The hottest trends in weddings in 2010

Trend 1: Retro-Chic Weddings

Retro-style weddings -- at a hotel, in your parents' backyard, or even at a restaurant -- are huge right now, and we'll continue to see a lot of the style in 2010. It's really no wonder: A wedding filled with vintage details, whether from the 1950s, '60s, or even '70s, can make for a meaningful heirloom-filled, back-in-the-day vibe, and the decor options are limitless. Use a turquoise-and-raspberry color combo, get milk-glass cake stands for your dessert table, dress the tables with pretty eyelet runners, and ask your florist to arrange your centerpieces in small porcelain vases or silver pitchers. Even your menu options can get in on the action with pigs in blankets and punch (served up in glass punch glasses, of course) at the cocktail hour.

Trend 2: Dinner-Focused Receptions

Say good-bye to informal buffet lines and light hors d'oeuvres stations and welcome back the sit-down reception dinner. Think of it as a re-creation of a dinner party in your own home: lots of food and a comfortable setting are both key. To achieve this level of comfort, order starter plates to get guests munching and chatting from the get-go and choose a dinner menu of the meat-and-potatoes variety. Have the meal served family-style so that all the food, wine, and iced tea or lemonade is set in the middle of the table for guests to help themselves, just like they'd do at their own homes. Do it this way and you'll encourage conversation and create a more intimate atmosphere.

Trend 3: Innovative Ceremony Setups

This year, it's really all about comfort, so whether your ceremony takes place in a church, at a farm, or in a ballroom, consider adding elements that make your guests feel right at home. Skip the common aisle-down-the-middle arrangement and create a living-room vibe using a mix of couches and chairs, replace all those chairs with hay bales covered with quilts, or even spread blankets on the ground right in front of the altar for the kids. The best part is that anything goes just so long as the details create an intimate feeling.

Trend 4: Shorter, Tea-Length Dresses

From ball gowns to slim, structured sheaths, a shorter-than-floor-length style will make a huge resurgence on ceremony aisles this year. And you don't have to have a casual wedding to pull it off, either -- the key is in the fabric. Find one made with cotton or layers of airy tulle for an outdoor spring or summer wedding, get a silk-satin gown for a more formal wedding, or go for heavy silk with a soft bolero or even an overcoat for a wintertime wedding.

Trend 5: Classic White Wedding Cakes

While dessert tables and candy bars have been popular for the past few years, wedding cakes have made a comeback. But instead of the colorful two-tiered styles we saw in 2009, this year it's all about the classic white wedding cake. Order a simple, round, three-tiered cake frosted with white buttercream or covered in white fondant and finish it with an antique cake topper (from your parents' or grandparents' wedding), a few fresh flowers that match your bouquet, or leave it clear of add-ons for an even simpler look.

Trend 6: Textural Flower Arrangements

The typical tall centerpiece, overflowing with roses and calla lilies, has given way to low, textural arrangements that call to mind a springtime garden, crisp autumn foliage, or a snow-covered evergreen. To throw extra color and texture into the mix, have your bouquets wrapped with lace or patterned fabric, or line your flower-filled vases with birchbark sleeves. As for the centerpiece vases, ask your florist to use small planters, classic pedestals, vintage-inspired vases, or even rustic apple crates.

Trend 7: Turn Table DJs/Specialty Music

Everyone loves a live band, but DJs are resurging in popularity -- and we're not talking about the old iPod-and-speakers setup. We mean skilled turntable DJs who can create a unique mishmash of music tailored to your guests, guaranteeing you a packed dance floor all night long. If it's in the budget, hire a specialty band that speaks to your relationship or wedding locale (like a jazz trio, bluegrass band, or even funk group) for the cocktail hour.

