bridal trends...what do you love and what do you hate?

[merilenda]

I don't like the way corset backs look either. I almost got one though, because it really did make my waist look tiny. But it just wasn't the dress I envisioned.

Oh and I don't like color accents on dresses. I either want the dress to be all white/ivory or go all out with the color. I've seen some brides wear a beautiful non-white dress (Freke comes to mind), and I love that. But I don't like the colored sash on a white dress. Just a personal preference.

 

[lucyandroger]

LOVE

Photo booth - we're doing one and our guests seem excited

Late night snack towards end of reception

Small bridal party

Ring warming

Wedding cupcakes

HATE

Jewel bouquets - just not my thing. I LOVE fresh flowers.

Huge bridal parties

Getting ready photos

Wishing trees and other non traditional guest books

Charity donations as favors - I think donating your own wedding gifts makes more sense

ETA - We're doing a sand ceremony. It's symbolic just like other aspects of the ceremony.

 

[slg47]

does anyone feel like a wedding is either "trendy or fad-ish" or "cookie cuter and traditional"?? gaaaaah

 

[nkarma]

Dislike:
Monograms - Too much showing off for me
Candy Bars
Indoor weddings - If even the cocktail hour was outdoors, it would be okay
Princess themed weddings
Jewel Bouquets - also a fresh flower fan, but to each his own

Like:
Colored Dresses - One of my friends did her wedding dress in red and I loved it!
Fun Weddings - So true Rosetta. This is what everyone says our wedding was even 6+ months later, though it was destination which I know is a no-no. We are going to a wedding 45 min away from home and normally we would get a hotel to get to enjoy the wedding and area but it is in a stuffy country club and the bride's parents who are hosting are very proper so I figure it won't be too fun.
Birdcage Veils
Vintage themes when done well
Outdoor weddings
Drunk guests at my wedding...they were highly encouraged to be so!

 

[4ever]

This is fun!

LOVE

Birdcage veils or other headpieces
caped sleeves
Candle light
DIY everything
Coloured shoes
Picnic or brunch receptions
Small weddings
Outdoor receptions and ceremonies
Small bridal parties
Buttercream
"family style" reception dinners
Beautiful (and expensive) wedding albums


HATE

Dresses with colour
"Princess" dresses
Tiaras
Jumping in the air photos, charlie's angels pose photos, grooms men with sunglasses posed photos, photos in completely irrelevant locations("look I'm frolicking randomly on a beach no where near my wedding reception of ceremony venue!" Personal preference, I feel that photos are to tell the story of and record the day, not a chance to poise in random irrelevant pretty places in a nice dress).
Candy bars (over it)
Most Favors (I have just decided I don't like them, unless they are really actually something people would really want, I think they usually look cheap)
Keepsake flowers
Corset backs
Cupcake wedding cakes
Shinny bridesmaid dress fabric

For the record mash potato buffets and a hot dog carts sound pretty awesome to me!

 

[mayerling]

Love:

I wouldn't say there are bridal "trends" that I love. I just like good old-fashioned weddings.

Hate:

Personalised vows
Anything used to kill time during the ceremony (e.g. unity candles, sand ceremonies)
Colour wedding dresses
Veils
Different colour shoes
Grooms in any shoes other than formal shoes
Afternoon tea receptions
Wedding colours

 

[gls]

Great thread!

Dislike:
Corset back tied dresses
birdcage veils (look great on some but can be rarely pulled off correctly)
choreographed first dances (everyone's different but I cant stand them)
over-the-top dresses or ill-fitting dresses
huge over the top cakes (whats the need?...really)
big hair dos on brides
tiaras

Likes:
Bridesmaids in the same dress different colour or same colour different style (they are still an individual!)
all white flowers
using carnations in flower arrangements (they are so 80s but can look so good when done right)
personalised weddings (I love seeing weddings that totally reflect the couple no matter how "off-trend" they are)
photo booths
bridal dresses with sleeves (not the big poofy style- think Catherine Middleton and Ivanka Trump)
coloured bridal shoes

 

[pancake]

Love:

Dresses that skim the body
Non-white, creamy/neutral dresses
Tight BM dresses with pencil skirts
Flowers in hair, no veil
Roaming food
Roaming desserts or a cheese platter (big fancy one) in lieu of cake. Or a croquembouche!
Natural, candid photography
Grey suits on the boys
Flowers and foliage in graduated colours
Polaroids for the guests +/- props - fun!!
Kid-friendly weddings where the kids actually have things to do and don't just get bored
Indoor-outdoor venues. Especially vineyards.

