blog | Hanami Dream | Cotswolds copywriter

Inspiration: bright contemporary museum wedding

by Hanami Dream | 18, February, 2019 | blog, inspiration

Modern museum wedding

For some absolute wedding goals, take at look at these images from a recent photo shoot at the Ashmolean Museum of Art & Archaeology in Oxford. The photos are picture perfect, with a modern and bright, walking work of art vibe to showcase this stand out classic wedding venue.

Ashmolean Museum wedding venue

This venue is a beautiful hidden gem of a wedding venue. From the outside you don’t know the expanse of options that are available inside The Ashmolean Museum. It provides a truly wonderful labyrinth of options to hold a wedding or special occasion. See my wedding venue review of the Ashmolean Museum.

Decadent décor

The Ashmolean Museum gives you maximum impact with minimal effort, as the backdrop of this venue needs no help in packing a punch – the wow factor is there for you already! This is a venue which is quiet, personal and intimate, yet very much on the grand scale.

There are many options and different ways you could use a combination of the galleries for all the elements of your wedding day. Each one has it’s own character, atmosphere and capacity that can be suited to your number of guests and requirements. This shoot has images taken in: the Grand Forecourt; Ceramics Gallery; Randolph Sculpture Gallery; Grand Staircase; and the European Art Gallery.

Contemporary bridal wear

This wedding photo shoot shows modern Charlie Brear outfits including a Carson Jumpsuit; separates in the form of a Luna top and skirt; plus a low V, effortlessly cool, boho Nyika Dress.

You’ll be a living statue and your own work of art on your wedding day at this venue.

Fun florals

The stunning flowers in the bouquet, crown and arm cuff made a real statement alongside the cool architecture and simple white outfits with: Red Snaps, Astilbe Gloria, Avignon Blooms, Red Euphorbia, Brown Lisianthus, Protea, Cafe Mocca Rose, Hot Pink Lace Rose, Parvifolia, Red Robin, Mimosa and Long Ruscus.

The bright and colourful florals made this the Ashmolean and their amazing technicolour dream wedding venue.

images credits:

As featured in OX Weddings Winter 2019 edition | http://oxweddings.co.uk/the-magazine/

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Wedding venue review: Millets Farm

by Hanami Dream | 14, February, 2019 | blog, venues

Millets Farm wedding venue

After a three year hiatus and some fantastic renovations, Millets Farm have reopened their Lakeview Suite to hold wedding receptions.

With amazing views of the lake, the farm on hand to entertain the whole family and a big versatile space, this is more than just a function room – this has wonderful charm and character.

Millets Farm location

I have visited Millets Farm many times as a parent and enjoyed the vast and ever growing facilities and attractions that it has on offer. We’ve enjoyed the maize maze, pick your own fruit, the garden centre, the new play barn and the delicious wares of the farm shop.

However I had never been upstairs, above the Farmhouse Kitchen, and seen the Lakeview Suite – a private space with it’s own access and outdoor balconies across some great views of the farm.

The restaurant building was built in 1990 but the Lakeview Suite has recently returned to weddings with a renovated, vaulted ceiling, wooden beams and panoramic views.

Spacious function room

It surprised me how much space this room has to offer. And the light pours in to the room. Don’t let one big open space be daunting as you can easily partition the room to act as different areas for your big day.

Plus it has a cosy bar and seating area to provide excellent places for guests to unwind and mingle.

The room hire includes 120 chairs plus round or trestle tables for your wedding reception. It is a great space to be able to decorate and make it your own.

Not only that but the whole space is remarkably quiet and peaceful even with it’s proximity to the farm and restaurant.

The facilities are great and this is brilliant value for money.

Catering partners

For one less thing to worry about organising, there is exclusive in house catering with some high quality food packages provided by catering partners, Oxford Farm Weddings. They create delicious, bespoke wedding menus at Millets Farm.

Plus look no further than the on site bakery for celebration cakes, whether that be a traditional wedding cake or perhaps a cake of cheese.

Far from just farm facitiies

Whilst this wedding venue isn’t currently licensed for ceremonies yet, it is something that they are seriously considering and is likely to be available in the not too distant future.

They also have plans for a beautiful pier by the lake to have your wedding photographs.

There’s also a boutique on site (Beauty within Millets) to get ready before the big day.

Summary

Millets Farm is a family run business and they have lovingly renovated this space – using the three year break to refine their wedding packages. Lakeview Suite at Millets Farm feels like it’s a new wedding venue on the scene because they’ve returned with a space that is a bit different than the rest. It is great value for money, with great facilities, amazing food packages and beautiful views.

