by Hanami Dream | 3, May, 2016 | blog, traditions
There are many traditions, rituals and customs that people uphold and perform in connection with weddings. Some of these have now lost their relevance in modern society and sometimes we are not even sure why we undertake them. However we continue to perform them for fun, family tradition and superstition, especially as many of them have derived from efforts to bestow the happy couple with good luck.
There are many superstitions surrounding what the bride wears (see our post Wedding traditions: Don’t forget the silver sixpence in your shoe!) and it is often said that is unlucky for:
- the bride to make her own dress
- the groom to see the bride in her dress before the ceremony
- the bride to wear her entire outfit before the wedding day
Bridal wear is really seeing a big 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. Trends that are appearing on the catwalks include: mix & match separates, crop tops, high necklines, off the shoulder, asymmetric hems, backless dresses and plunging v necks on the back. For the more daring and alternative bride there’s fringing, jumpsuits, palazzo pants, peakaboo skirts or even capes.
Rather than a plain dress, some brides are opting for a floral one or even camo print (which is starting to be really popular in the US – not necessarily in classic hunting camo but more pink or snow camo, or accessorising the traditional camo with orange accents!) Plus the recent bridal fashion shows for Spring/Summer 2017 also saw a shift towards pastel and even black dresses.
This may seem like a turn away from the traditional white wedding dress, however, it’s not that long ago that white wasn’t the usual colour to wear for your wedding day either. White was actually seen as quite an impractical colour as it would show the dirt and therefore you’d probably only get one wear out of it. So it was seen as a colour worn by the wealthy and not common as a wedding dress colour. Whilst modern culture symbolised white as a pure colour, you nearly always see the Virgin Mary depicted in blue as it reflects calm and purity. In fact, until the 15th century in the UK, white was seen (and is still in some cultures) as a sign of mourning.
Until Queen Victoria in 1840, most British royal brides wore silver. However her beautiful white lace court dress influenced the trend for white dresses in all brides as before this time they would’ve worn their Sunday best dress. In fact, red dresses were often a popular choice and this colour remains popular (and lucky) in Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Korean cultures. Then during World War 2, brides wore nice tailored suits or even their uniforms.
As the wearing of white wasn’t such a common occurrence, it’s no surprise that there was a rhyme to determine which colour would bring the most luck:
Married in white, you have chosen alright.
Married in grey, you will go far away.
Married in black, you will wish yourself back.
Married in red, You will wish yourself dead.
Married in green, ashamed to be seen.
Married in blue, you will always be true
Married in pearl, you will live in a whirl
Married in yellow, ashamed of your fellow.
Married in brown, you will live in the town
Married in pink, your spirit will sink
Whichever customs and traditions you decide to incorporate into your big day, we wish you health, wealth, happiness and all the very best in your married life.
by Hanami Dream | 16, December, 2015 | blog, trends
Weddings are a wonderful celebration of love and marriage. They can blend together families, traditions, cultures, creativity and lots of personal touches. Whether a religious, civil or humanist ceremony, a traditional or themed reception, these special days are about what is important to each individual couple.
Despite some couples’ originality, there are always trends that appear and popular themes that epitomise a particular era (think puff ball sleeves from the eighties). Sometimes fashion, films, television programmes, interior design, celebrity weddings and even current affairs influence these trends. Of course, there are some timeless and classic themes that never seem to go out of favour, and with the latest film in the Bridget Jones series set for release next year we’re sure the romantic theme will continue to be strong.
So what does 2016 hold for us? Well for one thing, it is a leap year. So will it bring about lots of proposals from women on the 29th February and encourage some excited wedding planning as a result?
It will be a time of revelry as a nation again as the Queen will be celebrating her 90th birthday on 12th June. This could prompt some street party themes using inspiration from the Union Jack colours. Red, white and blue could also be at the forefront of people’s minds with the culmination of the American elections as well.
Plus, let’s hope we’re also able to mark the achievements of our British footballers in the UEFA Euro 2016 finals in France and Spain, as well as our athletes in the Olympics next year. Maybe some sporting themes could become prevalent as a result of these events or perhaps weddings will be inspired by the Rio party atmosphere of the Brazilian venue of the Olympics.
2016 also marks 350 years since the Great Fire of London, 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare, 950 years since the Battle of Hastings and 50 years since England win the football World Cup.
Take a look at our curation of predictions for wedding trends to look out for in 2016 (and see more of our inspiration at pinterest.com/HanamiDream/):
Venue / themes
- Jungle themes could see an increase next year with the CGI live action release of the Jungle Book film. Think subtle animal prints and loads of greenery. Marry this with the excitement of the Rio Olympics and you’ll be transported to the stunning, relaxing and lush green rainforests of Brazil, surrounded by colourful and vibrant décor in greens, blues and gold. A carnival full of samba dancers, exuberant feathers, magnificent masks and energetic music will get everyone joining in!
