This year’s brides and grooms are in for a treat with almost too many gorgeous wedding trends to count! Couples who have already started their plans will be happy to hear that many of last year’s top trends in food and fashion will be carried forward well into 2015 but there will be plenty of extra pretty and popular aspects to introduce too! Brides are going off-the-shoulder with wedding dresses, and adding drama with colourful bouquets, photo booths and wedding cake toppers are going glittery gold and we’ll be serving up a host of comfort foods such as crisp sandwiches and craft beers as soon as the sun goes down. This is just part 1 of our predictions and doesn’t even skim the surface of some of this year’s best themes and trends when it comes to the Big Day, but it’s a start….
Left: Branco Prata, Branco Prata Photography | Right: Gertie Mae’s Floral Studio, Photo by Paige Jones
Colourful Bouquets
Add a burst of colour to your wedding attire with some bright blooms for the bride. A variety of textures and shades in these beautiful bouquets create depth and drama and each can be as unique as the lady holding it. Symmetry and proportions are out the door with these bouquets, but there is still something quite harmonious about the overall look.
Photo via OhHappyDay.com
Sequins
Metallic is a theme that just won’t let up and we’re excited to see how brides and grooms embrace bronze, silver and gold for 2015 weddings. One way we can’t get enough of is to introduce sequins to your wedding palette in a host of weird and wonderful ways. Go with a gold glitter cake topper, some sparkly sequin bridesmaid dresses or even a party time DIY sequin photo booth backdrop to add some glamour to your wedding palette this year!
Photo by Eden Photography from The Quintessential Girly Girl – A Breaffy House Wedding
A Phone Free Ceremony
Anybody who has been to a wedding over the last two years has to have noticed (and been guilty of) the amount of guests watching their friends take their vows through an iPhone. Of course the wedding is the optimal time to be taking photos and videos that you’ll share with friends and treasure forever but, as a lot of brides are deciding, the wedding ceremony is a time when guests should be truly in the moment, taking in the emotions and atmosphere first hand and not concentrating on which filter suits your dress better. Although social media is being more and more embraced at weddings (with couples even creating their own hashtags on Twitter and Instagram so they can locate all the pics the next day) many couples are asking their guests to keep the phones in their pockets for the duration of the ceremony – we imagine those who do request a phone free ceremony would prefer to see the smiling faces of the guests as she walks up the aisle instead of the back of their iPhones!
Photo by DKPhoto from A Gatsby Style Casino Night Party at Liss Ard Estate
Farm Fresh
It’s back to basics when it comes to the wedding meal with many venues focusing on delivering mouth watering food made with local produce and farm fresh ingredients. Wholesome, well prepared and healthy options may be becoming more favourable to brides looking to create a warm atmosphere and a memorable dining experience for even the most discerning of wedding guests. This isn’t just for the wedding meal either; canapes and after-hours snacks are getting a similar treatment – we’re moving away from sliders and mini fish n’ chips and further towards simple fresh ham and cheese toasties, home baked crisp sambos (which are so mainstream they even have a whole restaurant dedicated to them) and rustic pulled pork sambos (which have moved towards more of a staple than a fad, we’re happy to hear). Omnomnom…
Photo by Michelle Prunty from An Elegant and Enchanting Day at the K Club
The Cheese Wheel Wedding Cake
So apparently you can reinvent the wheel… What was once a rustic, country-themed alternative to the traditional white iced cake, the beautifully stacked cheese wheel cake has pushed its tasty self to the fore and become a major wedding trend for 2015 weddings in Ireland. Now you know we love ourselves a pretty sweet, but the cheese cake has a distinct charm all of its own that has completely won us over. Not only does the cheese wheel cake give a slight Tuscan feel to the wedding, but it can also be served ‘family style’ at each table during dessert, meaning guests will have an extra excuse to interact while passing their selection along the table and comparing the flavours and textures.
12 Sweet Wedding Cake Trends you’ll Love in 2015
Pinterest Fatigue
As we mentioned previously, couples are beginning to really embrace social media, apps and the online world when it comes to planning their wedding but some have fallen into the trap of letting their harmless posting and pinning become an all-consuming obsession. There have been many articles, even since Pinterest’s conception, pointing out the dangers of becoming Pin-obsessed in your day-to-day life and noting how users can develop unreal expectations when it comes to living a perfect Pin board life (although it did give us some spectacular ‘Pinterest DIY Fails‘ fodder to give us a few cheap giggles over lunch). While we’re just forecasting that brides will become more aware of their own Pinterest saturation point, the girls at Off Beat Bride have gone a step further and suggested brides will be fighting back against Pinterest perfection in 2015. Watch this space.
Craft Beer/Whiskey Tasting
It’s seems everyone in Ireland has gone craft beer and home brew barmy in the last few years and like all things in life it wasn’t long till the wedding world embraced the taste of malted hops and barley and made it its own theme. Craft ales with home made labels make a great wedding favour for 2015 weddings (even for non-drinkers it’s a pretty keepsake) but if your budget doesn’t stretch to that why not have your venue serve up a tasting tray for each table after dinner? And because they’re only tasters you can be as adventurous as you want choosing them! Craft beer and whiskey tasting is also a great idea for 2015 hen or stag nights – find our more about Irish Whiskey tasting and tours at the Irish Whiskey Museum here!
Left: Elie Saab for Pronovias | Right: Lela Rose Bridal
Off-the-Shoulder Wedding Gowns
There is something so sexy and sophisticated about an off-the-shoulder style and we’re only delighted to be seeing so many of them in the 2015 bridal collections. Off-the-shoulder is a great style no matter what your shape but is the ideal choice for bigger busted brides who need support, but also want to show a bit of skin. The off-shoulder style is also great for brides who wish to cover their arms but aren’t crazy about wearing too high a neckline.
Top Off-the-Shoulder Wedding Dresses
Photo by Michelle Prunty from An Elegant and Enchanting Day at the K Club
Edible Favours
Racking your brains trying to think of favours that won’t be discarded as soon as the music starts? After years of saying no to favours brides are beginning to embrace the tradition again by giving guests something edible to enjoy! Whether it’s a jar of home made cookies, a lollipop with your face on it or some take homes from the sweetie table, guests will certainly find room in their bag for something tasty to munch on after a couple of hours in the Rezzy B. For those looking for a DIY project they can manage, this might just be the one. Of course if you’ve a tendency to set fire to your oven every time you walk past it, maybe stick to label making.
Photo by Studio33Weddings via A Beautiful BYOB House Party Wedding
Dessert Table
The dessert table has always been big in US weddings but here on the green isle we’ve tended to favour a more nostalgic sweet table in the past (apple drops and mint crisps being favourites here at weddingsonline HQ, in case you’re wondering). We’re seeing more and more brides drift to a DIY dessert table and think it will become part of the mainstream here in 2015. Different to the sweetie or candy table, the dessert table consists of an array of specially selected pastries, mini cakes and artisan chocolates. Many brides are opting to DIY their dessert table, challenging friends and family to a bake off to supply their signature sweet – but check with your venue if it’s okay as some may not allow food that hasn’t been made on the premises to be served. God forbid you have to eat it all yourselves the morning after!
Photo by Into the Light Photography from Beach Wedding at Garryvoe Hotel
Naked Cakes
The naked cake was a huge trend in weddings last year and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere for 2015. There is a natural, rustic beauty to these wonderfully exposed sweets, and a charm that can be attributed to the little imperfections on show. A naked cake is perfect for any season, and lends itself to the most subtle decorations. Think fresh flowers or a pretty word cake topper as ways to keep to the minimal style of a naked cake but add something colourful or personal.