WEDDING VENUE FACTS
Type of venue: function room
Find out more: https://milletsfarmcentre.com/what-s-here/for-weddings.html
Location: Lakeview Suite, Millets Farm Centre, Kingston Road, Frilford, Oxfordshire, OX13 5HB
Wedding season: year round
Guests: 120-150
Marquee option: n/a
Ceremony: not licensed (yet!)
Venue hire: from £2000
Nearest church: St John the Baptist, Abingdon Road, Kingston Bagpuize, OX13 5AY
Wedding breakfast: packages from £60pp with Oxford Farm Weddings
Accommodation: local hotels and b&bs
Wedding fairs: Wedding Open Day 26th January 2019
Other things worth a mention: a great family day out

image credits:

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Top tips for a gin filled wedding

by Hanami Dream | 8, February, 2019 | blog, guest post, tips

Gin filled wedding

The gin renaissance is still going strong and continues to be the on trend drink of the moment with flavoured gins being on the rise.

Here are some ways to include the nation’s favourite drink in to your wedding day courtesy of Liz Beswick, Co Founder of Collagin. She married on World Gin Day in June 2017 and had her business partner Cam Brown running the Collagin bar on the day. This, paired with insider tips and feedback from other brides she has helped, means Liz knows a lot about making a wedding a gin filled event!

Whether you are looking for ‘ginspired’ wedding décor, table pieces, wedding favours or a stand out bar, Liz shares her top tips from her personal and business experience below.

Make it personal

Everyone loves the personal touch at weddings and this is often what people remember about the big day. Put gins on the tables or behind the bar or even as wedding favours that you know your guests love. For example, place a mini bottle of Salcombe gin for Jack on table 9 to remind him of his childhood holidays but put a Cotswolds Gin for Julie on table 4 to remind her of THAT drunken hen do. The guests will be so touched by your gesture and the effort gone into knowing and thinking about your guests.

If you don’t have budget for personalised wedding favours, place gin bottles behind the bar with note tags on them explaining why you chose the gin. Or even better, create cocktail lists based on names of your guests or on your favourite places or memories as the bride and groom.

Use gins that compliment your colour scheme

Do you have an obvious colour scheme? If so, let the gin add to it! Bridesmaids in pink? Then only include pink gins at your wedding. Pretty pinks include Pinkster Gin, Collagin Rose or Malfy Rosa. Violet flowers? Make the centre pieces even more spectacular by including violet gins in the display. Good ones include Whitley Neill Parma Violet or Violetta. Continue your colour scheme through to the smallest touches and it will make a huge impact.

Make it unique

Everyone has seen all the major gin brands at weddings, so to get people talking, and to make your wedding décor or bar look different and to stand out, feature gins that people don’t see every day. This will grab attention and intrigue. Plus it will be very funny to get photos of Auntie Carol doing shots of Collagin with bridesmaid Beth after discovering the new tipple at your wedding. It might then become her favourite gin and will always remind her of your special day.

Make it different

Make the gin theme different – I am not talking about just the gin brands you use, but also how you display the gin bottles. Put fairy lights in empty bottles or use them as reed diffusers – get creative! Also, choose different tonic water brands to create a distinctive gin bar. We love Lixir tonic water as they are made by two lovely British lads. Again, the tonic water doesn’t need to be your everyday tonics so choose something unique or with a story.

Make it worth an Instagram post

Stack them into pyramids, decorate them with glitter, relabel them with your initials or wedding logo. Whatever you do to your gin, make them Instagrammable! If you are getting your invites designed, the same designer could create labels to stick on to gin bottles featuring your wedding design and initials or your wedding date and use them as table numbers.

Email the gin or tonic water brands about your big day

Collagin LOVE getting emails from brides. If they know you are using Collagin for décor or behind the bar at your big day, they will offer trade prices or save up their empty bottles and send them to you. Tonic waters might do the same (the smaller the brand the more likely they are to help or be less rigid with prices!) Just explain you are a bride to be and see if they can offer reduced prices for a larger order or in exchange for lots of pictures from your wedding album. There is no harm in trying! This also works for hen do orders.

Most importantly, make sure YOU the bride and groom get a drink. It is amazing how everyone assumes you are catered for but are often the last to get their food and drink at their own wedding. So, if you are looking to drink on the big day, ask your Maid of Honour to make sure you are saved a glass of your favourite G&T.

About Collagin

Young In Spirit is the world’s first alcoholic drinks company to combine spirits with collagen, with the first drink being Collagin – gin with added collagen. The people behind the idea are gin and beauty lovers and Oxford based ‘Gintrepreneurs’ Camilla Brown and Liz Beswick who recently snared two Dragons’ in the Den.

