2013 Trends: Color



The first place brides start when planning their wedding is often with color. There is no need to plan your big day based on what is currently popular, but choosing a trendy color will increase the number of different  products that are available in that shade. Two years ago, “mint” was thought of as an ice cream flavor, not a fashion statement. Now, Pinterest is claiming that mint green is the single most searched wedding color on their site, so manufacturers and stylists are making sure that they have plenty of options available for brides in this trendy tint.

Pantone 2013 Wedding Colors



Alfred Angelo

 Pantone is showing that jewel tones are also going strong:  Emerald Green, Monaco Blue, and a bright Poppy Red. Don’t forget, these colors aren’t just for flowers and linens any more. Cakes are more colorful, invitations are intense, and even bridal dresses are brilliant!

If you aren’t comfortable with bold color statements, add a touch here and there to emphasize your theme. Have your white bouquet wrapped with a colored ribbon, or add a couple of colorful flowers to the bridesmaids’ flowers. Pick napkins and a chair sash in matching colors.



Board from Sherika De Livera, Dubai, via Pinterest

A trend dominating both the fashion and wedding scenes is black and white. My personal favorite! You can do so many things with this combination. Black and white is easy to make elegant with a damask or chevron pattern, or make it more playful with polka dots. One of the best things about using black and white is that many venues offer white and/or black linens. Using the linens that are on-site will save you the cost of ordering-in all of your linens.

To keep guests from feeling like you’re trying to send them to the Twilight Zone, pair  with another color to make it pop. A very on-trend option: metallic! Think black and white with touches of gold: gold table runners, gold candles and embellishments on the centerpieces, gold picture frames for décor, so glamorous!

These are the top color trends for 2013, but – as always – you should choose what you like best!



Log-In to Your Wedding

Engagement announcements, save-the-dates, invitations, RSVPs…the amount of communication required for a wedding can seem overwhelming. Of course, not every couple sends out formal announcements, or even a save-the-date these days, but there is another way to ensure that all of your guests receive all of your information. And best of all, it doesn't have to cost you anything!

Many websites offer free hosting for wedding pages, and incredibly user-friendly formats and templates. I used mywedding.com to host my personal wedding page, and even made one for the couple whose wedding I was in recently. This site, as with most, will let you choose from a variety of themes and colors, surely one to fit your own event. WeddingWire.com has designs from a number of companies including Wedding Paper Divas, Vera Wang, Magnet Street, David’s Bridal, and even Bed Bath & Beyond. The best thing I found with this website is that you can also order invitations that coordinate with the theme you choose.  The Knot also offers free websites and is always a favorite for their planning tools and resources.

How do I get my website out to my guests?
I recommend creating a website after the engagement as soon as you start seriously planning. If you send out save-the-dates this would be a great time to include a blurb as simple as “Please visit our website at  www.website.com/brideandgroom for  more information.” If your first mailing is your invitation, it’s not too late to include the site. You can put it on a separate card, or on the very bottom of your invitation, though this can take a little away from the feeling of formality.

What to include on my website?
The information you can post is only limited by your imagination. Most websites allow you to publish photos and even encourage sharing the story of your engagement. (I was proposed to in a parking lot, so it’s safe to say I left that off my page.) This is a great time to show off those engagement pictures that you had taken. You can have a tab for accommodations if you are planning on having any out-of-town guests, and even create an easy link to the websites of the hotels. Save another tab for the addresses and directions to the wedding day events; this is another that can have a link to MapQuest or Google Maps. Something you will want to decide is if you plan on having pre-stamped RSVP envelopes in your invitations. Most wedding websites allow an option to collect RSVPs online. It’s as easy for your guests as logging in and clicking a box, you can even include meal choices, and it will save you the expense of printing the RSVPs, adding extra postage, and trying to keep track of those little buggers in the mail. One extra great advantage of a website is that it’s a place for you to publish where you are registered. Please do not write this on your invitations! Invites are meant to request the pleasure of your GUESTS, not to solicit swag. A tab on your website, with a link to any stores that offer online access to your gift registry, is much more appropriate. Other fun ideas are including pictures of your wedding party with a short ditty about their relation to you, and information about anything fun happening in the area over the weekend for out-of-town guests (i.e. Friday night Tin Caps game).

What should I avoid?
Please be careful posting your website on any form of social media. If you post the site on Facebook, for instance, some well-intentioned “friend” may think that serves as an invitation for them to attend. Some host sites do allow you to create a password that you can send out to your guests with the web address. Know your audience. For example, if you are sending an invitation to Great Aunt Margaret, who you know is less than “computer literate,” include any necessary information in the invite itself, don’t expect her to figure out how to turn that computer on. Now, I know many grandparents who now have Facebook profiles, but just be aware of any guests who would prefer the distribution of information the good old-fashioned way.

 

As with all of my recommendations for your Big Day, have FUN and go ahead and personalize, personalize, personalize!

 

Jori Nye
Event Designer
One of a Kind Events