It is NOT Out of Fashion If You Love It!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

I love wedding blogs.  I mean, I love, love, love them. They are a virtually free resource for a plethora of ideas for your big day and I highly encourage all of my brides to delve in for their daily dose of inspiration. However, one word of caution if you will. One thing about wedding blogs is it can take an amazingly creative idea and make it feel stale long before it actually is. The turnaround time between a wedding and it being published on a blog is so quick, that you literally get to see wedding trends in real time rather than months after the fact, which who wouldn't love that?!! This is a very positive thing for all of you creative brides out there, but also can be confusing for some of you too...

So you loved the idea of a vintage typewriter as a guest book until you saw it in 10 real weddings and now you're onto thinking of something else. And, that amazing ceramic ring bearer dish was all the rage until you noticed it on your favorite wedding blog more than once leaving you thinking it's no longer creative enough. Guess what? If you love these ideas then they are still creative and STILL special enough to make an appearance at your wedding day. Your guests do not spend hours upon hours upon hours devouring wedding blogs, magazines and such. They go to one, maybe two weddings a year. Some haven't been to a wedding in years. They still haven't seen the pews made of hay bales or the mason jar chandeliers. Cupcakes still take them back to a nostalgic place and they still will think the late night snack is charming. Now, I'm not suggesting that you should be lazy with your design in anyway, but if you love something, allow yourself to incorporate it on your wedding day. If you still like the idea of giving away pashminas at the end of the night, do it! Coming from experience, a girl can never have too many pashminas! There is a reason blogs feature these ideas and that so many people have jumped on the train of these trends...because they are great ideas and they are relevant to the atmosphere many couples are trying to create.

Right now, I'm seeing a major trend in my clients attempting to come up with that one "never-been-seen" element of their day whether it applies to them as a couple or not. Just because something is creative and unique, doesn't make it relevant for YOUR day. In the end, trying too hard, if not done right, can feel obvious and even silly.  Just be yourself and know who you are on your big day. Those are the weddings that guests love...ones that remind them of the couple they're there to celebrate. And, if that includes a lemonade stand, rustic chalkboards everywhere or your groomsmen wearing Chucks then so be it!

11 comments:

ever ours said...

so rightly said, beth. so much truth to this post! thanks for sharing :)

Emilia Jane said...

Great minds...I JUST wrote a post about this very subject last night (though yours, as usual, is written much better)! How many photo booths have we seen? Well, I set one up at a birthday party last weekend and everyone couldn't get over how unique and original an idea it was (to them)!

Britt said...

couldn't agree more. i hate trend talk. i've done a rant about it on my blog, and ever since then, i've ceased to notice what's trending and what's not. I know what *I* like personally... and i couldn't care less if it has become too "overused." I guarantee no one attending our wedding will say, "wow... they chose cupcakes? cupcakes are so 2008" *ridick*

Amber Events said...

Hallelujah! Thank you for saying this.

Ashley said...

Whenever I feel overwhelmed by wedding planning I come here to get some perspective. And I always leave feeling refreshed, relaxed and rejuvinated to keep going. Thanks for providing me a reality check along the way- your insight is more helpful than you know.

Beth Helmstetter said...

Ashley, your comment made my entire week. Thank you! I know it can be overwhelming but yes, keep maintaining perspective and just trust yourself. Two key ingredients for a successful wedding :). Congratulations!

Paige Appel said...

so well said! it is nearly impossible to come up with a new idea every week. xoxo

Aleah + Nick Valley said...

This is such a great post and rings so true. We encourage our clients to not be influenced by others, but by what they love. If it's something that has been seen on blog after blog, it doesn't matter if they love it! Each thoughtful detail that goes into a wedding is what makes it special.

sarah yates said...

so right! and written so perfectly. thank you!

Joanna said...

Ashley you are speaking how I feel. THXs. Beth your words and insights are so soothing + reassuring in this overwhelming wedding blog world. Yes I will continue to trust my heart. Good job!

Joanna said...

Ashley you are speaking how I feel. THXs. Beth your words and insights are so soothing + reassuring in this overwhelming wedding blog world. Yes I will continue to trust my heart. Good job!