@collaginuk

@collagin

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Top Fall 2019 colours from Pantone® for autumn weddings

by Hanami Dream | 8, February, 2019 | blog, trends

Autumn 2019

I’m always excited to see the next Pantone® announcement for their predictions of colours that will dominate the scene for forthcoming seasons. So with the fashion weeks kicking off (this month is New York, London, Milan and then Paris) we start to think about this year’s autumnal months.

This week saw Pantone® showing their hand for the Fall/Winter colours to look out for later in 2019. And it’ll be great to see which colours will appear in autumn weddings this year.

There’s an array of rich vibrant earthy colours. Out of the 12 main colours, 8 of them are from the red palette. There are 3 orange colours and 5 reddy/browns, with some of the peach colours paying a slight nod to Living Coral, the colour of the year. What is great is that a juicy green has made it alongside the neutral and core basic colours too.

Seventies festival vibe

Perhaps to match the festival and eco friendly vibe on trend at the moment, there is a plethora of reds, oranges and browns that dominate the Fall 2019 colours.

There’s a real sense of being grounded and at one with the world. With the feeling of the warmth coming from Chili Pepper, Biking Red, Peach Pink, Rocky Road, Fruit Dove, Sugar Almond, Dark Cheddar and Orange Tiger.

For me, it’s like someone has opened a door on the décor of my childhood house with memories of all the orange and brown on wallpaper.

Mouth watering food

There are lots of culinary references in the colour names that make my mouth water just thinking about them. Perhaps this in light of the importance that we are being made more aware of nowadays to cook fresh and sustainable food.

There are strong flavours in these colours that pack a punch both to taste and also visually. This plays on the trend to appeal to all 5 senses at a wedding or any event. Such as Chili Pepper, Crème de Pêche, Peach Pink, Rocky Road, Fruit Dove, Sugar Almond, Dark Cheddar (plus Vanilla Custard and Guacamole from the neutrals).

This evokes amazing memories of seeing guacamole being prepared by the side of our table in Mexico – the fresh, spicy and warming flavours produced by one small dish of food.

Succulent foliage

Alongside these earthy colours are greens conjuring up an amazing garden image with the forest green of Eden. Plus the bluey green of Bluestone makes me think of amazing succulent plants accenting and dotted about on the dry earthy ground.

The blues will certainly make good transition colours to next spring too.

Fall 2019 colours

The top colours for Fall 2019 are:

PANTONE 19-1557 Chili Pepper
PANTONE 19-1650 Biking Red
PANTONE 12-1110 Crème de Pêche
PANTONE 15-1530 Peach Pink
PANTONE 19-1234 Rocky Road
PANTONE 17-1926 Fruit Dove
PANTONE 18-1155 Sugar Almond
PANTONE 15-1150 Dark Cheddar
PANTONE 19-4055 Galaxy Blue
PANTONE 18-4217 Bluestone
PANTONE 16-1358 Orange Tiger
PANTONE 19-6050 Eden

Fall 2019 extra colours from LFW

Plus a couple of additional colours (instead of the peach and orange colours) from London Fashion Week round off the colours for Fall 2019:

PANTONE 16-0840 Antique Moss
PANTONE 18-3211 Grapeade

Neutral basics

Pantone® have also created a Fall 2019 Classic Colour Palette. These are a group of neutrals that are core basics in the form of cream, navy, grey and the addition of a green.

The bonus classic neutral colours for Fall 2019 are:

PANTONE 12-0815 Vanilla Custard
PANTONE 19-3815 Evening Blue
PANTONE 16-0000 Paloma
PANTONE 17-0530 Guacamole

Colour themes

It’ll be great to see how couples incorporate these colours in to their weddings later this year.

Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on colour and the Pantone® Color of the Year is always really influential in any popular colour themes in fashion, interior design and weddings.

See some of my trend predictions for weddings in 2019.

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Inspiration: coral and gold festival wedding

by Hanami Dream | 17, January, 2019 | blog, inspiration

A laid back celebration in August 2016 saw the relaxed festival wedding of Verity and Paul at The Isis Farmhouse in Oxford.

Relaxed and laid back vibe

This wedding was a real break from tradition with loads of beautiful handmade touches and a ton of personalisation. It fully embraced the festival trend and utilised the truly creative skills of the bride to diy many elements of the day. It seems like the perfect time to share this casual wedding – not only is the theme bang on trend but it also features the summery coral colour that is the Pantone® colour of the year in 2019.

