Top 10 Wedding Trends for 2010

TheKnot.com recently published their list of top trends for the year.

My favorites are the new cocktail style receptions and statement cakes!

Biggest surprises... 3-D stationary... hmmm.... we'll see!

And here they are:

RETRO GLAMOUR…
1. BLACK, WHITE & BALL GOWNS: From black-sashed dresses and ball gowns to tulle and high waists, the look of the season is all about Grace Kelly elegance, right down to the accessories: ladylike gloves and pearls. For the guys, traditional tuxes are back.

2. MAD MEN-INSPIRED BEAUTY: Channeling the likes of Betty Draper and Audrey Hepburn, brides will be opting for statement-making hairstyles, like bouffants, French twists, and even beehives, with chic cage veils. As for makeup, matte base, black eyeliner, and red lipstick complete the look.

3. RAT PACK COCKTAIL RECEPTIONS: Couples are skipping the sit-down dinner and going for super club-style cocktail parties instead. Think: big-band music, heavy appetizers, and old-fashioned cocktails, like Manhattans, sidecars, and dirty martinis.

4. ART DECO COLORS: Black -- paired with emerald green or ruby red -- will give weddings a dramatic, sophisticated feel.

5. STATEMENT CAKES: Cupcakes will always be cute, but the big news right now is stately cakes, from towering layers to splashes of metallic details.

QUIRKY SURPRISES...

6. INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS: Blame it on Avatar, but the 3-D craze is also hitting the wedding scene with 3-D save-the-dates, menus and more. And, the interactive phenomenon doesn't stop there. Guests can look forward to crossword puzzle-style save-the-dates, video announcements, and special performances.

7. GLEE-INSPIRED FIRST DANCES: Inspired by the hit show, Glee, couples are taking their first dance to a whole new level by opting for a “mash-up” (or medley) of songs instead of a single one.

8. OVER-THE-TOP WEDDING EXITS: Forget the sparklers, confetti canons and hot air balloon sendoffs will be all the rage.

9. STYLE SURPRISES: A pair of high-top sneakers peeking out from under his tux! A glimpse of a pink petticoat under the hemline of her dress! Pairing bright-green socks for the groom and bright-green shoes for the bride! Couples are really showing their individuality, underneath it all.

10. THE ANTI BRIDE: The '80s are back in a big way, and weddings are not immune. Fingerless gloves, neon graffiti, and '80s prom music will be huge at fashion-forward receptions and after-parties.

AND HERE'S WHAT'S HOT IN:

RINGS: Taking a cue from the fashion runways, gold is the new metal for engagement rings andwedding bands. And for a vintage feel, brides are pairing it with a rose-, emerald-, or Asscher-cut diamond.

REGISTRY: While wedding style goes retro, registry goes high-tech. Couples are now using new and innovative ways to create their registry with techie tools like Gift Registry 360 on Facebook.

HONEYMOONS: All-inclusive luxury resorts are popping up all over the globe, from Hawaii to Antigua -- and honeymooners are flocking to them for the awesome food.

A New Year's Eve Celebration

Below is a great wedding highlight video from the New Year's Eve wedding of Jessica and Cody at Drees Pavilion. Beautiful work by Steve Zugelter at Studio + Z Films .... you can really feel the emotion in this!

I can't share this without pointing out a few favorite details...

First: the vows: wow! I love when couples personalize their vows. Their vows were so honest and touching.

Second: Jessica's hair piece is completely adorable! The way the netting scoops over part of her face is so classic. She looked beautiful and her pearls finished her look.

Finally: Her bouquet-- you can't see if very much of it, but Jessica is carrying the same bouquet design that her mother and grandmother carried in their weddings : Spray of Gardenias, Lily of the Valley, and Stephanotis (bouquet by Timothy's).

Cody is decked out in his military uniform and is looking snappy! Thank you, Cody, for serving our country!

View on ExposureRoom

And the official results are in...

We are so pleased to officially share that viva bella events was voted Best of Wedding Planners by brides on TheKnot.com!

