It’s no surprise that weddings are looking different these days. All the rules, regulations, and safety precautions of the Covid era have changed the wedding industry in a lot of ways. There’s no denying that it’s been an incredibly tough year for couples and industry professionals alike, but not all of the changes have been bad; in fact, we foresee many of them becoming the norm! Here are some of the trends that we’re expecting to see last well into the new year – and beyond.
It’s no secret that venues start booking up over a year in advance, so when 2020 weddings started to postpone, there were very few Saturdays and Sundays to choose from – especially during peak season. Because of this, many couples have chosen to opt for weekday weddings! According to The Knot, one third of weddings are already being held on weekdays, and it’s a trend that we fully support. Choosing a date that falls during the week can be cost-effective, and since vendors are typically all booked up on the weekends well in advance, you’re more likely to get the ones you want if you choose a non-peak day – especially when you’re planning for a shorter engagement.
This can go hand-in-hand with hosting your wedding on a weekday, but we love a good brunch wedding! There’s so much room for creativity when it comes to a morning or afternoon reception; if you’re not locked into the typical “dinner and dancing” format, you can introduce all kinds of alternatives for entertainment. Plus, who doesn’t love a luxe coffee bar or a breakfast buffet, like we arranged for Hannah + Rodrigo’s beautiful at-home celebration?
Tented weddings have always been stunning, but these days they’re becoming a necessity, too. Whether you’re hosting your wedding at home, on the grounds of a venue, or in a non-traditional location like an open field, a wholly outdoor wedding allows for larger guest counts while still maintaining social distancing. When the weather is less than ideal – think summer in Texas – opting for a tent works as well for protecting guests from the elements as it does for providing a stunning design element.
One new trend that we’re seeing a rise in is the concept of a “shift wedding,” where guests rotate in and out of the celebration. For example, think childhood friends for the ceremony, coworkers for cocktail hour, and immediate family for dinner and dancing. It’s definitely an out-of-the-box idea, but with so many traditions being thrown out the window, why not embrace this idea? It’s a great way to keep from cutting your overall guest list, and you get to spend more quality time with each group of guests throughout the day. Another method for this is splitting up the celebration into several different small parties – and who wouldn’t want to stretch out their wedding for as long as possible?
Want to forego the typical traditions altogether and just get married? Elopements are on the rise, whether it’s just a quick visit to the courthouse or a full-blown trip across the world. After all, what could be more socially distanced than you, your partner, your officiant, and your photographer out in the wilderness?
Looking for more trends to get inspired by? Check out the rest of our blog series:
Catering + Bar
Photo credits: (1) Lightly Photography, (2) Town & Country Magazine, (3) Green Wedding Shoes
Camryn reached out to me just a few weeks out from her late June wedding at the Milestone in Denton, and from there it was a whirlwind in the best kind of way. Her vision for the day – all moody neutrals and personal details, like a display of her grandmothers’ wedding dresses, a hand-painted canvas of the venue for guests to sign, and a surprise late-night snack of cookies from her favorite Baylor-area bakery – was thoughtfully designed and dreamy as could be, and it was such an honor to get to help bring it all to life.
Camryn + Lance are a truly special couple. In a beautiful ballroom full of 175 guests from all over the country, they truly only had eyes for each other. Their relationship has been built on service to each other and a focus on their shared faith, and that shone through in every aspect of their wedding day. The focal point of their ceremony was a stunning cross covered in florals (courtesy of Coco Fleur Events), and they incorporated a foot-washing ceremony into their I Dos to honor God and each other.
After a heartfelt round of toasts and a lovely dinner served by the Milestone’s in-house catering team, it was time to party! LeForce Entertainment kept the dance floor packed, and a dream team of 7 Sisters Photography and Silver Bear Creative captured every stunning moment.
Like what you see? Check out our amazing vendor team below: Venue, Catering, Bar: The Milestone – Denton
Photography: 7 Sisters Photography
Video: Silver Bear Creative
Florals: Coco Fleur Events
Cakes: Delicious Cakes
Cookies: Bittersweet Cookies
MUAH: Etoilly Artistry
Wedding Dress: BB Lewisville
Transportation: Elite Valet
Coordination: Julep Events
“I’m really organized.”