Trend 8: Souped-Up Photo Booths

The photo booth trend is so not going anywhere -- it's just becoming more personalized. If you'd rather not rent one, make one. Create your own backdrop using a piece of patterned fabric, a simple curtain, or even paper streamers. If it's an outdoor wedding, pin the fabric to an arbor or trellis; otherwise, use a wardrobe frame to secure your fabric. If you've rented more of a traditional wedding space, ask your site manager whether they have in-house "pipe and drapes" that you can use (a fancy term for a stand-alone bar with a curtain attached). You could also make a completely custom photo backdrop out of wood, cover it with wallpaper or paint, and then decorate it with fun frames or anything else you can think of. Cut out circles for your guests' faces, or encourage everyone to get comfortable together on a great couch placed in front of the backdrop. And don't forget the funny props, like hats, fake mustaches, and glasses!

Trend 9: Themed Engagement Photo Shoots

Just like your dress and reception decor, your engagement photo shoot should be completely "you." Follow that line of thinking and you'll understand why couples are coming up with the most creative themed engagement photo shoots, from Mad Men and Breakfast at Tiffany's to more obscure 1950s backyard barbecue shoots. Not into the theme idea? Tone it down with a couple props, like colorful balloons, umbrellas, or a tandem bicycle.

Trend 10: Wedding Videos (They're Back!)

While classic cinematic wedding videos are still an in-demand style, couples are also asking their videographers to use motion picture in new and creative ways. A few ideas we love: short wedding Super 8 wedding videos for that grainy, vintage look (which can later have music dubbed in), the one-minute wedding video first created by the Flashdance DJ out of Los Angeles -- a fast-motion version of the dance floor throughout the evening, or an ultra-creative save-the-date video. 

Animal and Fairy Tale Themes- Contest Winners

ELLISVILLE – Animal and fairy tale themes were the big winners at the annual Jones County Junior College culinary arts bake off. 

Students used fondant decorate their cakes in the cake decorating contest, they had two days to make their creations before the campus was invited to vote on their favorite and were judged by an expert. Culinary arts instructor, Lisa Little said,“ The cakes look so great and they are really works of art, making these cake are really a hard job, because fondant can be difficult to mold.”

There are fifteen players in the competition who are all students. However Nikki Kay of Madison and current Hattiesburg resident won the overall competition with her ‘Hippo in the Spa’ cake.

"I really like hippo’s so that’s what inspired me to make a hippo cake,” said Kay. “I liked working with the fondant. It reminded me of playing with clay as a little girl.”
The JCJC preschool kids chose the ‘Chicken Farm’ cake created by Linda McLeod of Collins as their favorite. Second place honors went to Katelyne Ball of Purvis with her ‘Snow White’ themed cake.

Ashley Watkins of Petal took third place with her ‘Fantasy Island’ cake and Kala Carpenter of Ellisville won fourth place with her ‘Wedding Cake’.

Invite Santa to Our Wedding- Christmas Weddings

We would like to wish all who celebrate it a very happy Christmas, and we thought what better time to talk about Christmas weddings than on Christmas day? Christmas weddings are unusual, but not unheard of. Often, brides and groom will plan a Christmas wedding that falls not on the holiday itself, but on some other day in December. This, we suggest, is for the best, as many people expect to be at home with their immediate families rather than at a wedding ceremony or wedding reception on holidays.

But on to the planning! Christmas weddings are as different from one another as any other wedding, though there are usually some elements that can be found at most. Here is some Christmas wedding inspiration that may just convince you that a holiday wedding is the right way to go.

First, the bride and groom need to choose their Christmas theme wedding colors! We’d wager that green and red are the first choices that come to mind, but we’d personally shy away from these as obvious and just a little hokey. How about silver and deep blue or silver and white? Gold and cream is another nice wedding color scheme choice. And for those who really want to get into the spirit of the holidays, we recommend a scheme including bergundy, forest green, and gold or white.

For your Christmas wedding invitations, think ‘anything but Christmas cards.’ Your wedding guests shouldn’t put your invite aside thinking that it’s a holiday card and not an invitation to your big day! White and gold schemes are great and, better still, widely available all year round. For embellishments, think engraved Christmas flora, like holly, poinsettia, or fir sprigs. When should you send your Christmas wedding invitations? Since you’re asking your guests to give up a holiday, make sure you give them *plenty* of lead time.

