Wedding Trends by Julie Eastman a
downtown fort worth
april 2009
s i recently wandered the aisles of the exhibit hall at The Special Event 2009 in San Diego, i was impressed by how far the wedding and event industry has come. The latest trends were in the spotlight as approximately 7,000 of my peers took note. The fashion industry is definitely leading the way, as linens for tables Julie Eastman and chairs follow suit. The choices are amazing, with a variety of colors, textures, and patterns in all the latest palettes. Chair covers echo the styles of a formal dress or men’s tuxedo. amazing fabrics with sequins, feathers, and more are available through linen rental companies that will ship straight to your venue. another must-have is the instant photo. The classic photo booth is still very popular, but now there are set-ups that can instantly put your photo into flip books, impose a photo onto a custom scene designed for your wedding, or even
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put it on a key chain for your guests to take home. Your guests can even stand on the “x” and snap their own photos, which can then be uploaded to your own web site for everyone to admire. By far, one of the new players in the wedding game is the luxury event rental company. These companies rent chic lounge furniture, illuminated bars and dance floors, mirrored end tables, and much more. The growing popularity of creating a separate “night club” area at a reception has spawned these creative high-end rental companies. adding a lounge area around the dance floor can give a large ballroom a very intimate feel with settees, ottomans, and lamps. luxury rental companies can even supply designer throw pillows and rugs. if you want to go green for your wedding, here are a couple of ideas that can help. There are several new ways to “shower” the bride and groom as they make their getaway. My current favorite is to use lavender rather than rice. The 100 percent pure lavender buds are safe for birds and completely biodegradable. The color is lovely, and the scent is soft and pleasant. Fill customized cones with
portions of lavender for guests to toss at the couple. Many brides wonder what to do with their bouquet after the wedding. Dry it and save it? That usually means no one ever sees it again. at least one company will turn your bouquet into 100 percent recycled thank-you notes. These even come with wildflower seeds embedded into the paper: The recipient can actually plant the card after reading it. in a world looking for green ideas, i think this one is a winner! The business even makes the process easy by sending you a box in which to ship your bouquet. You can make your wedding reception memorable by taking advantage of some of these great trends! please check out Julie Eastman’s blog at www.extraordinaryideasbyjules. blogspot.com for more great ideas! Julie Eastman, CWS, is the founder of Extraordinary Events & Design. With a degree in interior design, Julie has been creating beautiful spaces for more than 20 years. passionate, imaginative designs and flawless execution are her trademarks. She’s designed magnificent spaces around the country from New York to New
Mexico. Her unique combination of design expertise and flawless eye for perfection provide her clients with unprecedented events of any magnitude.