“I planned a work event once so I know what I’m doing.”
“I have a lot of friends who have gotten married recently so they can help me.”
“My cousin is going to be my planner.”
These are all things that brides have said to me to justify not wanting to spend money on planning services. And guess what? I understand! You don’t know what you don’t know, and I certainly didn’t know how much went into planning weddings and events when I started in the industry back in 2015. Now that I do know, though, I can’t help but cringe a little when I hear things like this. Planning a successful, cohesive, memorable event is not just color-coded agendas or setting votives on cocktail tables for happy hour; it’s long hours poring over contracts, keeping up with hundreds of emails, and, quite frankly, a lot of very high-stress and not-glamorous work. Ultimately, if you don’t have a planner, all of that falls to you – or to your friends and family, who likely don’t have any more time or patience to handle these tasks than you do.
So when you start to think, Maybe I’ll just save that money and do this all myself, you really need to consider the time investment that you’ll be putting into this process – not just into getting quotes and scrolling Pinterest for ideas, but into researching the very large, very saturated event industry for the vendors that you need to even get the ball rolling.
Already feeling overwhelmed? Read on; below are ten major reasons why you should consider hiring a planner to help bring your event to life in a way that no one else can.
It’s not all cake tastings and picking out flowers; it’s setting deadlines, researching vendors, making phone calls, reviewing contracts, and creating down-to-the-minute timelines. When you already have a busy schedule with work, social obligations, and everything else you have going on, do you really want to devote what little downtime you have left to the planning process? Burnout is real, and the last thing you want is to end up dreading having to think about your wedding.
You may know what you want, but not how to get it – or even how to articulate it. I did an event for SXSW where the client wanted a 15’x15′ fully-functioning Etch-A-Sketch. While he was asking, “Does that even exist?”, I was asking, “What color do you want it to be?” Planners have resources and contacts. We know where to go and who to talk to to get what you want. Nothing is impossible.
Are you creative but have a hard time focusing on contracts and timelines? Are you more detail-oriented and struggle with figuring out which colors go together? The right planner for you will handle the parts of the process that you have trouble with. Whether you want someone to take your plans and put them into action or to help you figure out your design and decor, you can find a planner that helps round out your team and make the whole process easier.
Every cake looks delicious. Every DJ plays good music. Every photographer has a beautiful, perfectly curated website. What you don’t see is the reputation, specialty, and personality of each vendor. Planners work with literally hundreds of other industry professionals and can figure out who will be the best fit for your team.
In the same vein, planners can figure out your needs and make sure that the vendors you choose will deliver. It can be so easy to make assumptions about services; for example, a friend of mine who got married recently (without a planner) hired a caterer whose contract said they would drop off the food and leave, and then was confused as to why the caterer wasn’t staying to serve or clean up. Contracts are confusing, but planners know exactly what to look for.
It can be really awkward if you’re planning an event and your sweet best friend or family member is trying to take over. If they want red flowers and you want yellow, you might feel swayed to choose their idea for the sake of not hurting feelings. When you have a planner, you’re the client, and the planner will step in and handle those awkward conversations to make sure that you get exactly what you want.
Your bridesmaid won’t want to skip mimosas on the morning of the wedding to arrange 120 place settings. Your best friend won’t want to get to your fundraiser frazzled and already tired from driving all over town to pick up linens and flowers. Your mom won’t want to miss the first half of your birthday party because she’s on the phone with a vendor who’s running late. Your planner, on the other hand, is ready and willing to do what you don’t have time for. It’s in the job description.
If your dream vendor is out of your price range, you may feel discouraged – or worse, you may be tempted to go overboard on spending. When you have a planner, he or she can figure out great ways to make your dream come true without breaking the bank. With a little bit of creativity and industry know-how, any event can look like it has a champagne budget, even if it doesn’t.
A table setting may get lost in the mix. People may decline their RSVP but show up anyway. Transportation may get lost on the way to your venue. A bridesmaid’s gel bra may explode all over her dress five minutes before the ceremony (speaking from experience here!). I’ve dealt with all of these issues, and that’s kept the client from having to deal with them. Even if things are easy fixes – a call to a vendor, an extra chair placed here or there, a phone call to give step-by-step directions, a draped sash made out of a table runner – these fixes would fall to the client and make their day hectic and stressful when it should be fun and easy.