- Or perhaps a more civilised tea party could be more up your street, inspired by the release of the film, Alice Through The Looking Glass. This is going to be Tim Burton at his best again so think quirky and extravagant details. Afternoon tea with a twist.
- Perhaps a wild west theme complete with cowboys appeals to you – wanted posters, panning for gold and arriving on horseback just like the Magnificent Seven in the 2016 film remake.
- Comic book inspiration comes in the form of new films of Batman v Superman, X-men: Apocalypse, Angry Birds, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles: Out of the Shadows and Captain America: Civil War. Your inner child can go to town and have colourful, playful fun with this theme or perhaps you want to use more of a hint of the gothic style comic books. Alternative bouquets made of comic pages, mini action figures instead of button holes, secret identity t-shirts under the groomsmen’s shirts, superhero capes for the guests or cartoon invites can bring this theme together.
- Or perhaps, an outdoors medieval banquet would suit your big day in the same vein as the Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur film directed by Guy Ritchie. With floral crowns, moss, wicker and naked cakes in a beautiful castle setting or in a stunning forest or garden.
Décor
- We are so pleased that the metallic trend seems to be still going strong and not showing any signs of tiring just yet. Sequins are a welcome addition to this trend or pair metallics with cool agate for a contemporary feel.
- By contrast, there’s also a uprising of tribal prints with the influence of Moroccan and Indonesian accents. Dark woods, earthy colours and block prints.
- Romantic themes are still using ruffles and the use of ombré colouring on anything you can and for a cute factor there’s good old polka dots.
- Video booths are seeing a surge in popularity as technology continues to move forward and couples are looking for more unique and original ways to capture and remember their big day. However, some are also using their weddings as a chance to have a break from technology and encouraging their guests not to use their phones during the day.
- This old vs new trend continues as some chose to use classic styled furniture brought up to date such as beautifully designed chalk boards whilst others choose modern styling with Perspex chairs and tables.
- Backdrops were the big news of 2015, but next year is all about aisle runners – whether these are printed, a covering of petals or use clever lighting.
- On top of this suspended décor is all the rage – for an industrial chic style with Edison lighting or floral chandeliers in a rustic theme.
Flowers
- Flowers are a big focus in 2016 not only in the décor but with hair accessories and headwear. Plus a new trend of ring corsages is emerging and the use of wild flowers like daisies.
- It doesn’t all have to be about the flowers as foliage will be as important or instead of flowers in displays.
- Alternatives to traditional flowers are seeing the use of succulents in bouquets, on tables and given away as favours.
- Plus instead of the usual confetti, there is now a herb toss as another option which gives such lovely aromas to this part of the day.
Clothing
- Bridal wear is really seeing a big 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. Trends that appearing on the catwalks (that will surely influence trends next year) include: mix & match separates, crop tops, high necklines, off the shoulder, asymmetric hems, backless dresses and plunging v necks on the back.
- For the more daring and alternative bride perhaps try fringing, jumpsuits, palazzo pants, peakaboo skirt or even a cape.
- Rather than a plain dress, some brides are opting for a floral one or even camo print (which is starting to be really popular in the US – not necessarily in classic hunting camo but how about a pink or snow camo, or try accessorising the traditional camo with orange accents).
- Not ready for this kind of statement just yet, then perhaps you can go the extra mile with your footwear. Perhaps using your shoes to highlight the colour of the day or to write your feelings on the soles so everyone can see when you kneel at the alter!
- For the men, it’s all about smartening up next year – go the whole hog with a tuxedo.
Colours
- The Pantone® Color of the Year 2016 will certainly play a big part in influencing colours next year. And next year we get two colours for the price of one in the form of Rose Quartz and Serenity. It’s the first time Pantone® have ever announced two colours and a long time since a pastel colour has hit the top spot. They are a nice calm change to the recent bold jewel colours of the last ten years. We can already see these colours featuring singly in couples’ colour schemes and look forward to seeing people using them in tandem too. There certainly won’t be a shortage of choices for your ‘something blue’!
- So pastels will be big next year and play a big part in the use of non-traditional colours for the wedding dress becoming more popular.
- We predict that there will be more mix and match styling with the bridesmaids – either with different styles in one colour or bridesmaids’ dresses using different colours that all tone in together.
- We look forward to seeing more dark blues, silver, mocha and terracotta.
Cakes & catering
- There’s nothing we like more than cake but next year will see a few alternatives coming to the fire front. Firstly some couples will be using their cake as the pudding so it might not take a tradition guise instead it might be a cheesecake or pancake stack.
- Also making an appearance with be the cake fake – all the style and presence but not actually a cake. Welcome the pork pie stack, cheese ‘cakes’, or three tiers of quiche.
- If it is a real cake then look out for mixed shapes tiers and more ‘free from‘ varieties making an appearance.
- Above everything food will be theatrical in 2016 and take centre stage – we can’t wait for more champagne towers to join the revival!
These are a few of our predictions for wedding trends in 2016. See more of our curation and inspiration at pinterest.com/HanamiDream/
May we take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