Above everything else, this was a true celebration of love and family. It was a chilled out day with friends, less about structure and more an informal and fluid affair. Not overtly lavish but heaps of fun. With the focus on the people who were there.

Rural remote meadow view

The festivities began in the centre of Oxford where the happy couple officially tied the knot at a ceremony at the Town Hall. This was a day of two halves though. From town to countryside. After the ceremony, the whole wedding party walked together through the city centre. Then had a lovely drinks reception whilst on a boat ride down the Thames to the Isis Farmhouse. A stunning rural setting in Oxford’s flood meadows alongside the river was perfect for the wedding reception. You can only reach this venue by foot, pedal power or by boat. Around the back of the Farmhouse is a covered barn and a meadowside garden which was great for this relaxed celebration.

Rustic festival décor

The barn was set up with long trestle tables laid out in two lines. Along the centre of each table was linen, which draped off each end, with an array of brightly patterned mismatched vases containing wild flowers. The displays were mirrored by the flowers and plants hanging in macramé holders (made or collected by the bride) above the tables. These flowers were provided by a lovely friend who grows cut flowers in her garden and were arranged by the bride.

The bride made the place names which were cut out gold glittery lettering, plus a nice ice breaker card containing things to spot and capture was placed on each table. In addition, the bride had designed the napkins herself which contained drawings of important places and things throughout the couple’s history together.

Gold accents

The bride wore a gorgeous end of line strapless fitted fishtail satin dress with a chiffon capelet with bat sleeves. She accented this with Betty Ballroom gold high heel shoes, a gold hair vine and gold belt. Her hand tied wild flower bouquet in coral and gold colours was from an amazing flower farm near Wallingford who arranged the bridal and bridesmaids’ bouquets. She also held a vintage beaded ivory clutch bag. The chief bridesmaid wore a gold sequined dress to match the gold accents beautifully and the flower girls wore ivory dresses with gold bodices and ribbons (also made by the bride).

Creative catering

Food was served at the tables and consisted of a hearty lasagne or moussaka with healthy salads, plus a rustic buffet for the evening guests. The venue catered perfectly for vegetarian and vegan diets to ensure all guests were content. The two cakes (one lemon and the other chocolate) were also made by the venue and incorporated fantasy and action figures in lieu of a bride and groom topper (that the couple decorated themselves).

Entertainment for children of all sizes

The main focus of the day was to encourage guests to mingle and keep children (big and small) entertained with colouring, wands and a bubble refill station. There were postcards for guests to sign which would be sent to the couple and polaroids were taken of all the guests for a pictorial guest book. The day ended with guests dancing along to crowd pleasing classics on the dance floor.

Practical favours

The gifts for guests echoed the vibe of the whole day. They were handmade, low key and had purpose. Guests could pick which soap to take home, with a choice of either lavender or rose and geranium. These were boxed, branded and served in a vintage case. Plus there were some seeds to take away too, in order to sow in your own garden, share the love and remember this charming day in years to come.

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Dates for your 2019 diary

by Hanami Dream | 8, January, 2019 | blog, holy trinity of wedding planning, tips

Happy New Year! And huge congratulations if you’ve got engaged over the festive period.

Telling people your big news and flashing your new piece of jewellery is such an exciting time and it won’t be long until you’ll be asked (again and again) when is your big day.

So here’s a little help with picking a date for your special day (and take a look at this useful guide to setting the date too).

Before you rush to send out your save the date cards, here are some things to bear in mind when setting your wedding date:

Date

Superstition often forces couples to avoid the 13th of the month (especially if it falls on a Friday and there’s two in 2019), your birthday, the day of a full moon, April Fool’s Day and it used to be forbidden to get married in Lent and Advent by the church. Some people think that 7 is supposed to be a lucky number whilst 4 is deemed unlucky in Japanese and Chinese traditions, so dates with these numbers may be sought after or avoided by couples. Instead perhaps you want to pick a meaningful date to you such as the anniversary of the
date you first met, a memorable date that you’ll remember like 12/12/12 or a nod to your heritage such as your grandparents’ wedding anniversary date.

Year

Which year are you thinking? This may seem like a basic question but if you want to do something soon then suppliers and venues may already be booked up. So, think about how long you have /want to plan the wedding. The more notice you give then the more likely you are able to have your first choice of date.

Time of year / season

This could affect what the weather is likely to be like which could influence your themes, colours, venue, attire, transportation, food choice etc. Also, different seasons can have an impact on the price and availability of food and flowers. Venues may have different prices depending on the time of the year and will your key guests or wedding party be available in school holidays?

