PHOTOS BY CATARA CARRELL PHOTOGRAPHY
Today’s brides and grooms are bypassing traditional wedding convention in favor of fun, stylish celebrations that truly reflect their unique personalities.
“Couples are making their weddings more personal, introducing fresh ideas that are taking their weddings to the next level,” says Kristen Overley, Partner & Designer of Peacock Design & Paperie LLC (formerly Party Girl Invitations LLC & Stellar Art and Design LLC), in the Shillington area. “It’s a welcome change to yesterday’s stale weddings.”
“Now more than ever I think couples want to put their signature on their wedding,” adds Sandi McCarthy, owner of Taste Buds on Penn Avenue in West Reading. “If you can blend some classic elements mixed with modern flair and your own personal style, I think your wedding will be a winner.”
ANNOUNCING THE BIG DAY
A save-the-date card functions as a fun and casual reminder of the upcoming nuptials. The card doesn’t have to mimic the theme of the wedding and offers couples the chance to express themselves without the confines of formal wedding protocol. Invitations, however, should reflect the style and tone of the wedding. They offer guests the first glimpse of the special day and set expectations for the type of celebration. For example, an invitation for a black-tie affair should be elegant, while an invitation for a contemporary wedding could be more chic.
Couples should incorporate wedding colors into invitations and add their personal style with patterns, graphic icons or photographs that relate to an interest, hobby, or wedding location. “I think there was a time when you picked a white invitation, white envelope and black ink,” says McCarthy, whose business specializes in custom invitation design and printing, favors, personalized gifts and sweet treats. “Everyone’s invitations had the same look, but today more than ever couples want to add a touch of their own personality for their special day.”
Peacock Design & Paperie LLC professionals believe that one special touch on invitations and other wedding stationery is the design and use of a wedding logo featuring the couple’s names with a typographical flair set in different fonts, sizes and colors. “Typography can be artful and helps couples break out of the traditional script font,” says Overley, who works with clients to create a unique look that reflects their personalities and style. “Logos help to tie various pieces together, creating a uniform look and not just a hodgepodge of things thrown together.”
Megan Zettlemoyer with Typothecary Letterpress in West Lawn believes invitations should not only represent your wedding style, but your interests as a couple, as well. For example, “If you are an eco-conscious couple and are planning a ‘green’ wedding, you might consider printing your materials on 100 percent recycled or plantable paper.”
TYING THE KNOT
The ceremony is the most important part of the day, and couples are realizing the significance of personalizing this special moment. Simple, personal touches include monogrammed letters hanging on church doors, an aisle runner to match the bridesmaids’ dresses, and displays of personal photographs and collages.
Couples are using the ceremony program – designed to match the invitations – to share their intimate love story, to describe any special traditions or unique moments from the ceremony, and to pay tribute to deceased loved ones.
In lieu of the formal guest book, many couples have chosen more creative options. One such alternative is the Wedding Witness Banner, designed and sold by local Fleetwood artist Melanie Linder. The 24” x 36” banner features the names of the bride and groom, the wedding date and space to capture approximately 150 guest signatures. The buyer can opt for a neutral palette of black, gray, blue and hints of burnt orange, or it can be customized to match the wedding color scheme.
“You may close up a wedding guest book and never look at it again, but with the Wedding Witness Banner, you get a beautiful keepsake and piece of art that you can display in your home as a reminder of your special day,” Linder says.
CELEBRATING THE NUPTIALS
With the right details, receptions can exude a couple’s character from beginning to end. One of the guests’ first tasks – finding their seats – has become much more personal and entertaining in recent years. Couples are transitioning from table numbering to table naming, based on their personal experiences and interests
Using a couple’s visual theme for invitations and ceremony programs, Peacock Design & Paperie LLC has created many customized seating and table cards using the popular table-naming method. Examples include tables named after the couple’s favorite musicians, street names from the couple’s hometown, and places of interest at the couple’s honeymoon destination.
“Table naming is another way a couple can share more about themselves, especially for guests who may not often see the bride and groom,” Overley says. “Plus, it’s a good icebreaker for guests.”
The bride and groom’s initials have been popping up throughout receptions: chocolate-monogrammed cake toppers, monogrammed ice sculptures and monogrammed lighting on dance floors and walls.
Signature drinks with custom drink stirrers at receptions can be named after the new Mr. and Mrs., or they can feature the wedding’s accent colors. A Cosmopolitan drink would coordinate nicely with a fashionable hot pink and navy blue wedding.
Linder recently discovered that one of her other creations is adding a personal element to receptions. Couples whose wedding song is Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have been purchasing her print “Home is Where Ever I’m With You” and showcasing it at the reception. Home contains the same lyrics as the print’s title. “All my work is inspired by love, and it all fits perfectly with a wedding,” says Linder.
Favors have transitioned from not only beautiful, but also to personalized and functional. Couples are choosing edible treats as favors, including individual cupcakes, cookies and chocolates creatively packaged and embellished with stickers, ribbons and tags that coordinate with wedding colors. “The trend is to give your guests something they’ll actually enjoy or snack on,” McCarthy says. “Make it look special and unique with a personalized label, and it will be remembered.”
Overley agrees. “Let’s face it, no one really wants a little silver trinket that’s going to sit around and collect dust,” she says. “Give guests something they’ll actually use, or eat, and wrap it up in a unique package with a custom label and ribbon.”
2012 WEDDING TRENDS
As fashion and hair trends change, so do weddings. Couples planning their nuptials this year can expect a plethora of new ideas to make their day one-of-a-kind.
Make a Bold Statement – Couples are choosing vibrant hues, unique color pairings and metallics to express their unique styles, a trend that surfaced in 2011. These colors will continue to show up in bridesmaids' dresses, invitations, envelopes, ceremony programs, reception decor and event lighting.
Let it Sparkle – Couples are using rhinestone buckles or embellishments on their invitations, along with satin ribbon, pressed paper or fabric flowers. Brides are choosing jewels and pearls to adorn their hair, bouquets and wedding cakes for a unique look.
Pick a theme – Wedding themes enable couples to showcase their fun side and use their imagination. A beachfront wedding lends itself to a nautical theme. Non-traditional themes, such as Medieval or country, can be entertaining for guests.
Satisfy your Sweet Tooth –Traditional wedding cakes or trendy cupcake towers are sharing the limelight on a dessert table with an assortment of specialty items, including cheesecakes, pies, cookies and ice cream sundae bars. Some couples are offering single-serve, to-go desserts in cellophane bags as favors marked with “thank you” labels.
Choose a Station – Whether a bride and groom are aficionados of wine, beer, coffee or chocolate, specialty stations enable couples and their guests to indulge in some of their favorites.
RESOURCES
Peacock Design & Paperie Peacockpaperie.com Shillington | 610.796.9198 Taste Buds 530 Penn Ave., West Reading | 610.374.5140 Typothecary Letterpress Typothecaryletterpress.com West Lawn | 484.269.6019 Melanie Linder loveyourinvite.com Fleetwood | 610.683.5082
