We’re well into wedding-planning season and there are a number of hot new trends that brides and grooms will want to include in their wedding. 2017 is all about super-fun and unique details that convey the couple’s likes and interests, including what to serve wedding guests, how to design and decorate the big day and how to end it on a sweet note.
WeddingWire, with help of some talented wedding vendors, shared the top 2017 wedding trends with Good Morning America. You can watch the video here, or read below to discover this year’s wedding must-haves!
The Season’s Hottest Wedding Dress Trends
In-stores now are the latest wedding gown designs that were revealed at Spring 2017’s Bridal Market last year. Working with BHLDN, WeddingWire pulled several wedding dresses that highlight the season’s top looks.
Following the popularity of ready-to-wear designs that reveal a woman’s shoulders, the Blake Gown by Theia is an off-the-shoulder wedding dress with a beautiful sweetheart neckline. This affordable-priced dress ($900) also represents the minimalist look, with no embellishments, allowing brides to accessorize their wedding-day look with fabulous accessories.
Taking a page from the Coachella-look, brides who want that Boho-chic vibe will fall in love with the Nessa wedding dress by Christos Costarellos ($2,200). With a bold lace pattern, high neckline and long sleeves, this ‘70s inspired wedding look is both sexy and stylish. And with a high-low hemline, a bride can rock a fab pair of shoes too!
Save a Bundle by Renting a Designer Bridesmaid Dress
Groomsmen have been renting tuxedos for weddings for years, and it’s finally time that the ladies get in on the action. Thanks to Vow to Be Chic bridesmaids can rent bridesmaid dresses from the most popular bridesmaid dress designers, including Amsale, Monique Lhuillier, Nicole Miller and Watters, for up to 65% off the retail price! They offer collections in a rainbow of colors, from sizes 0 to 18. Gowns arrive two weeks before the wedding day so if a size needs to be adjusted there’s plenty of time to get another one in time for the big day.
Have a Red Carpet Moment in Diamond Jewelry
You may not have a celebrity’s connections to borrow jewels for free, but you can rent diamond earrings, a necklace and bracelet for 1-3% of the retail price thanks to New York-based jewelry company William and Henri. The firm specializes in custom diamond jewelry and will rent pieces to brides, moms, maids-of-honor and guests starting at $200.
Have a Beautiful Backdrop with a Flower Wall
Couples looking for versatility in their wedding decor should consider a flower wall, which can be used at every part of the wedding. The white, pink and coral design featured on Good Morning America was created by Jack & Rose Florist, based in Woodbury, NY. A flower wall can be placed at the ceremony altar for the backdrop of the wedding ceremony, then moved to the cocktail hour for the wedding’s photo or GIF booth. For the reception, the wedding cake can be placed on a table in front of it, or it can be placed behind the newlywed’s sweetheart table.
From Home Decor to Wedding Decor
Agate or geode became the hot new trend in home decor in 2016, and it’s now having a moment in wedding design. The rock mineral look can be created in any color combination from pale pink to turquoise to lavender and even grey, and it can be accented in a metallic hue too. Wedding vendors are translating the look in a myriad of wedding details, including invitations from Bella Figura, tabletop elements available at BHLDN and a three-tiered wedding cake designed by Pip n Bits.
Have an Ice Cream Dream for Dessert
This year couples will be ending their wedding reception with ice cream for dessert. Ice cream sundae bars, ice cream sandwiches and ice cream soda floats allow brides and grooms to serve up their favorite sweet treat in a myriad of flavors and ways. For couples who don’t want to miss out on the doughnut craze can combine the two and pass out ice cream sandwiches made of their favorite doughnut and ice cream flavor. Or show off your kid-at-heart personality with a classic vanilla and chocolate ice cream sandwich edged in rainbow sprinkles!
Breakfast To Go
Couples are saying farewell to the post-wedding brunch for a number of reasons, but they still don’t want their guests to go home hungry. Working with their caterer or hotel, couples can create a breakfast-in-a-box for guests to enjoy before heading home. WeddingWire worked with Marcey Brownstein Catering & Events in New York to create two breakfast to-go options for the Good Morning America segment, but when planning a breakfast menu think about what you think your guests will enjoy best and what’s available locally. Creating a locally-made menu can help share why you picked your wedding destination, and makes it more personal too!
Have a Blast at a Silent Disco
The latest music festival and club craze is transforming the wedding reception where the couple doesn’t have to subject any guest to sitting next to the band or speaker, and guests can chat over the dinner table without screaming at each other. Élan Artists rents out silent disco headsets starting at $1,500, which can play up to 3 streams of music for up to 300’ from the DJ. (DJ prices range from $2,000 to $5,000.) In addition to being a fun time for all, it comes in handy when there’s a noise curfew at the venue, allowing the party to keep going well after midnight.
Capture an Aerial View with a Drone
Professional wedding photographers and videographers are adding drones to their equipment lists because they can capture a stunning aerial view of a wedding. Something nearly impossible to do even a few years ago. Ask your photographer or videographer (like our friends at NST Pictures) to get a shot before guests arrive to set the scene in your album, and to keep it in the air for parts of the ceremony and reception. But be aware of any local regulations regarding how high and what times you’re allowed to fly it to avoid any trouble with the authorities.
A Return to Formality
Rustic and outdoor weddings have been all the rage for the past 10 years, but in 2017 couples are looking for a little more formality on their wedding day. Grand ballrooms are making a comeback with all the opulence of the Gilded Age. The J.W. Marriott Essex House in New York, where we filmed the Good Morning America segment, is the perfect example of this wave of black-tie events with crystal chandeliers, mirrored walls and gilded accents.
by Anne Chertoff