Month

Old superstitions state your fate as a couple depending on the month you choose to wed. Some say it was unlucky for a couple to get married in May. Whilst June and other summer months are very popular and even December is gaining in popularity, presumably so that people can use holiday time around the big day. It is worth considering different months as popular ones are in demand so prices may increase and availability will decrease.

Day of the week

Ironically in another old poem, it states that getting married on a Saturday is unlucky which nowadays is the most common day for people to tie the knot. However, it is also one of the most expensive days too. More people are now considering other weekdays as options and Sundays too (although this used to be deemed as a mark of disrespect).

Day or night

A wedding after dark used to be considered unlucky but you could split your guests up to have some come for the whole day and others just join you for the evening part of the day so you don’t have to pay for all of them to have a sit-down meal.

Rest of the world

Make sure you think about what else is going on in the world such as national, local and annual events including:

Public holidays
Sporting events
Other people’s occasions (like birthdays, wedding anniversaries and religious festivals)

Here’s a list of some events (in England) in 2019 that could influence your choice of dates:

New Year’s Day 1 January
Epiphany 6 January
Orthodox Christmas Day 7 January
Orthodox New Year 14 January
Burns Night 25 January
Chinese New Year 5 February – year of the pig
Valentine’s Day 14 February
St David’s Day 1 March
Mardi Gras 5 March
Shrove Tuesday 5 March
Mother’s Day 31 March
St Patrick’s Day 17 March
First Day of Spring 20 March
Clocks go forward 31 March
April Fool’s Day 1 April
Grand National 6 April
Boat Race 7 April
Good Friday 19 April
Passover 19 – 27 April
Easter Monday 22 April
Earth Day 22 April
St George’s Day 23 April
London marathon 28 April
Cinco de Mayo 5 May
Ramadan begins 5 May – 4 June
May Day Bank Holiday 6 May
Eurovision Song Contest 14-18 May
FA Cup Final 18 May
Chelsea Flower Show 21 – 29 May
Monaco Grand Prix 23 – 26 May
Spring Bank Holiday 27 May
Cricket World Cup (England) 30 May – 9 June
Women’s World Cup (France) 7 June – 7 July
Trooping the Colour 8 June
Father’s Day 16 June
First Day of Summer 21 June
Royal Ascot 22-23 June
Glastonbury 26-30 June
Wimbledon 1 – 14 July
Henley Regatta 3 – 7 July
Independence Day 4 July
British Grand Prix 12-14 July
Eid 11-15 August
Summer Bank Holiday 26 August
Friday 13th September 2019
Rugby World Cup (Japan) 20 September – November
First Day of Autumn 23 September
Diwali 27 October
Clocks go back 27 October
Halloween 31 October
Guy Fawkes 5 November
Remembrance Day 11 November
Thanksgiving 28 November
St Andrew’s Day 30 November
Friday 13th December 2019
Hanukkah 22-30 December
First Day of Winter 22 December
Christmas Day 25 December
Boxing Day 26 December
New Year’s Eve 31 December

Plus other upcoming ‘unlucky’ dates of :

Saturday 29th February 2020
Friday 13th March 2020
Friday 13th November 2020

And not forgetting the Olympic Games in 2020 in Tokyo 24 July – 9 August.

Enjoy celebrating in 2019 and I wish you a very Happy New Year.

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Trend predictions for 2019 weddings

by Hanami Dream | 31, December, 2018 | blog, trends

Whether a religious, civil or humanist ceremony, a traditional or themed reception, these special days are about what is important to each individual couple.

Sometimes fashion, films, television programmes, interior design, celebrity weddings and even current affairs influence these trends.

So what does 2019 hold for the world of weddings? Here is a curation of some of the top trends to look out for next year:

Clothing

Bridal wear is continuing to see a shift in trends to provide new, innovative and unusual styles to make sure the bride makes a statement and is different to any other on her big day. Fashion trends that are appearing on the catwalks (that will surely influence weddings next year) include:

Simple classic sheath dresses – this is the minimal look epitomised by Meghan Markle
Exaggerated volume and structured bows – to add a statement feature
A further move away from white wedding dresses – next year will see more blue dresses
Different neck lines – 2019 will see more halter neck

Chaps

Not to be out done by the ladies, groomsmen will have some stylish updates to their wedding attire with:

Three piece suits becoming more popular again
Colours will be rich in burgundy, purple or blues
Cut will be slimmer
Tweed suits will continue to be on trend

