. A Frostini signature cocktail would be perfect drink to serve using your ice luge. This is made with peppermint schnapps, and cold Starbucks Vanilla Latte coffee.

If your winter wedding is during the holidays, it would be fun to incorporate some Christmas tunes. However, it is after the holidays a festive big band feel to your entertainment would be divine. Finally, for the send off, have guests light Chinese lanterns and float them into the sky before you exit on your horse drawn sleigh to the nearest hotel or Bed n' Breakfast.

Happy Planning!







PHOTO CREDITS:THE TELEGRAPH,YUM YUM SUGAR, THE KNOT, AMAZON.COM, DESIRABLES.COM, KATE IN CLEVELAND, SHIBAWI.COM,BRIDES.COM,SHARI'S READING JUBILEE BLOG,L WEDDING FAVORS BLOG,

A Stroke of Genius

Hello brides and grooms!I am feeling in a very giving mood this new year! So, I have decided to share with you one of my very savvy bride budget tricks. We would all love to have a calligrapher do our stationery, unfortunately, it isn't always in the budget. Therefore, I want to share a little trick with you on how to get that customized look without the high price tag.

I'm sure you know that there are many sites where you can download free fonts or pay a minimal fee to get one that you really love. Some of my favorite font sites include:1001freefonts.com, dafont.com and urbanfonts.com. Where am I going with this, right? Well, if you cannot afford to hire a calligrapher, I suggest downloading one of your favorite calligraphy fonts and tracing over it with a calligraphy pen.

Of course, this is more work for you then hiring a Calligrapher because you have to print out the font on your envelopes and escort cards then trace over them. Although it does take a lot of time, it will save you money and you will end up with stationery that looks like it was a custom job. The calligraphy pen will convince everyone that your escort cards and addressed envelopes were hand crafted.

You can get calligraphy pens at Office Depot, Office Max, Michael's Craft stores and Joann Fabrics. I also suggest that you buy your escort cards from these places and simply trim off the perforated edge. This will have your guests assuming that you went through an expensive stationer instead of purchasing them from the store!

Happy Planning!



PHOTO CREDITS: GETMARRIED.COM, OFFICEDEPOT.COM

Happy New Year - 2011!

Hello everyone! Happy New Year! I realize that I have been MIA from my blog for awhile. Do not fret, I have just been very busy with family life, the holidays, and working on my new website. I have finally gotten sick of the old one.

Here is a sneak preview of what I've been working on and I hope to have it finished soon! In a nutshell, I am tired of the blue and I'm looking for a more regal color scheme. I think the mocha, dark chocolate and cream is just the right look for my new website. I have also been working on updating my portfolio, adding new pictures from previous weddings and taking down old clients!

Stay posted as I have some more vendor spotlights coming soon and of course some more inspirational wedding ideas for 2011! Obviously, we'll need to look at the color forecast for this year and see what the fashion Gods have in store for us!

I wish you all a Happy New Year and Happy Planning!