Every Irish bride and groom wants their wedding to be super stylish and, let’s be honest, DIFFERENT to their friends’ recent weddings. Gone are the days of the same-old same-old formula-led wedding, and we have seen some really nice personalised trends happening at the weddings we perform at.
We are delighted to share with you some of the great ideas we have seen so far this year.
Family Weddings through the years
Image source: beautyandbedlam.com
Gather pictures of key people in your family on their wedding days, put the pictures in some funky frames and display them around your venue. It is a really nice way to establish yourselves in the timeline of your family tree. It is a poignant reminder for Mum’s and Dad’s, Grannies and Grandad’s of their big day out! It provides a talking point during pre dinner drinks and Granny will be delighted with herself as she is told what a beautiful bride she was! A really nice, classy touch that we hope to see more of in 2016.
First-look photo
Incredibly popular in the US and just beginning to slowly filter to this side of the world is the ‘first-look’ photo. The groom waits at a pre-arranged area before the ceremony, away from family and friends, where he faces the photographer as he waits for his bride to surprise him. The bride then either calls the groom’s name or taps him on his shoulder. As the groom turns the photographer is there to capture the moment. Altogether now…..Awwww!
Blackboard Jungle
Image source: dream-occasions.co.uk
If you want to include signage at your wedding then chalk boards are the way forward. Write block letters in chalk and add little drawings to emphasise a point (cheese table, car park, guest book). You can go over the chalk with coloured permanent markers. Easily found in craft shops or toy stores. Thrifty and cool – we love it!
Too Cute!
Image source: invitationsbydawn.com
Want to get guests smiling before your big entrance and also surprise himself? Send the flower girl or page boy down the aisle before you carrying banners or signs saying ‘Here Comes the Bride’ or ‘Here’s Your Girl, Uncle Chris’. We like the one that says ‘LAST CHANCE TO RUN!’ Watch guests and your soon- to- be husband crack up when they read this. Great way to relieve the tension and start proceedings with a smile!
Coloured Wedding Dresses
Image source: http://www.brides.com/
From pretty pastels, to bright and floral, brides are becoming more adventurous and are opting to stay away from the traditional white wedding dress in 2016. We love this. Also seen at New York Bridal Fashion week 2016 were plenty of two piece wedding outfits and also capes. Very superhero! We are putting our money on 2016 as the year of the bridal jumpsuit! Go for it! Jump for your Love!
Marquee Letter Lights
Image source: http://evanandkatelyn.com/
We saw this trend emerging in 2015 but we reckon it is here to stay. Giving a retro, cool but also theatrical feel to any wedding, these can be hand- held smaller letters for photos or GIANT monograms at the side of the dance floor for an alphabet street glow! There are several companies in Ireland that will rent marquee letters to you or get DIYing and make your own. Our production manager Dez swears they are easy to make. Hmmmm…….knock yourself out!
Unplugged Weddings
Image source: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BuffyWeddings
We are all up for this. We now see polite little signs dotted around venues requesting (#BEGGING!) guests to refrain from posting images on social media. It’s about privacy on your most special day. Also you have probably hired a professional to capture those moments beautifully. And ultimately YOU want control over how the the world gets to see your day. We get it!
Dickie Bows
Image source: http://www.north-westbrides.com/tied-bow/
We see a move away from standard wedding garb with the guys putting a bit of their own stamp on how they look. Hallelujah! Dickie Bows paired with a well – fitted suit were a big feature of 2015 and continue to feature in 2016.
Get the sock shot
While we are talking about the guys, believe it or not – the socks ROCK! It is a must have photo trend right now – the groomsmen and their colourful / stripey / loud socks! It is like a mini rebellion against the standard wedding attire for men but it makes for a great photo. And who doesn’t love stripey socks!
Prepare for late-night munchies
Image credit: http://cpaulson.com/
So the ‘afters’ food tends to come out not too long after the main meal in our experience and the ‘nice cup of tae n sammich’ is duly lapped up by your Auntie Mary before she rounds up Uncle Joe and they head back to Termonfeckin. But what about the hard core crew breaking the dance floor for hours? (NOTE: we apologise for broken dance floors all over the country, Sincerely, The Bentley Boys) We think these party goers whom, let’s face it, are probably your closest friends deserve reward for their efforts! Popular choices are meaty rolls like hog, bacon or sausage. At this stage of the night decorum is out and the breakfast roll is in! We have seen pizza deliveries that nearly caused a riot and bridesmaids devouring newspaper wrapped fish n chips like it was going out of fashion. Cater for the late night munchies and you will be heroes FOREVER.
Fun Stuff!
Image source: http://www.weddingomania.com/
Imagine – fun stuff at a wedding?? True story – Irish weddings are definitely becoming less stuffy and more fun. We are seeing lots of little touches at Irish weddings like a candy floss machine, kissing booth, photo backdrops, ice-cream vans – all of these things can add fun to your day. Memories are made of this!
Happy Planning from the Bentley Boys!