Complementary

Accessories will continue to shimmer and shine courtesy of metallic or pearl elements. Plus there’s a real turn towards silver and chrome away from rose gold. Other trends will include:

Alternatives to diamonds in engagement rings
Stars and 3D floral tiaras and crowns
Covering up with trench coats or sheer capelets
Floral accessories for brides like wrist flowers and floral hats for a festival vibe
And grooms will see an increase in florals such as floral cane toppers, floral bow ties and even bouquet beards

Chosen few

Bridal parties are veering away from the traditional with:

Joint hen and stag dos
Bridesmen and groomsgirls – proving that friends can support you whatever their gender

Colour and styling

Different arenas (such as interior design, architecture, graphic design, lighting, furniture and textiles) influence our daily lives which in turn spills over to the world of weddings. One part that overarches these elements is the importance of colour.

The Pantone® Colour of the Year always plays a big part in influencing popular colours and the colour of the year in 2019 is a warm and energising orange called ‘Living Coral’. Take a look at my report about the colour of the year 2019 and here’s my take on the other colours to look out for in spring/summer 2019. And why not use ALL the SS19 colours in your confetti for a real festival vibe.
Patterns will appear in some decorative elements including polka dots and tartan
Llamas see to be the animal of choice to be a guest at weddings in 2019
Geometric shapes such as hoops and prisms in different scales will be used
Eco conscious weddings are rising in popularity which will encourage plastic free events and foraging for decor
Scents will be important as weddings are now appealing to ALL the senses
Illustrated invitations showing the wedding venue are becoming popular

Take a look at my top wedding styling trends for weddings in 2019.

Corsage

Floral and foliage provide an instant connection with nature and the greenery trend is still going strong with elements such as:

Bringing the outdoors in with trees or an enchanted indoors forest walk
Banquet tables with low florals so you guests can see one another
Grasses and dried flowers for an ethereal boho look
Terracotta pots with house plants
Teepees and silver birch arches

Catering

Family style serving is still a great way to share the wedding reception which works so well on long, large banquet tables lining the room. Plus couples want their food to look amazing so that it is Instagram worthy. Other food and drink highlights to support emerging tends include:

Opulent and regal cakes
Grazing tables piled high for a proper foodie fest

Culture

The world of films and tv always influences trends and 2019 looks set to be a year of blockbusters to choose from such as:

Comic book films like: Captain Marvel, Joker and 2 new X Men films (Dark Phoenix & the New Mutants)
Children’s classics including: Dumbo (for amazing vintage circus themes), The Lion King, Toy Story 4, Frozen 2 and Lego Movie 2
Sci-Fi movies such as: Star Wars 9
Action movies including: Charlie’s Angels, Glass (perfect for the transparent themes)
Fantasy movies: Cats, Rocket Man
Love stories like: Last Christmas (need we say more for a Christmas theme wedding!)
Period dramas including: Downtown Abbey, Colette (filmed at a local wedding venue and perfect for some French inspired themes), Mary Queen of Scots (to marry well with the tartan trends coming)
Plus big tv shows such as Les Miserables will also lend itself to the chic vintage French trends

Film and video will continue to be more prevalent at weddings with couples choosing 360 videos, virtual reality experiences and drones to capture their big day. Along with social media being a part of the day and a way to capture everyone’s pictures of the day (it’s just the modern version of the disposable cameras on the table!) with personalised snap chat geofilters and your own hashtags for the day.

Celebrities

As well as the wonders of Pinterest, couples are inspired by seeing others doing something first. So it’s no surprise that details from celebrity weddings will influence wedding trends. Here are some famous engaged couples that could make it up the aisle in 2019 and their special days will be ones to watch:

Kate Wright & Rio Ferdinand (maybe some football inspired themes)
Lady Gaga & Christian Carino
Ellie Goulding & Caspar Jopling
Idris Elba & Sabrina Dhowre
Ed Sheeran & Cherry Seaborn (wonder what their first dance music would be?)
Gwyneth Paltrow & Brad Falchuk
Alexandra Burke & Joshua Ginnelly
Paris Hilton & Chris Zykla

Current affairs

You may be living and breathing your wedding and everything else in the world is taking a back seat. However, things are still going on around you and some national, local and annual events may have an impact on your guests involvement, availability and enjoyment. Here’s some events around the world that could influence your choice of dates and could also influence wedding trends:

Cricket World Cup (England) 30 May – 9 June
Women’s World Cup (France) 7 June – 7 July
Glastonbury 26-30 June
Woodstock 50th anniversary 16-18 August (can’t wait for all the festival themed weddings as a result of this anniversary!)
Rugby World Cup (Japan) 20 September – November

These are a few of my predictions for wedding trends in 2019. I’d love to hear what you think are going to be popular wedding trends next year.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all the best for 2019. Please take a look at more of my curation and inspiration on Pinterest.

