Fallin' Leaves & Fallin' in Love--The Ultimate September Wedding Blog
/With the turn of the month comes the ultimate wedding season. September brings the start of a new season and for many the start of a new life as a newlywed. So what do you expect to see during this wedding season? Well, expect to see a more laid back, fun, whimsical approach to the big day. Gone are the traditional, stiff, boring approaches to weddings, and taking its place are donut walls, boho-style dresses, be your own barista or mixologist, and a hands on approach to weddings with the goal to have their attendees feel a part of the ceremony in more ways than just being the guest of the bride or groom. Following are some of the top trends of this wedding season:
THE DRESS
For the more laid-back bride go for the boho off-the-shoulder wedding dress. You can even add flowers in your hair to add that extra touch of a free-spirit bride.
If you’re the more whimsical and fun type of bride then try a fun new trend and go for a nontraditional color or print wedding dress for your big day.
If you’re more traditional and love the classical, regal look then add a faux fur shawl to your dress to give you a dash of old-Hollywood and glam.
BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES/GROOMSMEN ATTIRE
Mismatched bridesmaids are the hit this season. Long gone are the overly expensive ugly bridesmaids dresses that you only get to wear once. Now it’s all about the bridesmaids getting to choose their own styles and colors.
As for the groomsmen it’s all about keeping it simple and neutral.
THE BOUQUET
Today is all about the wild and the free. So pick those wild flowers and create your own bouquet with long uncut stems and berries. Some favorite picks are wine colored dahlias, Brazilian pepper berries, hypericum berry spray, and small vines of ivy to elongate the shape of traditionally arranged bouquets.
THE CAKE
Sayonara to traditional big cakes with toppers and fondant. Taking its place are small, simple cakes with no toppers and buttercream icing. One option is a cake with drip designs.
Or you can match your boho-style wedding with a cake with foliage
Another in demand cake this season is the “Naked” cake…a cake with little to no frosting on the outside.
THE FOOD
Continuing on the food train, gone are the days of main dishes and only two choices of food. Instead, have a more hands on approach and don’t be afraid to get creative! Instead of only a couple of options for beer do a local craft beer tasting. Or if you’re a taco lover like me, have a build your own taco bar and add a build your own margarita bar to pair with it. If you are opting for a more rustic wedding have a pig roast or BBQ and pair it with a BBQ sauce station to let your guests try a variety of sauces. Another option you can do to give your guests a taste of you and your partner’s background is have the main dish be one from your heritage or have each of you choose your favorite family dish to be shared with your guests. Another fun take on the food option is bite size food with alcohol shooters such as pretzel bites paired with local craft beer, bite size tacos with margarita shooters, bite size apple pie with moscato d’Asti, or brownie bites with frozen espresso shooters. When guests are arriving you can have a doughnut wall for them to munch on while they wait for the ceremony to begin and you can pair it with a gourmet coffee bar to give your guests an extra boost so they can last for the night’s festivities. Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts is our favorite place to get delectable doughnuts here in Charleston, SC and they even have doughnut cakes now!
THE DRINKS
A fun simple way to take care of the drink situation is His & Hers cocktails. The guests are given a glimpse into what kind of drinks you two like and your partner gets to feel like they have a say in the planning of the big day, too.
Rosés champagne and wine are always a classy go-to. Another more adventurous route is a beer garden or tequila, wine, or margarita gardens. Also, grown-up popsicles are making their statement at weddings and are becoming the must- have treat at your big day. Check out King of Pops Charleston for the best popsicles and grown-up popsicles. With over 500 flavors, you will be able to provide even the pickiest of eaters with a popsicle. King of Pops prides themselves off of creating popsicles with all natural ingredients and no artificial sweetners. They even have vegan popsicles!
THE RECEPTION
Tables, tables, tables so many arrangements yet still not enough ways to arrange them.
Tablecloths: Metallic, Glitzy Golds, Rose-gold, but absolutely NO SILVER!
Instead of large round tables use long rectangular tables or mix of long tables surrounded by smaller square and round tables.
Table flower arrangements are all about green and leafy: succulent, eucalyptus, wheat greens, acacia and bay leaf branches. Also, the taller the better if you’re dealing with flower arrangements. Otherwise, short and neat succulent arrangements on tables are the hit for this season.
A fun addition can be to add some lounge seating for your guests so they can feel more comfortable when taking a break from the dance floor.
Another way to bring a little bit more of you and your partner’s life into the big day is by adding touches from key moments of your life. For example, if you two are music lovers then instead of a typical reception book use old records of your favorite bands for your guests to sign, then after the wedding you can hang it up in your new home.
THE MUSIC
Many people think that music is just for the dance floor. However, you can add a whole new element to your wedding day by incorporating different genres of music throughout your big day. This season it is all about the variety of music and mixing it up.
For example, you could have a violinist like our very own Seth G. for your cocktail hour to welcome your guests as they become acquainted with your other guests and reminisce on the two of you.
Then, to kick this celebration into high gear and carry it into the night you can have a DJ or band like our very own DJ Natty Heavy, DJ YNot, or DJ Rdot to get people dancing until the sun comes up.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER
Finally to tie everything together and to give you physical evidence and to allow you to reminisce on your big day for years to come, have a professional photographer and videographer to capture all the moments you were a part of and those you missed.