If you are new to all things wedding, let me tell you a bit about The Knot. TheKnot.com is the number 1 wedding website in the United States. In fact, 80% of all online wedding traffic belongs to The Knot Wedding Network (theknot.com & weddingchannel.com), boasting 2,348,000 (!) monthly unique page views (to put in perspective, the 2nd most popular wedding website has just barely a quarter of this traffic). Another interesting factoid....The Knot tells me that 97% of their registered brides spend 20.4 hours a month on their website! Wow! (...I'm sure all wedding planning is done at home, away from work... ;) Right, brides?) What can I say? Brides love The Knot.

Here's how the voting works: A third party research firm, Harris Interactive, conducts the survey and compiles the results. Brides (who are registered on either of The Knot Wedding Network's sites, and who had a wedding date of Oct 1, 2007-June 2009) were sent an individual link inviting them to vote for their favorite wedding vendor. The bride's requirements to vote were simply 1) they hired at least 1 wedding vendor and 2) they had no family members or friends working in industry. That was it. We are so thankful to be a vendor that our brides listed as the best at what they do!

Again, we're thrilled about this! Thanks to all of our brides who voted for us! We LOVE what we do and are glad you love it, too!

KC & Antwan

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of our summer weddings from 2009 was featured in a four page spread of the current issue of Cincinnati Wedding Magazine.

Below are some of my favorite images from their wedding (thanks to Kortnee Kate), as well as the video trailer created by Andrew Tate of 28:20 Films.

Here is the dashing duo who have been a pair since 2002... fierce looks but big hearts! Antwan is an NFL linebacker and KC is a fitness guru, who keeps their family of 8 (!) in line.

The outdoor ceremony was at Ault Park on probably the hottest day of the summer! I was over 6 months pregnant at the time and was definitely feeling the heat... and the love! :)

KC wore her veil over her face, which felt really special. You don't see that much anymore, so it was very sweet when Antwan lifted the veil to kiss his new bride.

Look at these two, sneaking a kiss when no one is looking (except Kortnee!).

All of the wedding stationery, designed by Amy Owens of amo-ink, was beautiful... below are the programs Amy designed for the wedding. I love wedding stationery that coordinates perfectly with the invitations, programs, escort cards, table numbers, menus, all the way to the thank you notes. It's all in the details!

Following the ceremony was the beautiful (and FUN!) reception at the Phoenix.

The lighting on the dance floor (below) was the same pattern as was on the stationery. amo-ink provided the image to Goodwin Lighting and they were able to create an exact match.... just another way that small details add up to a make a dramatic look.

The decor of the reception was black, white, red and BLING. :) KCs beautiful ring set the tone.

Sparkle was everywhere you could see at the reception. Her bouquet (by Katie Elfers) boasted a rhinestone band around the stems and had small crystals in the flowers.

The table tops were scattered with big and small crystals, which really popped over the black crushed table linens that draped half the tables. The alternating tables had black and white patterned linens that also coordinated with the black and white damask design of the wedding stationery.

The cake knife and server were engraved with their wedding date, and the handles... well, they had bling, naturally!

And of course, the cake topper monogram was also aligned to the theme... a P created from rhinestones.

Pictured below is one of the beautiful centerpieces comprised of roses, James Story red orchids and fern curls. Notice how the damask black and white ribbon that Katie applied on the vase coordinates with the damask pattern on the tables numbers.

Everyone had a great time, especially the bride and the groom, pictured below on the dance floor. You know when DJ Toad is part of the team, it's going to be a great party and full dance floor.

What I loved about this wedding is that anyone who knows KC and Antwan walked away knowing that their wedding was uniquely them.... it not only reflected their personal style, but the evening just FELT like THEM... from the outdoor ceremony where KC wore the veil over her face, to the rhinestone studded cake topper and happening music selections on the dance floor.... it was all who they are. Anyone can have a pretty party, but a stand out party is when you can feel the couple's essence all around you.

Pictures tell a thousand words, yet video further helps bring to life the emotion experienced. Enjoy Andrew Tate's great work but don't like it too much as 28:20 films is no longer booking weddings (to pursue greater passions).

KC & Antwan's wedding day was brought to life by the following amazing team:

Ault Park, The Phoenix, Kortnee Kate Photography, 28:20 films, Katie Elfers Inspired Floral Design, IncrEdible Endings, amo-ink custom stationary, Goodwin Lighting, DJ Toad and Chenese Bean Makeup Artistry (special thanks to Chenese for the scans of Cincinnati Magazine!)

All images courtesy of Kortnee Kate Photography.