Hate:

Taffeta (sorry!)
Fishtails
Prom hair
Large meringue skirts
Lace-up backs
Tiaras
Stark colour schemes (eg. white dress, black suits, red flowers - ugh)
Posed photos. No brides draped on cars PLEASE!
Long speeches
Choreographed first dance (I know this is controversial and most do it - but I really hate it and I always feel embarrassed when I see one!)
Tacky rhymes used in invitation in order for couple to ask for money (just be polite but direct!)
Those invitations where you open up the invite and a million cards and bits of paper fall out
Paper-only RSVPs (traditional, but email is so much easier these days!)

 

[confusedaisy]

does anyone feel like a wedding is either "trendy or fad-ish" or "cookie cuter and traditional"?? gaaaaah

YES!!!!!

 

[confusedaisy]

What are your thoughts on this trend.... friends being ordained to be your officiant?? We were debating whether or not we wanted to go this route, but in the end we didn't think it would feel as "official" or serious as a real "professiona" officiant... we were afraid guests, family and friends would see our friend standing up there as the officiant and think that WE weren't taking the ceremony seriously...

I am still on the fence with this trend..

I don't want to offend anyone... but I think that this can be done tastefully or it can be very tacky. I went to a wedding where they had an friend officiate because they didn't want to foot the cost for a real officiant. It just didn't feel right. Just my 2 cents...

We are having a friend officiate our wedding. It's my MOH's husband. We are having a destination wedding and would rather have someone close to us do it than some random person we would only meet a few minutes before the ceremony.

Again, I have seen it done in a way that says "we could have gotten someone but didn't want to spend $500 on an officiant". Also, even though it was a close friend it still felt impersonal- it was just strange. I'm sure yours will be very personal and thoughtful.

 

[confusedaisy]

Hate:

Personalised vows

This is the first time I have ever heard anyone say they did not like personalized vows. Its almost shocking to me !

 

[gls]

Pancake I have to agree with the taffeta! I hate it too yet so many dresses are made of it!

Hate the "jumping" photo too. Why would I want to jump for joy in heels? They never seem to turn out right either!

 

[confusedaisy]

I'm going to actually commit to writing a list:

LOVE
Small bridal party (this just feels intimate)
Writing your own vows (so romatic IMO)
Dainty flower bouquets
Bright or "fun" shoes i.e. not white satin...
Photo Booth
Family style dinners
Wedding "movie" - have you seen these? Always bring a tear to my eye. But for 7K, that's a
Funky Foods like a mashed potato or mini burger bar at cocktail hr. We're having an afternoon wedding so it feels light-hearted but still yummy...
Some "forced" photos like the wedding dress and rings. I just think they're sooooo gorgeous. I know some people hate them though...


HATE
Wedding Cupcakes (I prefer a simple cake)
Wedding announcements for the entire wedding party and family (it just feels so... excessive)
Big family posed photos (I get having one or two but those "now the cousins, now all the girls cousins, now the uncles"... no )
Monograms - I just don't get it
Candy bars - I don't get it, but I'm not a big sweets person
unity candle/sand ceremony- so cheesy IMO


No strong opinion:
Birdcage veil - for some, not for me
Strapless Dresses - Looks good on so few but when it looks good, it looks great!
All white flowers
Signature cocktails - I'm kind of meh about this
Jewel bouquets or other "funky" bouquets- pretty for others but prob not for me

I think those are the big ones...

 

[sillyberry]

Hmmm...I need to think more about what individual things I like and dislike -- I find it hard to distinguish between "what I like for me" and "what I like" and "what I dislike" -- but my #1 thing I hate:

Anything executed poorly.

I have my preferences, believe me, but those are just my preferences. What I really hate is when things are done carelessly or thoughtlessly. I would rather see a modest wedding done well than someone who tried to have a grand wedding without being able to afford to follow through. I would rather see other areas scaled back to accommodate guests. I would rather see a feel followed through an entire wedding, instead of just randomly inserted into one or two small elements.