Are you getting married this year? Is your wedding going to be following one of these trends? Let me know if you’d like to share the detail shots of your day on my blog to inspire other couples who are wedding planning. If you (and your photographer) are happy, then take a look how to submit your wedding.

Photography by Squib Photography

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Top wedding styling trends for 2019

by Hanami Dream | 30, December, 2018 | blog, trends

[As featured on page 65 of the December/January edition of Your Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wedding]

Couples are currently looking at ways to personalise their nuptials and break from tradition. Wedding styling is seeing an abundance of original alternatives that blend together cultures, creativity and lots of personal touches.

Mixing and matching seem a great way to compromise, as couples decide that they don’t have to settle on one particular style. This gives a great fusion of modern and vintage, along with contrasting textures, colours and mixed metals.

Here are my top wedding styling trends to look out for at the moment:

Bringing the outside inside

The greenery trend has meant less flowers and more plants and foliage are prevalent, with top tables awash with garlands running down the whole of the table and spilling off the ends to the floor, with gentle inclusions of white flowers. Think of the foliage arch that was around the door of St George’s Chapel for Harry & Megan’s wedding.

Couples are also thinking more seasonally with their choices and including foraged items such as moss, fruit, vegetables, feathers, cones and other seasonal items from the environment around them.

Alternatives to paper stationery

Couples are thinking beyond paper and using different material types such as Perspex, denim, wood or agate slices for their suite of wedding stationery. For the transparent acrylic trend, the use of Perspex chairs, tables, menus and signage means that stationery doesn’t detract but blend in with the surroundings. Clear ‘stationery’ will continue to grow in popularity for a modern style and this is evolving further to iridescent details.

Minimal look and feel

On average, wedding guest numbers are decreasing and micro weddings are on the rise; with couples wishing to keep things small, personal and more meaningful. This vibe is also transcending to the look of the day, with plain, simple and minimal styling. This can be enhanced by using one colour for maximum impact such as white for an amazing statement with a relaxed and tranquil atmosphere.

Festival vibes

Outdoor or tipi weddings with macramé ceremony backdrops are seeing a massive upturn at the moment. Think hanging greenery, trees, dream catcher favours, festoon lighting, ribbon drapes, food vans, chill out areas and fire bowls.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Alternatives to real flowers are better for the environment and the pocket – make paper flowers or borrow house plants for a great diy wedding.

Statement backdrops

Move over flower walls and arches – the ceremony wreaths are here! Archways are being superseded by moongates, circular arches and other impactful ceremony backdrops. Couples are using them to walk through on their way down the aisle, a spectacular ceremony or photo backdrop, behind top tables, bars or dessert tables. The wreaths can be decorated with flowers and/or foliage, all over or partially covered.

Air plants

Another alternative to flowers is air plants, which are a brilliant evolution on the succulent trend. Their delicate tendrils give a wonderful contrast against the soft tulle of wedding dresses.

Use them in bouquets, table displays or in glass suspended baubles.

Gem stones rock

Shiny rocks will continue to see a place in wedding venue styling with agate (or hollow geodes) still at the forefront of designs in cakes and name settings, as well as the revival of marble details.

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Pantone® announce the Color of the Year 2019

by Hanami Dream | 6, December, 2018 | blog, news, trends

Pantone® have picked a warm and energising orange ‘Living Coral’ as their colour of the year for 2019!

Living Coral

For me, it was always going to be one of the warmer tones of either a bright yellow or vibrant red. This seems like the perfect compromise mix of the two, called Living Coral (also known as Pantone® 16-1546).

As Pantone® Vice President Laurie Pressman said, it is an “an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge. Sociable and spirited, the engaging nature of Living Coral…embodies our desire for playful expression”.

Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on colour and the Pantone® Color of the Year is always really influential in any popular colour themes in fashion, interior design and weddings. They have been picking a colour of the year for 20 years now, taking into account cultural trends, as well as “how colors can embody our collective experience and reflect what is taking place in our global culture at a moment in time,” according to the press release from Pantone®.

Eco friendly

It seems quite fitting that this should be the colour next year especially when there’s such a focus on our oceans, climate change and protecting our natural resources. Living Coral seems the perfect ambassador to remind us of these important factors and to consider how to make weddings more eco friendly.

