Editor’s note: The 2010 Wedding Showcase will be held Sunday, Sept. 26, at 11 a.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center. Presented by StateCollege.com, Altoona.com, and the Bryce Jordan Center, the event features businesses from State College, Bellefonte, Altoona, Hollidaysburg, Dubois, and Clearfield. Demonstrations and seminars will take place all day. And don’t forget to enter to win thousands of dollars worth of great prizes from our vendors, including gift cards, photos, and the gown of your dreams.
The following story should give attendees a few ideas, which they can discuss with the experts who will turn their vision into reality.
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Planning a wedding really is like having a second job. Between shrinking budgets and growing guest lists, the details can be overwhelming. Fortunately, we’ve done some of the work for you, by highlighting some of the most popular wedding trends:
Vowing love and honor (as quickly as possible): Vows are getting shorter, leaving more time for the celebration. But no need to sacrifice quality: Today’s couples are finding creative, and often entertaining, ways to express their love, finding inspiration from their favorite books or CDs. Typically, the simplest promises—like vowing to make your wife pancakes every Sunday a.m.—are the sweetest.
Picking flowers: Whether the scene is a church or someone’s backyard, today’s brides are carrying arrangements that make it look like they just stepped out of the garden. Think vibrant bouquets of wild flowers in varying shades of purple or red. The centerpieces are also reflecting a more relaxed vibe, with cool vases or garden urns plucked from flea markets.
Feeding the masses. One popular food trend is using locally sourced, organic food, which is easy to do in State College, particularly from spring to fall, when fresh fruit and vegetables are in abundance. Over at the bar, the traditional wine and beer cocktail menu is getting makeover with specialty drinks, like martinis featuring fresh fruit purees or concoctions created by the bride and groom for their big. What about dessert? According to popular wedding website “the knot,” classic white cakes—pared down creations covered in white fondant— are a hot trend for 2010. Simply adorn with fresh flowers or an antique cake topper. Of course, you don’t need to be wedded to a cake; a tower of cupcakes is a fun twist on the classic wedding dessert. Or, for a local twist, try a Grilled Sticky tower (you can order them on our Dining Guide).
Feeding the masses—again. After all that dancing and glass clinking, munchies are inevitable, and late-night meals continue to be a hit with guests. One of my favorite weddings, which took place in Philadelphia, sent guests on their way with hot cheesesteaks.
Keeping the party going. Music can make or break a wedding. It takes a lot of time and thoughtful consideration to pick a mix that will entertain your friends without sending the octogenarians in the crowd running to their hotel room. When a friend of mine got married this past summer, he asked the attendees to plan the play list—on Facebook. A single status updated elicited dozens of suggestions, including a few recommendations for the ever-important Do-Not-Play! list. The result was a nonstop dance party (you can always judge how good the music is by the number of women who have kicked off their heels).
Greening your wedding. Earth-friendly weddings are growing in popularity, and today’s brides are considering nature-inspired invitations from 100 percent recycled paper, flower bulb wedding favors and even organic wedding dresses. Another way to make a socially conscious statement—and cut down on waste—is by foregoing favors for a donation to a local non-profit that personally reflects you or your spouse. Or use recycled paper to craft personalized thank-you notes for your guests.
Making better movies. We all have our all-time-favorite wedding moments: the 85-year-old grandfather who takes off his suit jacket and pulls a bridesmaid to the dance floor, a mother crying as she watches her husband and daughter walk arm-in-arm down the aisle, or the wedding official who murders the bride and groom’s names. All together they tell a story that, captured on film, are more entertaining than anything on your Netflix queue. And, according to “the knot,” the digital revolution means those movies are a major improvement from the dusty VHS tape your older sister is stuck with from her 1983 wedding. Expect high resolution and video editing that has evolved into a cinematic art. What’s more, smaller cameras mean your videographer can hang in the background and capture the moment without ruining it.
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