We interrupt our regular sequence of blog posts to talk about a topic that is of immediate importance to brides and grooms…
Last week, I was in Las Vegas speaking at Catersource, the premier industry conference for caterers, in a joint presentation with Leighsa Montrose of Branch Out Floral and Event Design. The Catersource conference takes place in parallel and in partnership with another conference called Event Solutions. Our Catersource presentation was scheduled at the same time as a keynote presentation for the Event Solutions conference, delivered by David Tutera. I was a bit disappointed by this scheduling because I was hoping to attend David’s presentation. But I really couldn’t tell the 800 people who jammed into our presentation to just sit and wait while I took off to see David for the next hour and a half.
So later that day, I tuned into Twitter to find out what I had missed. Judging by the torrent of tweets it unleashed, the most memorable comment that David apparently made during his presentation was his prediction of the new “it” color for this year’s weddings:
While I may be taking things out of context by relying on Twitter, I must respectfully disagree with David’s apparent statement, for several reasons.
First of all, red is so 10 years ago! Back around the turn of the century, red was a happening hue for brides looking to break away from the traditional all-white wedding. I realize that some “trends” tend to repeat themselves over time, like the yo-yoing widths of fashionable belts and ties. But I find myself wanting more time to pass before I see red as all the rage again.
Second, and most important for the nearly-weds, the colors at your wedding should be based on your personal preferences, not on a trend forecast. So if you’re a true blue fan, then do blue.
Photo: Sherman Chu
If you adore orange, then opt for orange.
Photo: Kevin Chin
Or if you prefer pink, then pick pink:
Photo: Events of Distinction
OK, I hope you get the idea… Finding a color that works for your wedding does not come from following the latest fads; it comes from considering your own unique preferences. No bride really wants her wedding to look like someone else’s, but following a “trend” may have the unfortunate result of creating a copycat look.
If you find that you are still “colorfully challenged” and in need of inspiration for your celebration, you might want to check out what the people at the Pantone Color Institute have to say, since they live and breathe this stuff every day. Pantone works closely with the fashion industry to monitor and report on popular palettes being used in the world of wardrobes. To see their most recent Fashion Color Report, click here.
And finally, whatever you do, please don’t feel constrained to feature only one color at your wedding! (That obsolete idea dates back to an even earlier time than when red was previously popular.) I will have to return to this subject in future blog posts. But for now, suffice it to say that we don’t live in a monochromatic world, so you can make your wedding lively by bringing multiple colors into your celebration.