Living Coral instantly conjurors up images of life under the clear blue sea and makes me reminisce about happy days learning to scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It is an absolute underwater paradise, literally awash with colour energised by the sunshine. I still dream about a phenomenal night dive when I felt like I was flying over mountains and as I shone a torch over the coral it all came to life when the light touched it. It was breath taking. I learnt how important coral is in the marine life for providing habitats and shelter, protecting coast lines, and also filtering the water. It needs to be protected.

2019 weddings

The 2019 colour of the year certainly would be fitting for a beach wedding although would also pair seamlessly with a sophisticated navy, grey or burgundy to make it a relevant colour to fit a wedding at any time of year. And of course coral is associated with a couple’s 35th wedding anniversary so it’s no stranger to being a part of weddings.

I’ve been desperate for a yellow or an orange colour to get top billing for a couple of years and my guess for the Color of the Year 2019 was for Aspen Gold or Mango Mojito (see my Spring 2019 report). I’m pleased to see a vibrant, playful colour leading the way again in 2019 and can’t wait to see couples incorporating Living Coral into their wedding colour schemes.

Living Coral wedding inspiration

See more about my Living Coral mood board from the UK Academy of Wedding and Event Planning’s SS19 Pantone® mood board competition from earlier this year.

#COY2019

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Keep it local for an eco wedding

by Hanami Dream | 25, November, 2018 | blog, tips

It’s a sad fact that, by their nature, weddings can be quite wasteful. After all, it is often a lot of preparation, produce and packaging for just one day.

However, more couples nowadays are choosing eco friendly options to reduce the impact that their wedding day has on the environment.

Here are some tips and alternatives to help with a more eco friendly wedding:

Think green

The greenery trend has meant less flowers and more plants and foliage are appearing at weddings. Consider other alternatives to flowers such as pot plants, succulents and air plants that can be reused again after the wedding. As well as paper florals and other lasting alternatives to bouquets. Plus think about foraging for items such as moss, fruit, vegetables, feathers, cones and other seasonal items from the environment around us.

If you do go for real flowers that use foam free installations to avoid plastic. And have a plan for how you can pass on the flowers afterwards.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Tis the season

For any items (especially perishable bits like food, drink and flowers) try to use locally sourced ingredients and seasonal products. Not only will this keep costs down but will also decrease transportation. Plus ensure things are compostable rather than disposable.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Paper chase

If you choose to use paper stationery then try to use recycled paper and limit the glitter or embellishments on them as these are hard to recycle afterwards. Try and hand deliver as many invitations as you can rather than incur postage/transport costs.

Or instead of printing your invites, send electronic invites and manage your RSVPs online. Or perhaps print your invites on things guests can use again like tea towels, mugs, magnets or Christmas baubles.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Keep your friends close

To reduce your carbon footprint, think about the transport surrounding your wedding day. Try to reduce how much you and your guests have to travel to get to your wedding. Hold your wedding nearby and consider shuttling guests together if you have to change venue between the ceremony and reception.

Or consider inviting less guests to a micro or tiny wedding. Not only does this keep things small, personal and more meaningful but less guests means less consumption, travel and cost.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

It’s the thought that counts

When creating your gift list, think whether you really need all the items you add and provide details for guests to make charity donations in lieu of buying gifts. Likewise, for thank you gifts and favours choose reusable or dual purpose items for your guests.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

What you see is what you get

Choose a wedding venue that has green credentials and think about what facilities are already at your venue. If you hold your wedding in a permanent structure then there is less need to bring in extra provision and utilities.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Go unplugged

If you hold your wedding in the daytime and/or summer then you can save electricity by using the daylight. Or perhaps use candles instead and your musical entertainment can go acoustic.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Beg, make or borrow

Where possible think about how you can use items that are not purpose made for your event. Hire items (from places like Mabel & Rose and Linda’s Vintage Hire) or upcycle vintage décor and see how you could pass on the items afterwards. Plus, great for any diy couples, is to make your own décor and bear in mind using any sustainable materials.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Something old

Rather than buying brand new outfits, consider hiring or buying a pre worn vintage gown (from somewhere like Heart Accomplice). And think about all the new heirlooms you’ll have to pass down to generations to come.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Reuse, recycle, reduce

Overall, with all your plans think about how you can reuse, recycle and reduce each element for an eco friendly wedding. Think about how you can donate any wastage to those less fortunate or offset any carbon footprint.

Photography by Cat Stephens Photography

Images on this page are taken by Cat Stephens Photography from Hanami Dream’s festival wedding styled shoot at Cogges Manor Farm. See all the fabulous suppliers that were involved in this styled shoot.

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