If you’re the one in charge of sticking to the timeline, coordinating vendor arrivals and departures, running the setup and breakdown, managing the flow of the event, lighting candles, keeping an eye on the food and drinks, adjusting the lighting, rounding people up for photos, and ensuring that everyone else is happy, your event will pass in the blink of an eye – and you won’t even know what happened. Your event, no matter how big or how small, is your day and your time to shine, so give yourself a chance to enjoy it. Be present. Let someone else handle the stress.
You found the love of your life, you got the ring of your dreams, and now the shock and surprise is starting to wear off and you’re wondering what to do next. As happy and excited you are, it can be really overwhelming to think, okay. This is it. I’m planning my wedding now.
After I realized that my husband, Westin, was The One, I started thinking about what my wedding day might look like. I had so many ideas and design elements that I loved, but when he actually popped the question, even I – a wedding planner! – was left in a state of dreamy limbo, wondering how to move forward and narrow it all down. I’ve worked with clients from “will you?” to “I do” a million times, but it all seemed so new and different and overwhelming when it was actually my wedding to plan!
So what did I do? I poured a glass of champagne (or two, or three…) and made a list, and then I started working down it, step by step. For any newly engaged couples out there, congratulations, and here’s my advice for how to start the craziest, most fun, most overwhelming, happiest process of your lives.
When you get engaged, tell your closest family and friends personally, whether it’s in person or on FaceTime. Chances are they’ve seen this moment coming and they’re going to be overjoyed by hearing about it from you – not by seeing it on social media. You don’t want your sweet Aunt Imogen finding out about your engagement the same way your 4th grade summer camp roomie does!
If the engagement was a surprise or if you hadn’t gone to try on rings with your SO, you’ll need to take your ring in to get it properly sized. You don’t want it flying off your hand every time you show it off – which is about to be all the time! And while you’re at the jeweler…
It’s not fun or glamorous, but you know what’s even worse? Losing it and not getting the money back to replace it! It’s easy to add your ring to whatever policy you already have for home, auto, renter’s, etc, but be sure and check with your insurance broker to find the best policy for you and to see what paperwork is required.
Everyone is going to ask when the big day is, as if you’ve already planned the whole wedding prior to your engagement, so be ready with an answer – even a vague one! Westin and I took a solid month to officially pick a date based on availability of our venue, but in the meantime our answer was, “spring of 2019.” That was a good enough answer to tide people over until we put our deposit down on the venue and set it in stone. And remember: your date isn’t official until your venue is booked!
It’s definitely not fun, but you need to at least start talking about a workable budget and your priorities with your wedding – BEFORE you fall down the Pinterest rabbit hole! Figure out how much you can spend, who else is contributing, what your approximate guest count will be, and what aspects of the wedding you want to devote the most money to. Do you care a lot about flowers but not as much about your attire? Are you and your fiance big foodies but not big drinkers? Figure these things out so that you know what your price range is for each vendor and you don’t start out at the top of your budget for everything. That’s a sure way of disappointing yourself in the end!
Not that I’m biased or anything, but having a planner from the get-go will start you off – and keep you – on the right track. Most couples realize late into the planning process that they’re going to need help, but when you have someone there from the beginning, you’ll have guidance on EVERYTHING. Someone firmly rooted in and knowledgeable about the wedding industry will be able to help you create a realistic and workable budget, advise you on things to look for in a venue (it’s not just about how pretty it is!), and help you narrow down vendors that fit your style and budget. While you’re enjoying the excitement and the fun of the planning process, your planner will be behind the scenes, working hard to make your day absolutely perfect.
You’re just about to start the wedding planning marathon, so even though you’re excited beyond words, take a few days to relax. Go out on a date. Pop a bottle of champagne. Celebrate with your friends, post your ring selfies, and relax on the couch with some wedding magazines. Enjoy this calm before the (fun!) storm – there’ll be more than enough going on to keep you busy very, very soon!
