Spring Wedding Trends

Spring has arrived! And with it comes the sound of wedding bells. If you're attending a wedding this spring, here are a few trends you might see:

Potted plants and succulents as centerpieces - So fresh for spring! It's an easy and inexpensive way to add greenery to the décor.

Pretzel bars - Forget donut walls and ice cream trucks, pretzel bars are the new wedding snack. Yum!

Guys without ties - As brides lean towards boho looks and weddings become more relaxed, the groom's attire is kicking back, too.

What trends do you love to see at weddings?

Is It Time To Consider A Day-Of Wedding Coordinator?

Today was another long day full of deadlines and dissatisfied customers. It didn’t help that you had to spend your breaks and lunch hour on the phone with another round of florists. One of them is bound to understand your vision – and your budget – eventually…right?!? Sigh. The weekend is here, but you’re exhausted thinking about it. Another payment is due on the venue and there’s a cake tasting on Sunday. Somewhere along the way you need to remind your maid of honor to order her dress – again. For a moment you wonder if this is how your wedding day is going to feel? Will you be putting out fires the whole day? Although it's exhausting, you’re happy to have your finger on every detail of the planning. But do you want to delegate and coordinate on your wedding day? You imagined it being a lot more relaxing and enjoyable. It might be time to consider a day-of wedding coordinator. Unlike the name suggests, a day of coordinator usually comes in about a month before your event to help you get all the details in order. She’ll start communicating with vendors, confirming arrival times and coordinating timelines. She’ll make sure the groom gets to the alter and mom gets seated in her place of honor. Your wedding day coordinator will handle any crisis that come up as well as make sure you get a plate of food. They can be a godsend to the DIY bride and well worth the investment. If you had a day of wedding coordinator or have hired one, tell about your experience in the comments below!

Should You Elope?

You're neck deep in to your wedding planning and the drama keeps coming: your maid of honor hates her dress...your mom hates your dress...and somehow your guest list has doubled. The wheels are in motion with deposits paid and decisions made. But a courthouse elopement sounds like a dream right now. Should you go for it? Will you regret it?

A healthy elopement happens when both people in the relationship want to focus on getting married. Often, emphasis gets placed on the wedding while the marriage gets put on the back burner. Everyone is so wrapped up in the party, they lose sight of the commitment both people at getting in to. If you're focused on getting hitched and less concerned about the party, an elopement might be a good bet. You'll you save yourself the stress of planning and the financial investment.

Yet many brides and grooms enjoy celebrating with their friends and family. For them, the more, the merrier! Even if you elope, you can have a reception later. But some brides feel like it's "not the same." If that's you, consider having a smaller wedding. It will cut back on the budget and the intensity of the occasion.

If family drama is the reason for wanting to elope, it might be time for a chat with your parents, siblings, or anyone else driving you crazy. Let them know that you respect their opinions but that your wedding day is going to be about you, your fiancée, and the things you both love. You may experience some blow-back for standing up for yourself, but those who love you will respect your boundaries.

Wedding planning can be stressful, but it shouldn't make you sick or lose sleep. If it is, it's time to reevaluate your priorities. It might be time to cut down on the DIY projects or drop things that are causing you anxiety. Ask for help if you need it. Hire a planner if you can. Do what you need to do to keep your sanity.

Still feel like a court house celebration is calling? You're in luck! There's no wrong way to get married. At the end of the day, as long as you've followed the legal protocols of your state, a marriage is a marriage! Rules and traditions shouldn't stop you from having the wedding day of your dreams - whether that's in a fancy ball room  or on the steps of city hall.

We know there's a lot of opinions about whether to elope...tell us yours in the comments below!

We all know the stereotype of the disinterested groom. We all know the kind - he doesn't want to be part of the planning, he just wants to know when to show up. Fortunately the days of the absent groom are waning. More men want to be involved in the planning process. After all, it's their day, too.

Wondering what tasks to take on as the groom? Try these, for starters:

Your wedding day look - take control of whether bow ties or skinny ties will rule the day by having a major say in what you wear. You can even have some fun picking out crazy socks or matching Converse for your wedding party.

The reception playlist - Are you a music aficionado? Put your skills to use by creating a list of songs that will keep your guest dancing all night long.

Helping with the guest list - Help your sweetheart create or pare down the guest list. This is a big task and one your partner shouldn't have to tackle alone.

Anything else that will ease your partner's stress! - Planning a wedding is a big endeavor. Don't make your sweetheart carry all the weight. If there is somewhere you can chip in (helping with a DIY project, selecting a boutonniere, or something else!), get to it!

Got an idea for a groom's task? Leave it in the comments below.

#RIPWeddingHashtags?

#SayYesToTheKress #ForeverMoore #ToHaveAndToHolton

Are you over it yet? These days, every wedding has a personalized hashtag. There are even sites and articles to help you create a unique social moniker for your big day. But do your guests really care?

The argument for the wedding hashtag has been that it gives the couple and their guests an easy way to locate all the photos associated with the wedding. One quick search for the official wedding hashtag and you have access to all the beautiful moments captured that day. But with the algorithms of Instagram constantly shifting, it looks like there may be a good argument to ask your guests to put their phones down and just enjoy the day.

According to Pure Wow Weddings, the wedding hashtag might be going extinct. They say it's in part because Instagram has recently changed the way hashtags bring up results. But it's also because couple would really like their guests to spend less time on Insta, and more time celebrating the moment.

What do you think? Do you think wedding hashtags are useful or are you happy to see them die? Let us know!