This piece is a short interview I did with a good friend of mine about current wedding trends. Funnily enough I met her at the mall one day when we happened to be going into all of the same shops. I gave her my card thinking we must have a lot in common. Turns out we both have boys around the same age and a love for fashion and all things beautiful.

Danielle and her Father on her wedding day, beautiful!

An added bonus, she works on the wedding section at Boston Magazine so knows just about everything you need to know about wedding planning. Needless to say she is the perfect person to answer all my questions. Here are her answers…

Q: First off, what are the BIG trends you are seeing in wedding planning this year?

A: “Big trends: food trucks for a late night snack, chevron and patterns in general, long rustic family style tables (instead of round tables), recreating old family wedding photos (love this one, for example, posing in the exact same way your parents did in one of their wedding photos), mismatched bridesmaids, using pinterest to plan your wedding!”

Q: What colors are popular? I see a lot of pastels on the runways is this translating to bridal?

A: Pastels are popular for bridal gowns actually, and accesorries…I’ve seen a lot of mint shoes lately Also, the Pantone wedding color of the year is emerald, which is big.

Q: I’ve noticed that white is not necessarily the go to color for wedding gowns this year (i.e. Vera Wang’s red wedding dress) do you think this trend will last?

A: Yes, the color trend for bridal has been around for a while, and I think it will continue to be popular. There are options for a subtle hint of color (think blush pink gown or black sash), or more dramatic black and colored bridal gowns.

Q: If you were to choose a color other than white for a wedding dress what would it be?

A: Personally, I am a big fan of the very subtle blush pink. I also love the ombre look (for gowns, and all things wedding).

Blush Pink Wedding Gown by Lazaro

Versace Pink Ombre Gown

Q:  Who is your favorite wedding dress designer right now?

A: Favorite designer is Monique Lhuillier, hands down! Also love Lazaro, Reem Acra, and of course, Vera Wang. Here is my pinterest board for wedding gowns:http://pinterest.com/daniellemm22/wedding-gowns/

Q: Any trends in wedding hairstyles worth mentioning?

A: Wedding hair is always the same…”messy/natural looking updo” is the most popular request. Interesting head pieces are in though, and bird-cage veils are one of my faves  Check out the website for BHLDN (Anthropolgie’s wedding store)

Q: Do you have suggestions on how brides can choose a dress that bridesmaids WILL actually wear again?

A: Yes! I love the idea of having bridesmaids choose dresses in the same color family, but not matchy matchy. See  a good example here:
http://pinterest.com/pin/246079567109678684/.

Also, if all else fails, if all the girls choose their own black satin dress….you get a classic look, and a dress everyone is happy with!

Q: What’s new in wedding cuisine? How about cakes?

A: Mini comfort food is still big, as well as late night snacks (food truck, or passed late night snacks or desserts). Here is a fun example:http://www.petercallahan.com/content/blog/were-celebrating-national-margarita-day-with-fish-tacos-patron-ritas/

Cakes are still very personal…so hard to pin down trends. Many brides do try to tie in the same look and feel for invites, cakes, favors, etc (nautical, vintage, etc). The high-end cake bakers do a lot of clean lines, modern cakes (frilly flowers and fussy details are out)!

Here’s a beautiful cake I found from Martha Stewart Weddings, simple but the gold really makes a statement…

Q: You are already married (I love your wedding dress by the way!) but if you had it to do all over again what would you do differently? (if anything)

A: That’s a tough one! I loved my wedding, which is a good thing…though I do wish I could plan my own wedding every year! I would include video if I had it to do over again. I (like many brides) cut video from the budget, in order to spend a bit more on a great photographer. These days, there are some amazing video companies who basically give you a movie production of your wedding day…gone are the days of the cheesy videographer. That being said, this is an expensive add on, but worth it! I would give anything to have my dad’s speech on tape, now that he is gone.

Q:  Finally, what are your top tips for brides to be?

A: Oh boy, I have a few… 

* Take time to enjoy the day…try to slow down and look around a little. If something goes wrong, do not panic, try to take it in stride and focus on enjoying your friends and family!

* When planning, be honest and up front with vendors. If there is a photographer you love, but you think you can’t afford….call them, tell them the budget you are working with, and ask them if they can offer any sort of custom package that fits your budget/needs. This is different from just asking for a discount….don’t do that!

* Figure out which components are most important to you as a couple, and spend most of your budget there (Menu? Band? Photography? Flowers?)

* Do a boudoir shoot (I am huge fan)

Another suggestion Danielle gave me was to check out the site StyleMePretty.com, this is the “go to” site for wedding planning. Here’s a picture from their gallery featuring emerald bridesmaids gowns.