Decorations are hands down the best part of the Christmas wedding. Don’t skimp on the stringed lights, but stick to the small white ones because they make a venue look ethereal. Combine them with tulle for a very pretty effect. Wreaths and pine garlands are a good choice, either on the walls or on your tables… for centerpieces, Advent wreaths are pretty much all you’ll need. If your reception venue has a fireplace, make sure that you can use it for your wedding, and hang stockings that match your wedding color scheme. Bonus points for stockings that feature the names of the wedding party.

For your wedding cake and wedding favors, think gifts! A wedding cake shaped like a pile of gifts is perfect for a Christmas theme wedding, but individual cakes for each guest shaped like tiny wrapped packages can look beautiful, too. Christmas ornaments make great favors at a Christmas theme wedding, but you can choose any favor you like and simply package it like a holiday gift.

At the reception, have the DJ or band play at least some Christmas music, and encourage guests to sing along to their favorites. After caroling, offer up Christmas treats like eggnog, gingerbread cookies, candy canes (or candy cane ice cream), and make sure that the dance floor is hung with plenty of mistletoe to encourage shenanigans among your wedding guests!

A Camelot Wedding Theme

When we think Camelot, we think Royalty and a land of magical fantasy. The greatest American affiliation to Camelot is the Kennedy's. The Kennedy presidential era was considered to be Camelot - a time of promise which captured the American imagination. The Kennedy family has been a dynasty that is an emblem of American royalty. With this stature American's have looked onto the many royal like weddings of the Kennedy clan.

To create a wedding of Kennedy repute look onto the classic Kennedy bride Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy. What did a fashion icon like Jaqueline Kennedy wear? A couture gown was designed for her, which depicted the style of 1950's wedding dresses. Mrs. Kennedy chose pearls, a very classic choice for brides. She carried a bouquet of pink and white flowers, and accessorized with wrist length gloves as well as a small lace cap. Current brides may not want to mimic Mrs. Kennedy's wedding attire to the tee, but choosing a classic gown and traditional jewelry will create the look of the Camelot bride.

The Kennedy wedding was certainly extravagant with over a thousand guests. It was a church ceremony and the reception was held on the terrace of the Auchincloss oceanfront estate, Hammersmith Farm. The cake had 5 tiers and a full orchestra played under a canopy. To create this elaborate type of wedding, select a venue, such as a local mansion house or presidential library to create this sort of atmosphere. Hire a live band or an orchestra. If budget is an issue, hire a quartet to create the same elegant ambience. Since wedding menus in the 1950's were not very extravagant, this is where money can be saved. Think simple and light, such as a fruit salad, chicken, and sorbet or ice cream.

The modern bride may not want to work with the details of Jacqueline and John Kennedy; however she may prefer the taste of John F Kennedy Jr. and his bride Carolyn Bessette. Their wedding was much more intimate as they were married in a secret ceremony on Cumberland Island, off the coast of Georgia. There were only 40 guests at the evening ceremony that took place on a wood-frame Brack Chappel. Carolyn Bessette, selected simplicity and elegance for her gown. She wore a pearl-colored silk crepe floor-length gown, hand-rolled tulle silk veil and long silk gloves. Her hair was pulled back with a clip belonging to Jackie Kennedy and held a bouquet of lily of the valley. The modern bride, who prefers simplicity can select a silky strait gown and accessorize with gloves. Perhaps a getaway wedding for intimate family and friends would be of preference. Look for romantic and rustic locations, such as a country farm house decorated with candles and lanterns. Carolyn Bessette and John F. Kennedy Jr. had their reception at the Greyfield Inn and dinner was simply served with shrimp, artichokes, grilled swordfish and lemon-raspberry ice cream. The cake was a traditional three tier white wedding cake. Such an elegant and simple wedding is not difficult to create at a Country Inn or even a Victorian home. This is a great style for fall weddings and a romantic bride.

