So 2010 has been a big year for us here at OneFabDay - we've seen our little labour of love grow and grow, and really take on a life of its own (more about that shortly). But in that time we've seen a LOT of wedding ideas and styles and LOADS of amazing real life weddings.
So we thought we'd do a quick review of the most popular trends we spotted over the course of the year from an international and Irish perspective. Some have been around for a while but really took off in 2010, while others were hot elsewhere and are only starting to be popular in Ireland. Next week we'll be following up with our predictions for what's going to be hot in 2011.
The Top 10 Wedding Trends of 2010
Birdcage Veils
Giant Letters were a must-have at weddings from Tokyo to Tyrone - whether it was monograms like at Colm & Marie's wedding above, full names or spelling out words like Love or I Do in photos. Even Thank You cards got the big letter treatment - brides and grooms posed with the words for photos to be sent out later on. The
The big letters were also used as props in Photobooths - another 2010 wedding must-have. These took many forms, from actual photobooths for hire (like the ones you take your passport photos in), to having a photographer on standby to get all the guests. Props were a big feature, from wigs and glasses to...
... Moustaches - yes people these are not just for Movember but for the whole year round. What started as hipster touch became mainstream and was see at as well as providing hilarious and cute offbeat photos. They are also a great device for photographers to use to relax the wedding party into having the portraits done - everyone has a great time with them and forgets they're even being photographed - Dave McClelland's work at Cindy and Dave's wedding is really good example. (photo: HillCityBride)
Carnival and Festival Style weddings have been growing in popularity, maybe it's how everyone longs for Electric Picnic and Glastonbury never to end, maybe its because lots of people prefer informal and fun to tradition but there was a burst of festival style weddings with lots of carnival details - hog roasts and chipper vans and fun invitations.
50s-style wedding dresses with their tea-length swing skirts have been gaining in popularity for a couple of years but they were very much in evidence at 2010 weddings. And no wonder - they're fun and practical, you can move easily, dance til you drop and not worry about your train and heavy skirt.
Lanterns - while in the US marquees have long been highly decorated, in Ireland marquees have been suffering from neglect for a while. Over 2010 this has been begun to be remedied, and chinese paper lanterns have been making appearances in wedding marquees all over the country. But it's not just in marquees, lanterns of all kinds - glass and metal hanging and standing lanterns are at entrance ways and on tables at weddings everywhere.
A Couple of Emerging Trends in 2010
These are relatively well-established elsewhere, but they have been making tentative appearances at Irish weddings during 2010, these are wedding trends that are set to grow and grow over 2011.
Sweet or Candy Bar Buffet - all that dancing during the wedding reception means your guests are going to be in need of an energy boost - what could be more fun than bag of sweets? A buffet table full of yummy delights from wine gums to chocolate mice will get everyone talking and munching.
Before the wedding you have to have a big celebration with your girls, but instead of the blow-out in Westport what about having a Lady-like Henparty instead? Think dressing up in a frock and heels, full make up (maybe a little pillbox hat or birdcage veil?) and drinking tea from vintage china like a real lady? Pearl & Godiva is a new company offering just this service - more about them in a day or so.
What Was Your Favourite 2010 Wedding Trend?
Next Week we'll be posting our predictions for wedding trends to watch in 2011 - watch out Mystic Meg we're coming after your crown!
