Personalisation is the word to best sum up the hottest trend in weddings and, for the do-it-yourself couple, this is the perfect approach to express their creativity. With large formal weddings on the wane, couples are opting for more party-style weddings with less guests and formalities. In 2014 resourceful DIY couples have an expansive range of materials and inspiration to draw upon to help create a wedding filled with beautiful hand-crafted touches from the heart.
In the following sections we detail ways to personalise your wedding day in ways that reflect your individuality and creativity as a couple.
Styling themes
More than ever, wedding styling trends are taking inspiration from the latest in film, television and main-stream fashion. Styles still popular are vintage and rustic which are developing and maturing into a more sophisticated and refined look with fewer doilies, less old typewriters, mismatched tea sets, hay bales, barn type venues etc.
Retro styling from the 50's, 60's and 70's is an extension of vintage and very popular for those who want a less old-world style of wedding for example, the Preppy look of the late 50's and early 60's. This look was a more refined style that reflected easy elegance and often included elements drawn from leisure activities such as equestrianism, yachting and tennis. Influences from famous women such as Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, can be seen in the tea-length wedding gowns, bright vibrant colours, plaids, floral and striped prints, nautical themed accessories and a huge bow tie comeback for men.
Pretty romantic outdoor weddings will continue to be popular for those who don't want a heavily themed wedding from a previous era. This sentimental style draws on elements from a range of other periods to create a fresh, modern, romantic look infused with pretty pastel details.
DIY decorative details
Marquees or urban spaces with an industrial, eclectic or rustic vibe are popular for indoor venues. Bringing an outdoor wedding indoors is the ideal solution for a garden wedding, alleviating the stress of the arrival of bad weather.
Natural, textured and organic decorative details such as garlands, swags, clusters of hanging paper lanterns, candles, timber crates, feathers, flowers, ferns, bark, branches, greenery and, believe it or not, even chicken wire, are used to recreate the outdoors.
Chair decorations have had a makeover with the bow sashes now being a thing of the past. The popular classic Tiffany and rustic Bentwood chairs lend themselves to DIY styling,with floral and ribbon accents, rustic signs and fabric flourishes all adding to the overall look.
Geometric shapes and origami bring new and colourful ideas to weddings. We are seeing them used in backdrops, place settings, venue decorations, favour packaging, cake toppers and stationery.
The Chevron print which started the geometric revival last year will continue its popularity in 2014. Originally used in weddings with a nautical theme in navy, it is now seen in shades of pink, yellow, green and red. This all round, versatile pattern along with stripes and spots, all in bold colours, can be incorporated into the entire wedding and used as table runners, decorative napkins, cushions and as a complementary detail in the stationery and on the cake.
The retro revival has brought Liberty floral prints back in fashion. These pretty prints look gorgeous when used as tablecloths, napkins and bunting at summer weddings. Carry the effect throughout the bridal party with bow ties, maids and flower girl dresses made in the same fabric.
Stationery is a great place to start out on the do-it-yourself path. Hand-crafted textural finishes created with water colours, marbling, gold paint/ink, foiling, glitter and embossing are very on-trend and are an artistic and enjoyable way to create and embellish your designs.
Enjoy your DIY journey creating an occasion that is fun-filled and style-stamped with touches that mean everything to you and your other half.
Gail MacDiarmid
Editor
Modern Wedding DIY
Image Credits from top-bottom - 1. Left: Modern Wedding DIY Magazine 4th Edition (page 62) Middle: Modern Wedding DIY Magazine 4th Edition (page 105) Right: By Sarah Deaves of Princess Allure featured in Modern Wedding DIY Magazine 4th Edition (page 39) 2. Left: Llanes Wedding Photography Right: Kelly Is Nice Photography 3. Left: Tonya Peterson Photography, Hey Gorgeous Events Middle: Jen Huang Photography Right: Photography by Rylee Hitchner, Design + Styling by Gunny Au 4. Left: Elizabeth Anne Designs Middle: via 100 Layer Cake Right: Eric Kelley Photography 5. Left: Amanda Megan Miller Photography Middle: via bridesmaids.com Right: via stylecookbook 6. Left: Alannah Rose Stationery Middle: Coco Cakes Right: Recycled green chevron wrapping paper by Sophia Victoria Joy 7. Left: Print available on Etsy Middle: Bow tie available through Moaning Minnie on Etsy Right: Photography by Hazelnut Photography 8. Left: via OnceWed Middle: Available through hellotenfold on Etsy Right: Jody Savage Photography.