I'm also pretty much over the whole "Style Me Pretty" aesthetic of soft pinks and muted colors and overly vintage details. I loved it for a while, and now I'm finding it yawn.

To be fair - I'm sure I would find any of those weddings gorgeous in real life. Even at 29 I still haven't been to that many weddings, and none of those weddings remotely resembled one another. So while purple hues or guys in converse or candy bars or whatever might be totally trite on the world of wedding blogs, I've yet to see one actually happen at a wedding I've attended!

 

[vc10um]

Hmmm...I need to think more about what individual things I like and dislike -- I find it hard to distinguish between "what I like for me" and "what I like" and "what I dislike" -- but my #1 thing I hate:

Anything executed poorly.

I have my preferences, believe me, but those are just my preferences. What I really hate is when things are done carelessly or thoughtlessly. I would rather see a modest wedding done well than someone who tried to have a grand wedding without being able to afford to follow through. I would rather see other areas scaled back to accommodate guests. I would rather see a feel followed through an entire wedding, instead of just randomly inserted into one or two small elements.

I'm also pretty much over the whole "Style Me Pretty" aesthetic of soft pinks and muted colors and overly vintage details. I loved it for a while, and now I'm finding it yawn.

To be fair - I'm sure I would find any of those weddings gorgeous in real life. Even at 29 I still haven't been to that many weddings, and none of those weddings remotely resembled one another. So while purple hues or guys in converse or candy bars or whatever might be totally trite on the world of wedding blogs, I've yet to see one actually happen at a wedding I've attended!

DITTO DITTO DITTO!!!! ESPECIALLY to the part bolded above. I find that there are very few things that I "dislike" or "hate" in weddings as a rule. But poor execution can absolutely ruin the most wonderful ideas. Do I think some things have been "done to death"? Sure! But when done well, they can still be beautiful and contribute their portion to the overall look/feel/aesthetic of the wedding.

Now what I like and dislike for ME, and OUR wedding, THAT is an entirely different story!

 

[confusedaisy]

Anything executed poorly.

YES!!!

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

LOVE
Sparkly dresses
Lace dresses
Sparkly lace dresses (can you guess what my dress looked like?)
Open bars
Champagne toasts
Father of the bride toast
Passed hors d'oeuvres
Smaller wedding parties
White flowers
First look pictures
Late night reception snacks (a big hit at our wedding)
Destination weddings (wish I'd had one!)
Live music at ceremony and/or reception


DISLIKE
Tiaras
Mad Hatter cakes
Uber trendy BM dresses (bubble skirts, etc)
Wedding party dance (why would I want to dance with some groomsman when my date is there?!?)
Cake smashed in the face
High Updos
The chicken dance
The dollar dance
The garter toss
Open seating at the reception
Buffets (I feel like my table is ALWAYS last to eat!)

 

[slg47]

pancake (or anyone else) what are fishtails??

 

[amc80]

Anything executed poorly.

YES!!!

Let me tell you guys a story about a wedding that could be the poster child for "executed poorly." The wedding was on the beach. Great! Except not in a reserved area or anything. It was a beach on a military base. So lots of people around. There was a sand ceremony...but nobody opened the PLASTIC bags of sand beforehand....so the bride and groom were using their TEETH to open them mid-ceremony. After the ceremony, all of us guests had to pick up our chair and put it into the back of a truck so it could be reused at the reception. Oh, and some of us were also asked to shovel some sand into buckets to be used in the centerpieces...and we were asked this AFTER the ceremony. There we were, in dresses and suits, loading chairs and shoveling sand. The reception...oh, the reception. They had a keg and no other beverages. Not water. Not soda. Nothing. Some of us left and went to the store to buy a case of water. There were kids at this wedding...what were they supposed to drink? Or the non-beer drinkers? The "appetizer" was nachos. As in a costco bag of chips and a crock pot of nacho cheese. The crock pot's cord couldn't reach so THEY PUT IT ON THE GROUND, next to the outlet. The groom's family was in charge of the food. To their credit, they made amazing, home made tacos. But you had to stand in a long line, since only one or two people were making them...so 20 minutes in line got you one taco. This resulted in the reception being probably 7 hours...and not because it was filled with activity. We left around midnight and had to go get something to eat.