Camelot idealism was engrained into the Kennedy presidency and created a family legacy of royal stature. Camelot is the most famous castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur and the idealism of the boy king who drew the sword from the stone. The city of Camelot is depicted as standing along a river. It is surrounded by plains and forests, and its magnificent cathedral is the religious centre for Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. There Arthur and Guinevere are married and there are the tombs of many kings and knights. This magical romantic image is the original story of Camelot that the Kennedy family has been attached to. To create a fantasy wedding with a medieval imagery, brides could get into costume and look for a castle like venue. However, for an elegant depiction of a Camelot wedding without costumes, traditional wedding gowns with veils and trails should be selected. Flower in the hair for bride's maids with long flowing dresses will be lovely. A church wedding will be ideal and a reception venue that reflects old world style will be perfect.

A Camelot wedding theme can be created in many ways. It can be created by mimicking one of the many Kennedy family wedding styles or by selecting to create the times of King Arthur's court. One vital aspect to creating a Kennedy style wedding as well as a Camelot wedding is a church ceremony. The Catholic Church has played significant role in these stories. However, you chose to create a Camelot wedding it is an occasion of romanticism and ideal love. What better image could you reflect of your wedding other than a legacy of your love as you unite together.

Sharmeen Shahid is the lead designer and coordinator of Event Trendsetter. View more wedding ideas and party planning tips at http://www.eventtrendsetter.com Event Trendsetter is a leading full service wedding coordinating and party planning agency that specializes in corporate events, parties, and weddings in Southern California. The Los Angeles and Orange County area wedding coordinator and party planner also caters to South Asian Celebrations. Take a journey through the mystery of South Asian weddings at http://www.eventtrendsetter.com

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Star Themed Wedding Ideas

"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight." Stars have long been linked with romance so a star or other celestial themed wedding is an appropriate choice. Imagine getting married outdoors at night with your closest friends in attendance. Evening weddings are easily more intimate and relaxed than day time weddings because people are used to unwinding at the end of the day. Here are some ideas for a cozy and dreamy star themed wedding.

Soft and flowing fabrics, reminiscent of clouds or angels, are an excellent choice for both the bride and bridesmaids. Navy, black, gold, silver, or even white are all stunning for decorations and apparel colors. For the bride, "add a sparkling tiara, and a bouquet of pure white roses dipped in gold as a bouquet. Get the florist to add a couple of shooting star picks into the bouquet with gold streaming ribbons." For an angelic affect, have the bridesmaids wear a slim gold headband to mimic halos. Instead of flowers, they could carry star shaped wands with streaming ribbons attached.

If feasible, you could have telescopes available for guests to get a more personal look at the stars. If you have children at your wedding, be forewarned that they will monopolize this activity. Angel wings, such as those used for children's costumes, are perfect decorations to set the tone. Twinkle lights hung behind dark tulle will also lend a celestial atmosphere to the room. Table centerpieces are easy to make with cotton batting acting as clouds. Set a candle filled hurricane lamp in the center and sprinkle some gold confetti around and you're set. Small, bare branch trees with angel ornaments is another option for centerpieces.

Star covered tulle can often be found at fabric stores and make a "heavenly" covering for your tables. Black or navy tablecloths will make the stars stand out even more. For a more realistic look, a 3D solar system can be a stunning presentation on your food table. Foil star cutouts hung from the ceiling at different heights can add depth. For fun wedding favors, consider giving out glow in the dark stars. Star shaped favor bags can also be purchased for soap, candy, or traditional Jordan almonds.

For more information about weddings and wedding ideas, please visit http://www.jointhewedding.com

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Destination Wedding Ideas

An increasingly popular choice among couples is to travel to a quaint little town in the United States, or somewhere exotic abroad. Most ‘destination weddings’ are considered ‘hot spots’ for tourists. Say, a dream-vacation place. And what better place could you choose to exchange your wedding vows?

