The Dream Weddings Bridal Show Jan. 29 and 30 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center will showcase the latest wedding trends of 2011.
Gail McGroder, publisher of the “Perfect Wedding Guide” which hosts the Dream Weddings show, said trends in bridal fashion this year include mesh material veils, heirloom head pieces and strapless gowns.
“We thought in 2010 that sleeves would come back into weddings. But strapless is still popular,” she said, adding wedding gowns with color, texture and “bling” are also currently popular.
Another trend McGroder sees in 2011 weddings is what she refers to as “subtle luxury.”
“The bride and groom will personalize everything with their style and the receptions will be a reflection of them. Intimate weddings will still be strong. The DIY (do it yourself) bride will start to fade as they replace doing it themselves with hiring professionals,” said McGroder.
Flowers
Green and white and purple and white color schemes are trendy this year, along with pink, said Frances Egbert, head designer and wedding consultant at The Blooming Idea flower shop in The Woodlands.
“Green brightens the white. It is fresh and energetic and gives a little bit more dimension to the flower so it is not so flat,” Egbert said.
In addition to traditional “white weddings” bride’s are requesting ivory, champagne and dusty pink themes, Egbert said.
“Centerpieces sometimes include candles and sizes vary,” she said.
Different seasons call for different floral hues. Red, orange and yellows characterize autumn weddings. Hot pink, green and orange work in summer. Blue, white and purple is utilized in the winter. Pinks and yellows are used in the spring. Wildflowers are sometimes used in weddings, but wither quickly, while peonies are prevalent in spring weddings and lilies common in the autumn.
“Filler flowers are dying out,” she said.
No matter the season, flowers bring a natural, live element to weddings that can set the tone for guests.
“It adds a level of romance,” she said, adding even a few rose petals can send a message.
Blooming Idea works within budgets by mapping out what a bride envisions and then deciding what can be realistically achieved.
“We try to make that dream come true as much as possible for them,” Egbert said. “It is always fun. It is the best part of our job.”
For more information visit http://thebloomingidea.blogspot.com/.
Cakes
The Food Channel and other reality baking shows have impacted cake trends. This includes the addition of color. Black is traditionally popular and eggplant is popular this year. Vintage black and white and round-shaped cakes are gaining steam. Other colors hot right now are chartreuse, sage green or mossy and different hues of purple.
Butter cream is always number one in the south, according to Chef Lisa Green of Kiss the Cook Cakes and Santa Fe South Catering.
“Fillings are much more exciting,” Green said. “There are hazelnuts and raspberry lacquers. People are using more than one filling.”
Other popular fillings include almond and lemon curd. Combining fillings creates a ribbon effect and customers get two cakes for the price of one.
“We discourage past two flavors,” Green said. “This causes people to run out of a cake and brides have to buy larger cakes.”
Green said cake colors often match the style of the wedding, with the dress and invitation usually matching the cake.
Green said with more cupcake shops opening, the miniature treats are showing up in more and more weddings.
“Brides want to cut a wedding cake so we sometimes make the topper a cake, and cascade cupcakes down from there,” Green said, adding an example of this style will be displayed at the Dream Weddings show.
Fondant, or dough-gum paste icing, is being used to create edible bows and flowers, Green said. Bling and brooch strings on the cake are other ways to enhance and “make the cake pop.”
She said cakes are usually a good indication of the couple themselves, with grooms now participating more in cake decisions. Green gave examples of cakes with frogs on the top and a groom running from the bride.
“It is the centerpiece of your reception, the main attraction when the bride and groom enter the room,” said Green, who is in the process of creating a coffee table book with photos of her creations.
For more information visit www.kissthecooks.com.
The Dream Weddings Bridal Show takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 29 and from noon to 5 p.m. Jan. 30 at The Marriott, 1601 Lake Robbins Drive. Admission is $15 cash at the door. Pre-purchase discounts are available at dreamweddingsbridalshow.com.
Every month we pack up the shop an hour early and go to the Allied Florists of Houston meeting where we get to see fantastic designers, beautiful product and mingle with other florists in the area. This month we were privileged to see one of my favorite designers, Beth O'Reilly AIFD, TMF! She lives in Austin and works for the Flowers Studio.
In fact one of our very own designers, Fiona had the chance to spend the day with Beth helping her create some beautiful pieces for the show. It's a fabulous chance for us to learn about different design styles and trends in different parts of the country.
Commerce Park is a wonderful new wholesaler, with beautiful product. We are happy to welcome them to the Allied Family! So make sure to come in to the shop to come see some of the new things we learned!
