Whatcom County draws the best of urban and natural wedding influences and marries them to uniquely Northwestern style. With the memory of the sumptuous royal nuptials behind us, some trends have taken hold while others fade into the closet with robin's egg blue tuxedos and pleated puffy sleeves.
We talked to local wedding experts Anne Rasmussen, owner of True Bliss Events; Pam Needham, owner of Alicia's Bridal & The Formal House; Elaine Wood, owner of Belle Bridal & Formal Shoppe; Andi Vann, owner of Pure Bliss Desserts; Scarlett Graham, director of sales at the Chrysalis Inn & Spa; Kim Joyner, sales manager of the Bellwether Hotel; Clinton James of Clinton James Photography; and Aaron Nelson of Evantide Photography to find out the latest fun and fabulous trends to consider while creating a 2012 wedding.
THE WEDDING
ECONOMICALLY REASONABLE
"Overall I'm seeing a shift toward a more socially responsible, understated wedding, taking into consideration the cost in the long term. But don't attempt a 'do it yourself' just to save money. This day is significant and memorable," Rasmussen says.
"Budget is the most important thing. Keep it within reason," Joyner says.
INDIVIDUAL TO THE COUPLE
"Older couples with a little more money and experience are more able to focus on the things most important to them, a smaller guest list, better food, good wine and flowers. They have a good sense of their individuality. Younger people are more likely to follow the traditional playbook," James says.
"A wedding is also a celebration of family and friends. Incorporate more people into the wedding and reception activities," Rasmussen says.
SCHEDULING
"Weddings are held now any time of day or day of the week. They needn't all be on Saturday. Economically, it might make sense to do it off-season, rather than just spring to early fall," Rasmussen says.
SIZE
"One of the big trends is the intimate, understated wedding like in our hotel living room overlooking the bay.
"There might be a small, quick ceremony for less than 50, followed by champagne and desserts with a string quartet. People have a chance to mingle and talk," Graham says.
DESTINATIONS
"Northwest destination weddings, on remote islands in San Juan Islands accessible by boat or plane or at Roche Harbor, or even Semiahmoo, offer family and friends a weekend of a Northwest experience," James says.
PHOTOGRAPHS
"A wedding 'portrait artist' slows down the day to get that perfectly posed portrait. On the other end is the pure 'photojournalist,' recording the day as it happens instead of controlling it," James says.
"It's important for either the photographer and/or the client to set expectations so that, in the end, no one is left wondering why something did or didn't happen. Communication is so vital," Nelson says.
Consider engagement photographs. "I had a couple who wanted an engagement photo session for their invitations taken at the place they became engaged using a vintage family 1950s Nash Rambler. It was a theme for those photos and at the wedding. Their clothing was from the era, and we shot with vintage cameras, black and white film and faded color to give it the style she wanted," James says.
"Couples with distinctive style choose elements and ideas from their love story and include them as features throughout the day. Vintage weddings are becoming a fun trend.
"During the wedding day, I find couples value the images that blend fashion, art and lifestyle photography. The wedding day is about fun, style, and emotion, and the pictures should tell the story from those angles," James says.
THE FASHIONS
THE DRESS
"Over 90 percent of our gowns are strapless, sleeveless and a few halter tops. Fabrics were once mostly satin. Now there is chiffon, soft taffeta and lots of lace. Alfred Angelo's Disney Weddings fairy tale-inspired collection is also popular," Wood says.
"Strapless is big, but we do see some three-quarter fitted sleeves. You can also now add a cap sleeve to any dress to get a little coverage," Needham says.
"Designers are fast to copy celebrity gowns. Copies of Kate's gown were available within two days after the wedding," Wood says.
"Lace, ruffles, tulle, pleated and texture are big. Very popular also is the 'modified mermaid' cut to lower thigh, flattering on everybody. Classic elegance and trains, from little sweep to a semi-cathedral," Needham says.
"Most popular is off-white, or diamond white, which is not quite cream. Ivory is much softer than it used to be, now not so yellow or brown," Wood says.
"Shades of ivory are the most popular. A lot of the ivories look nearly white, but it is more flattering on most people than stark white," Needham says.
SHOES
"Bright Swarovski crystals over cream satin with wild heels with names like Charlize and Gaga. Semi-wedge crystal encrusted heels.
Brides like to shop at night. It's so hot we are adding shoes and accessories to alicias
bridal.com," Needham says.
"We're seeing a lot of bright-colored and funky shoes with their gown, even boots. They're not necessarily the same color as the dress anymore," Wood says.
"Although the new shoes are much more comfortable than they used to be, bring a couple pairs of heels to dance in, to change the pressure on your foot. Be sure to test them before the big day," Needham says.
ACCESSORIES
"Lace and belts are big. Fascinators are popular from the royal wedding, but we've Americanized it, so it's more subtle. Hats, large and small, for mothers of the bride," Needham says.
"With minimal gowns, jewelry is more important than ever. Rather than veils, choose fascinators or little veil hats," Wood says.
"Airbrush tanning is great for evening out tan lines and getting color. Test it first to get a natural shade, Needham says.
BRIDESMAIDS
"Bridesmaids tend to shorter dresses in bright, happy colors like magenta, purple, daffodil. One trend is that the bride will pick a color like black, and let the bridesmaids choose their own dress," Wood says.
"You can wear bridesmaid dresses anywhere now. They are copies of fashionable runway styles. Dress colors in hot pink and black, or even cobalt blue. We're also seeing a lot of purple. Browns are coming back, and bright canary yellow paired with gray," Needham says.
GROOMS
"Men are wearing tuxedos still, but we have more casual suit looks, too. Parisian chocolate brown has been a hot color. They don't always wear a cummerbund or bow tie. Now a vest and Windsor tie works," Wood says.
"We're seeing lots of gray in men's wear. The girls want a formal gown and they want their guys to wear a classic tuxedo or suit, so we offer both for rent or sale," Needham says.
THE RECEPTION
FOOD
"Instead of buffets, offer food stations throughout the room to avoid one big line. Be conscious of food allergies, gluten and dairy-free and vegetarian. Offer dessert tables," Rasmussen says.
"Meals can be more heavy appetizers, canapes and finger foods," Graham says.
CAKE
"Traditionally people wanted the perfect fondant look, but recently cakes are going a little rustic, with a distinct textured look and a classic smooth butter cream.
"We match it to the theme of the wedding, like vintage or beach. Fresh flowers on the cake are big now," Vann says.
"Cake flavors are about 50/50 for traditional vanilla cake or exotic, like creamy coconut, salted caramel cake, double-chocolate stout cake with Irish cream frosting. Frostings can be tinted like their color theme.
"We still find dessert bars popular, with a small cake, but a table where guests can pick one or more small portions of different desserts," Vann says.
"For cupcakes, we recommend a tower, stacking them individually with a small cake on the top.
"Budget-friendly cupcakes are a good option because they are cheaper than the per-slice charge of a cake and they don't have to pay the plating fee from the venue," Vann says.
DÉCOR
"Brides are inspired by natural things like landscaping and the geography of their wedding. If getting married by the sea, choose the colors you see by the ocean," Rasmussen says.
Non-floral accents like feathers, fabric, or metals can be incorporated.
"A lot of pinks and gold this last year, with roses and lilies. In contrast, I had a really fun nautical theme wedding with blues, reds and whites," Joyner says.
"The single large centerpiece is optional. Create a full landscape throughout the table with smaller pieces," Rasmussen says.
MUSIC
"DJs and bands help keep the momentum going, so hire a professional. Whoever you choose must work with the age of an audience," Rasmussen says.
