2013 Wedding Trends – By Cherry on Top/Dubai.
Written by on January 17, 2013.
Tagged under: 2013 WEDDING TRENDS, Cherry on Top, Wedding Trends
Out with the old, in with the new! 2013 is here and it’s going to be stellar for weddings!
If you are starting the new year freshly minted, with some sparkle on your finger, these top ten 2013 wedding trends from Roula Theodory and Naila Hourani, founders of Dubai-based wedding planners ‘Cherry On Top’, should help tantalize your imagination and provide some fresh inspiration for your big day.
1. DIY IS ON THE RISE
A lot of brides want to get more involved in their weddings and more hands on. With so many DIY blogs, online tutorials and crafty advice in magazines, couples can easily add personal touches to help a wedding come together and showcase their personalities.
One crafty bride decided to make her own bouquet – instead of opting for flowers she collected strips of velvet, lace and satin ribbons and created a bespoke and stunning ribbon bouquet.
2. BYE BYE FLORAL
Couples have become more daring and are thinking outside the box. Strong visual impacts can still be made without using flowers. There has been a growing trend to look elsewhere for inspiration and to create drama and elegance using candles, paper flowers, ribbons, fringes and balloons.
Quiet recently, one of our brides posed in a balloon garden – the effect was romantic and ethereal. Also, instead of using floral centerpieces we decided to have candles only tables and showcased vintage vases and candelabras. Guests loved this approach – it made a statement, but was a fresh and novel idea.
3. ENGAGE YOUR GUESTS
Guests tire from events that are too similar in essence. Couples are looking for ways to engage their guests and make them feel like an integral part of the event.
Puzzles, interactive guest books and group dances are a great way of involving your guests, making them feel like they’ve contributed to your memorable and special day.
I SPY cards give guests a list of photos they must capture during the night – from a tearful bride listening to the best man’s speech to an invitee breaking out some moves on the dance floor.
Alternatively puzzle guest books, guest lib cards or world maps where guests must pin their messages, are a great way to involve everyone
4. PERSONALISATION
A wedding without the personal touch lacks soul. The idea is to celebrate a couple’s love and union, nothing does this more than details that reflect their personality and passion.
Even with large scale events, personal touches help to create an intimate and warm environment.
Whether it’s personalised seating cards, décor influences or vinyl appliqués with special messages, a little bit of personality and branding goes a long way in leaving an impact on your guests.
One couple did a photo shoot for their seating cards, while another had simple numbered tables where each number had some significance to the couple. For example Table 7, was for the 7 years the couple had been together.
Another couple incorporated toys into the décor. The groom was a big sci-fi and comic fan so bronze coloured Batman figures, Scrabble pieces and Princess Leas adorned the tables.
If there’s a motto you believe in or a slogan that represents you, why not spell it out to your guests. We had vinyl appliqués on the dance floor that said ‘Dance here’ and at another event said ‘Where there is love, there is life.’
5. BRING ON THE DESSERT BUFFET
The dessert buffet has been popular for a while now. Couples still love it because it’s always a fun and social part of the wedding. It’s their chance to be creative, introduce their favourite items and make their guests feel young again.
Lately there has been a change in the dessert buffet offerings. Gone are cupcakes and cupcake towers. These are being replaced with more old school and ‘home baked’ goodies – brownies and cookies, cake pops and smores, macaroons, candied applies and caramel popcorn.
6. PRINT
Wedding trends very much follow fashion. Prints are huge now. Clashing prints, stripes, bold floral, chevrons and colour blocking will all be making their way into wedding designs.
Prints and patterns will make their mark on stationery, table linen, runners, and vinyl décor on dance floors. Colour blocking will also be a big trend with floral centerpieces, to give a modern and fresh feel to weddings.
7. CLASSIC ELEGANCE
While couples want to stand out and showcase their personalities, many are no longer looking for quirky or funky touches. There has been a return to classic elegance, where couples look for timeless décor. In 2013 we are going to see inspiration from old world glamour with cinematic and literary influences like Great Gatsby, Anna Karenina and Downtown Abbey.
8. HI TECH WEDDING
Social media has taken over many aspects of our lives. There is an app for pretty much everything out there. Wedding apps have been growing in popularity. The Wedding Party app, allow couples to create micro sites for their guests so people can leave messages, post photos and comment on pictures, in real time.
This is a great alternative for couples who don’t want their wedding photos to be circulated on sites such as Face book or those who don’t want to struggle to collect everyone’s pictures ‘post event.’
It is also a great virtual tool for guests unable to attend the event, to feel part of the celebration, as they can interact with the wedding party in real time.
9. VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
In the Middle East there has always been a preference for long wedding videos that show the greeting lines, dinner and the entire dancing period.
We are now seeing the trend shift to wedding trailers and video highlights that run from 3 – 20 mins and show the best moments.
These trailers give a cinematic feel and can easily be shared with family and friends via social sites and email.
10. DIGITAL BAND
We are the iGeneration with iPods, iPads and YouTube. For many of us music isn’t just about sounds, its visuals and the over-produced videos that accompany them.
An alternative to a band for couples on a budget is the ‘Digital Band’. More couples are turning to VJs (video jockeys) who can play tunes with accompanying video on a projector screen. Videos can include concert versions of the song or alternatively be the official song videos.
Thank you to Roula from Cherry on Top. If you are interested in contacting Cherry on Top (wedding and event planners) for your event, check out their vendor club listing on Bride Club ME here.
Image credits (top to bottom): Cherry on Top, elizabethannedesigns.com, amymancuso.com. brookeandphil.com, weddingchicks.com, Goldfishdubai.com.
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