Yeah, weddings are expensive, and people find ways to cut costs. I get it. But don't half a$$ something...because it ends up looking like it was half a$$ed.

 

[lovebug1031]

HATE

Mashed potato bar

Oh No!!! Is this "out" or "done" or "over"? I JUST heard about this and I was so looking forward to it!! Now I'm kind of

I've been to a few weddings with these, my complaint has always been the potatoes were cold, or just weren't that great to begin with. Cold butter...doesn't melt well into the potatoes, thats usually been the issue for me? I dunno....

 

[rosetta]

Amc that sounds cringe worthy but I LOLed anyway!

 

[mrswahs]

I love:

Straps on bridal dresses
Sparkly dresses
Small Cakes
Small receptions
Open bar
GOOD FOOD....this is so so so so so key in my opinion!
White/Ivory flowers
DJ but he has to be really good and not be cheesy/act like trash
CRYSTALS


I don't like:

Strapless
Really plain dresses (although I have a friend who is wearing a plain dress and it looks fantastic on her)
Corset backs
Colored sash's...(I like white ones)
Birdcage veils
Cash bar
Multiple flower colors in bouquets
Live bands because every wedding I've been to that has had one...has been awful.
Money dances
Garter fetching...ugh. Grandma doesn't need to see that...


My lists can go on and on because I'm insanely picky about weddings....

Sorry for the multiple edits!

You just described my dress perfectly

 

[slg47]

I love:

Straps on bridal dresses
Sparkly dresses
Small Cakes
Small receptions
Open bar
GOOD FOOD....this is so so so so so key in my opinion!
White/Ivory flowers
DJ but he has to be really good and not be cheesy/act like trash
CRYSTALS


I don't like:

Strapless
Really plain dresses (although I have a friend who is wearing a plain dress and it looks fantastic on her)
Corset backs
Colored sash's...(I like white ones)
Birdcage veils
Cash bar
Multiple flower colors in bouquets
Live bands because every wedding I've been to that has had one...has been awful.
Money dances
Garter fetching...ugh. Grandma doesn't need to see that...


My lists can go on and on because I'm insanely picky about weddings....

Sorry for the multiple edits!

You just described my dress perfectly

its ok mrsw, I have a corset back too!

 

[confusedaisy]

Anything executed poorly.

YES!!!

Let me tell you guys a story about a wedding that could be the poster child for "executed poorly." The wedding was on the beach. Great! Except not in a reserved area or anything. It was a beach on a military base. So lots of people around. There was a sand ceremony...but nobody opened the PLASTIC bags of sand beforehand....so the bride and groom were using their TEETH to open them mid-ceremony. After the ceremony, all of us guests had to pick up our chair and put it into the back of a truck so it could be reused at the reception. Oh, and some of us were also asked to shovel some sand into buckets to be used in the centerpieces...and we were asked this AFTER the ceremony. There we were, in dresses and suits, loading chairs and shoveling sand. The reception...oh, the reception. They had a keg and no other beverages. Not water. Not soda. Nothing. Some of us left and went to the store to buy a case of water. There were kids at this wedding...what were they supposed to drink? Or the non-beer drinkers? The "appetizer" was nachos. As in a costco bag of chips and a crock pot of nacho cheese. The crock pot's cord couldn't reach so THEY PUT IT ON THE GROUND, next to the outlet. The groom's family was in charge of the food. To their credit, they made amazing, home made tacos. But you had to stand in a long line, since only one or two people were making them...so 20 minutes in line got you one taco. This resulted in the reception being probably 7 hours...and not because it was filled with activity. We left around midnight and had to go get something to eat.

Yeah, weddings are expensive, and people find ways to cut costs. I get it. But don't half a$$ something...because it ends up looking like it was half a$$ed.

This sounds like a frickin' nightmare!!!

One of my old friends (we were very good friends, grew apart, but I still got an invite to her wedding...) had a wedding at a family member's house. They did not plan for rain, had the ceremony, in the rain, and the reception was tented (thankfully) but that did not stop the side-ways rain. Funny enough, I heard this second hand, as the day of the wedding I was sick with the flu and couldn't attend. SCORE!!!

