Wedding trends come and go, and although I try to keep up on what’s the latest in the wedding world, I’ve never been a fan of trends as a whole. Sure, there are many things I love that also happen to be “trends,” but I love these things for what they are, NOT because they are wedding trends.
As a wedding planner in Dayton, Ohio, I’ve seen many different ideas and details and (dare I say it) trends incorporated into my bride and groom’s wedding day theme and décor. The exciting part is when after everything is all set up, the party is in full swing, the bride and groom are having the time of their lives, and you can tell that the guests are thinking “Oh, that’s so [bride and groom’s names].”
Recently, there’s been some controversial back-and-forth in a few wedding blogs on the topic of wedding trends. On the surface it seems that these particular blog writers are simply anti-wedding blog or anti-mason jars and twinkly lights (a couple items that currently happen to be “IN” in wedding décor).
However, if you read between the lines you’ll get to the root of what they are saying. The “problem” isn’t so much WHAT (it’s not weddings blogs per se, or mason jars/lights in and of themselves), but WHY (why did the bride and groom choose these particular details for their wedding).
Yeah, details ARE important – there’s no doubt about that. It’s the use of these details that can easily personalize your wedding and brings to life your own specific wedding style and vision.
But when you choose details solely because they look so pretty, or cool, or whatever in that magazine article or blog post, but don’t base it on the style and theme that best represents you and your partner, then you run the risk of ending up with nothing more than a meaningless prop instead of something that makes a statement about you and your fiancé. Wouldn’t you prefer your guests to see the details and think “Oh, that’s so them!” instead of “huh?”
So, it seems to me that the solution to this “problem” is twofold:
1. The bride and groom, and their love for each other, is more important than the details (don’t lose sight of the reason for the day – the celebration of your love)
2. Choose details because they fit in with your personal and wedding styles (and not because they fit a preconceived notion of how a wedding “should” look or what you “should” have to be “right”)
Try to make details meaningful to you – not because they’re trendy but because it’s something you love. To thine own self be true. Be YOU. Do YOU. And if YOU happens to be mason jars and twinkly lights (or whatever the current trend may be) then embrace it. On the other hand, if it’s not, then don’t feel like you have to choose these things.
And yes, even here in Dayton, Ohio I’ve seen mason jars and twinkle lights and other wedding details that are also considered “trendy,” (you can see some of them here on my wedding gallery). And no, I did not cringe, as each were gorgeous, wonderful representations of the bride and groom.
By the way, in case you’re interested, check out the blog posts in question, Open Letter to Wedding Bloggers on Hindsight Bride , A Wedding Manifesto of Sorts on Jonas Peterson, and Are Mason Jars Really Ruining the Wedding Industry? on Offbeat Bride.
Hearts, Joy, Love!
Jean
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Photo credit: Sandra Reed
