Trending now for a 2019
wedding: Be yourself

Your wedding should always reflect your taste and ideas, but as 2019 rushes toward peak ceremony season, we see trends that might influence your choices. Some may conflict with each other, but there are plenty of options, so you can select the one that best suits you.

If you’re going to go big, go big

For lovers of fantasy a wedding can reflect your own version of a long-ago era, an imagined future, or a world of magic. Game of Thrones, anyone? You need not recreate an exact replica of the show in order to evoke the feeling. Perhaps the bride wears a crown, or dragons decorate the cake. Or you can rent a castle.

If you think that Thrones is done too much these days, perhaps you have an up-and-coming favorite. Imagine a Stranger Things wedding with an Upside Down theme. Without quite so much horror, of course.

Fantasy themes also encompass the sophistication and daring of the Roaring ’20s or the sassiness of 1950s poodle dresses. This is where Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Mickey Mouse themes also fit in, along with a Disney destination wedding.

When the food is the thing

Most grooms would brag for the rest of their lives if their wedding featured a wall of doughnuts, but you can be a little more sophisticated and still wow your guests. It’s all in the presentation, whether you feature a bottomless keg of hard cider, pour-your-own champagne cocktails or build-your-own tacos.

Passed hors d’oeuvres and formal dinners will always remain fashionable, but this year will see the corset loosen on what is acceptable in food presentations.

For instance, you might offer guests a range of charcuterie boards, either as a large buffet or as a sampling at each table. Not just for appetizers but for dinner. If that is too radical for the mother-in-law, small plates are an option that by now everyone should be comfortable with.

Charcuterie or small plates allow guests to try new things but also stick with what they know, as long as you give them hamburger sliders and French fries along with the curried lamb, mini crab melts and shots of sweet potato soup.

And while wedding cake is always a fine option, some couples are exploring ice cream sundae tables, where guests scoop their own bowls while selecting from several flavors and all the toppings.

Color your world

If you have a favorite color, use it with a flourish or as an accent at your wedding. The trend for 2019 includes the colors rust and purple.

The groom’s tuxedo could be rust, or perhaps it should show up only on the belts of the bridesmaids’ dresses. Don’t make your husband wear a purple suit, but any shade of purple – from mauve to mulberry – would enliven the bride’s bouquet and flower arrangements, as well as table linens and other decorations.

Drones, not phones

A generation ago, video was the brand-new way to record your wedding day. Today, you are allowed to request a series of drone shots from your photographer/videographer. At the same time, more brides are requesting guests to stow their phone (cameras) during the ceremony, and we have to agree that it is nicer when everyone one is watching the bride and groom directly, not through a lens. The reception is a different story.

Actions reflect beliefs

Excess is fun, and no one frowns on a big celebration, but more couples are opting for sustainability in their wedding plans. Perhaps that means the venue is a farm with a fantastic view and a barn if it rains, along with a menu that includes grass-fed beef (or even mostly vegetarian), along with cups and cutlery of biodegradable plastic and flower arrangements selected the day before at a farmer’s market.

The point is, your wedding can go in any direction. The important thing is that it reflects you, so that on the big day, as guests walk back to their rooms or their cars, they are all saying, “That was exactly her!”