 

[confusedaisy]

HATE

Mashed potato bar

Oh No!!! Is this "out" or "done" or "over"? I JUST heard about this and I was so looking forward to it!! Now I'm kind of

I've been to a few weddings with these, my complaint has always been the potatoes were cold, or just weren't that great to begin with. Cold butter...doesn't melt well into the potatoes, thats usually been the issue for me? I dunno....

Hmm... that wouldn't be good. I'll have to think about this further.......

 

[Anonymous]

My dress has pickups, and I love it!

I haven't really been to any weddings in ages and we aren't too concerned with trendy so it's hard to answer. I'd love to have a photo booth and I'm excited about our candy bar. Enjoyed the DIY invites and seeing everyone's DIY projects on here.

The only thing I know for sure I dislike/hate is trashy dresses. I mean come on. It's not a boudoir photo shoot. It's a wedding where (usually) grandma, great grandma, brothers, cousins, etc. are the guests. Do they really want to see the mole on your chest...below your boobs? I think not!

 

[mayerling]

Hate:

Personalised vows

This is the first time I have ever heard anyone say they did not like personalized vows. Its almost shocking to me !

I think it must be an American thing given how many people hated that Will and Kate didn't have a personalised ceremony. But it's just not that common in Europe. I guess I just find that after everybody trying to put their own twist on vows they've just started to lose their meaning...

 

[Autumnovember]

Dislike:
Monograms - Too much showing off for me
Candy Bars
Indoor weddings - If even the cocktail hour was outdoors, it would be okay
Princess themed weddings
Jewel Bouquets - also a fresh flower fan, but to each his own

Like:
Colored Dresses - One of my friends did her wedding dress in red and I loved it!
Fun Weddings - So true Rosetta. This is what everyone says our wedding was even 6+ months later, though it was destination which I know is a no-no. We are going to a wedding 45 min away from home and normally we would get a hotel to get to enjoy the wedding and area but it is in a stuffy country club and the bride's parents who are hosting are very proper so I figure it won't be too fun.
Birdcage Veils
Vintage themes when done well
Outdoor weddings
Drunk guests at my wedding...they were highly encouraged to be so!

I love that! I agree with that one completely, hahaha!

 

[Autumnovember]

I love:

Straps on bridal dresses
Sparkly dresses
Small Cakes
Small receptions
Open bar
GOOD FOOD....this is so so so so so key in my opinion!
White/Ivory flowers
DJ but he has to be really good and not be cheesy/act like trash
CRYSTALS


I don't like:

Strapless
Really plain dresses (although I have a friend who is wearing a plain dress and it looks fantastic on her)
Corset backs
Colored sash's...(I like white ones)
Birdcage veils
Cash bar
Multiple flower colors in bouquets
Live bands because every wedding I've been to that has had one...has been awful.
Money dances
Garter fetching...ugh. Grandma doesn't need to see that...


My lists can go on and on because I'm insanely picky about weddings....

Sorry for the multiple edits!

You just described my dress perfectly

Here is the thing though...I don't like it on ME. My friend is wearing a dress that is all the opposite of what I like on myself yet its so beautiful on HER. I just wouldn't look good in those types of dresses.

These posts are all interesting though...and really different from person to person.

 

[Autumnovember]

LOVE
Sparkly dresses
Lace dresses
Sparkly lace dresses (can you guess what my dress looked like?) Take a wild guess what mine looks like too! I forgot to add lace to mine, shame on me...mine is lace/sparkly as well!
Open bars
Champagne toasts
Father of the bride toast
Passed hors d'oeuvres
Smaller wedding parties
White flowers
First look pictures
Late night reception snacks (a big hit at our wedding)
Destination weddings (wish I'd had one!)
Live music at ceremony and/or reception


DISLIKE
Tiaras
Mad Hatter cakes
Uber trendy BM dresses (bubble skirts, etc)
Wedding party dance (why would I want to dance with some groomsman when my date is there?!?)
Cake smashed in the face
High Updos
The chicken dance
The dollar dance
The garter toss
Open seating at the reception
Buffets (I feel like my table is ALWAYS last to eat!)

Bolded everything that I agree with

Sounds like my wedding is very very similar to what yours was like!