2007 Wedding Trends

With the new year comes numerous new trends in wedding planning. Here is a sampling of Cynthia Basker's top predictions for 2007.
 

COLOR

"Pink has been the trend for the past several years and I don't see it going away anytime soon," Basker notes. For 2007, she sees a mid-tone, one between the palest pink and the hottest fuchsia, as the color of choice. Pairing pink with citrus colors or chocolate will continue to be a popular combination.

"Natural hues-deep blues and greens as well as neutrals like taupe and sand-will likely be strong in 2007," she predicts. "Also metallics, which are always stylish, may become more prominent in the palette rather than remain accent colors."
 

FAVORS

Basker shares that "a wonderful and meaningful trend I am seeing is for the bride and groom to make charitable contributions in their guests honor. Leaving a small card at each place setting is a gracious way to let them know of the gift. Some charities have even provided small tokens, such as pins, to give to the guests."
 

FOOD AND CATERING

Three themes Basker predicts for 2007 wedding menus are: comfort foods, "mini" hors d'oeuvres and signature drinks. "I am seeing more 'homey' foods like macaroni and cheese, fun hors d'oeuvres like mini cheeseburgers with tomato soup shooters and signature drinks that echo the theme of the wedding or hold some meaning for the couple," she says.

Signature drinks can also offer the added benefit of cost savings. Rather than offer a full bar, couples may opt for a wine and beer bar and then offer their signature drink. The caterer can help create the drink or the couple can use their theme as inspiration or simply offer their favorite concoction.
 

GETTING THE WORD OUT

Creative and high-tech are the trends for sharing wedding news. Wedding websites have become more common for sharing information with guests. From hotel accommodations to directions, shower dates and gift registries, these sites provide a fun and creative forum packed with helpful information for friends and family.

Basker also finds that advance planning has become more widespread and comments that "Save the date cards were once the realm of destination weddings, but couples realize how busy and scheduled peoples' lives are and they are sending out noticed in advance of invitations, even if the wedding is local."
 

CAKES AND BOUQUETS

"The trend for cakes is monogrammed cake 'jewelry,' which carries over to the brides' and bridesmaids' bouquets. Last year, splashes of color in the form of cake and bouquet jewelry were popular, and now monogramming is adding to this ufn and personal embellishment."
 

ATTIRE

Strapless gowns have been the prevailing choice for the past several seasons, and will remain fashionable, but Basker is seeing bridal gowns with straps or with simple cap sleeves making comebacks.

For grooms, she sees a continuation of the tuxedo with a suit tie (with or without a vest) in place of the traditional bow-tie and cummerbund. Also, even for formal affairs, many grooms are opting for a tailored suit rather than a tuxedo, especially for outdoor weddings.