First and foremost, you have to decide whether you want a large wedding or a discreet elopement. Now ask yourself–is this destination wedding in your budget? Although it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, you have to ask if a destination wedding is right for you.

Who Chooses a Destination Wedding?

There are many couples who choose destination weddings for several different reasons. Perhaps they want to share this specific destination with their friends and families. Maybe it’s a place that both people have always wanted to visit together. If the couple has been together for a long time, a destination wedding might serve as a well-needed vacation and a perfect place to pop the question.

What are the Best Locations for a Destination Wedding?

When deciding where to go for your destination wedding, one word comes to mind: fun. You want to be sure that there are plenty of exciting things to do. Great restaurants, nature, and hobbies that you both enjoy, will keep you busy for days. You need to decide whether you want to explore an exotic location outside of the United States , or a fun tourist attraction within the United States.

Some exciting locations within the United States are:

*Las Vegas *New York *Disneyland *California wine country areas (Sonoma and Napa) *Hawaii

Should you decide to venture outside of the United States, the following are some of the hottest dream- vacation places for a destination wedding:

*Mexico *Caribbean *Italy *Germany *France

If you’ve already ‘shopped around’ for a destination wedding and you were overwhelmed with the prices–start looking during the off-seasons, as you’ll save a considerable amount. In addition, look for packages that are all inclusive: hotel accommodations, meals, sports, tours, etc. It’s always a good idea to use your credit card which insures your purchases.

Most importantly, if you are getting married in a foreign country, educate yourself on their rules and customs before going abroad. What documents will you need? Is their a blood test required? What’s the legal age of consent to marry? These are all important questions you should research before jumping on an airplane or cruise-ship with your spouse-to-be.

Jen Carter is owner of My Wedding Blog, a free wedding planning guide all about weddings. The following article can be found in our destination weddings category You may publish our articles on your website only if you do not edit the article in any way, and include all html as direct links to our site.

Jen Carter is owner of My Wedding Blog, a free wedding planning guide all about weddings. The following article can be found in our destination weddings category.

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Scottish Wedding Ideas

I recently went to a family Scottish wedding which was held in the House for Art Lovers in Glasgow, Scotland. The bride and groom were on a tight wedding budget but still managed to pull off a truly magnificent wedding affair.

The happy newlyweds wanted a wedding in keeping with the Charles Rennie Mackintosh theme of the house. Every guest had a wonderful time at the wedding.

The bride and groom chose to have a civil service which was held within the main area of the house. The brides choose a wedding dress in cream with a beautiful red flower design which draped down the front of the wedding dress in a vine style.

The groom and some family guests decided to wear to wear kilts in a black and grey tartan. Wedding photographs were taken outside in the grounds of the house for Art Lovers. Since the wedding was in autumn Mother Nature produced her own color theme of dark orange, reds, and golden autumn leaves changing colour from green to rust.

After the wedding photographs were taken. All the wedding guests went back inside to be seated for the wedding feast. The meal consisted of three courses with tea and coffee offered at the end of the meal.

The wedding tables were circular in design with white table cloths. In the centre of each table was a tall vase with beautiful purple lilies. Each guest also received a silver wedding favour box filled with love heart sweets. This wedding favor went down a treat with all the kids big and small around the room. A silver triangle shape revealed party poppers hidden inside. Another DIY wedding favor idea was bubbles.

As there was a balcony which opened out from the dining room, all the children had their own party outside blowing bubbles and eating the wedding favor sweets and making lots of noise with the wedding party poppers.

As the kids were being entertained outside on the balcony. The adults were treated to a piece of wedding cake which was placed inside a wedding cake favor box with the Rennie Mackintosh design on the outside of the cake box. Placed on the wedding tables for the adults to enjoy with their coffee were also shortbread and some homemade tablet.

Kath Anderson is a writer for DIY Wedding Favors at http://www.mydiyweddingfavors.com.

The original of this article can be found on My DIY Wedding Favors
Copyright 2009 - Kath Anderson. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author name credit and follow all of the EzineArticles terms of service for Publishers.

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