Top 10 Wedding Trends for 2011

OneWed’s Top 10 Wedding Trends for 2011 -

1. Sophisticated Elegance Returns
It's back to basics with elegant, sophisticated style in 2011. Wedding decor will be simple and understated, with modern design elements trumping DIY touches. Scripted calligraphy, custom monograms, and classic wedding cakes embody this trend. Brides will wear pearls, and grooms will ditch the Converse in favor of more tasteful wedding day kicks.

Photo: Wedding flower centerpiece by FloralArt

2. Outdoor Venues- Where It’s At
Couples tying the knot in 2011 will gravitate toward outdoor ceremony and reception venues. The raw, minimal backdrop of an outdoor setting leaves room for personalization and customization, a major perk for creative, hands-on nearlyweds. Lakeside venues, vineyard locations and spaces situated alongside sprawling mountains will dominate, and they’ll be spruced up with personalized touches that represent the bride and groom.

Photo: Lauren Hillary Photography

3. Grey is the New Black, Crazy for Navy
Gloomy no more, grey is the neutral IT color for 2011 weddings. Organic and natural, shades of charcoal, dove, stone, oyster and shell will be incorporated liberally into wedding color palettes and paired with vibrant hues to make the colors pop! And while grey remains the talk of the town for 2011, navy blue (and other deep blues) are definitely on-trend for the coming year. Wonder if Prince Will's royal wedding has anything to do with the crazy for navy trend... what do you think??

Photo: A & A Photography

4. Mad for Metallics & Bold Color Palettes
Whether it’s two bright hues with a metallic accent, or several metallic shades used together, brights and metallics will be popular choices for wedding color palettes in 2011. Gilded gold, shimmery silver, and sparkling champagne will used alone or with accents of yellow, purple or teal. And since metallics make such a bold statement on their own, couples will scale back over-the-top decor in favor of a more restrained style aesthetic.

Photo: Millie Holloman Photography

5. Big Ball Gowns are Back
Dramatic ball gown wedding dresses floated down 2011 bridal catwalks in droves. Wedding dress designers draped, ruched, and layered clouds of tulle, power netting, and chiffon to fashion-wedding dresses with limitless volume. The outcome? Fairytale-inspired bridal style and whimsical wedding dresses for 2011 I Dos.

Photo: Jason Groupp Photography

6. Grooms Take a Walk on the Stylish Side
Grooms are taking a stand in the name of fashion. Their tux choices will no longer be dictated by some “rent 5, get 1 free” deal. Instead, they’ll chose formal looks that represent their unique style. Classic long neck ties, and embroidered dress shirts, engraved cufflinks, stylish lapel pins and the color of the season- grey- will grace the white aisles.

Photo: Jennifer Creed Photography

7. Wedding Invitations Go Green
The green weddings movement continues full speed ahead in 2011. From totally paperless wedding invitations and save-the-dates, to stationery printed on 100% recycled paper, invitations have truly gone green.

Photo: Lauren Hillary Photography

8. Luxurious Textures-- from the Dress to the Tablescape
Luxe textured fabrics will bring a sumptuous, opulent vibe to 2011 weddings. Wedding decor will feature layered light fabrics (tulle, lace, chiffon), romantic ruffles, oversized florals, and illusion fabric with eye-catching beading. Textured linens will be layered to dress up reception tables, chair covers may be embroidered or beaded, and branchy centerpieces and floral arrangements will captivate wedding guests.

Photo: A & A Photography

9. Ethnic Influences, Cultural Wedding Details
At long last, brides and grooms are embracing and showcasing their unique cultural traditions and ethnicity. Whether it’s a religious wedding ceremony ritual, traditional wedding day garb, cultural cuisine infused throughout the reception dinner, or wedding decor with bold, ethnic prints, you can’t help but embrace the unique cultures and ethnicities of couples in 2011.

Photo: SYPhotography

10. Revved-Up Wedding Receptions
Who wants the best day of their lives to end? Not couples and guests in 2011, that’s for sure! Couples will plan a post-reception after party lasting into the wee hours of the night with drinks, entertainment, dancing, and snacks so that wedding guests can party all night long!

Photo: Deborah Zoe Photography

Now that you've read the predictions for the top 10 trends for 2011 weddings, share your thoughts! What do you love, what would you leave, and what did we miss?

Article Courtesy of www.onewed.com

Too Good Not To Share - Chocolate Martinis & Inspiration

A couple of weeks ago, as I was trying do some "research" (my excuse for spending way too much time on the internet trying to find great things to share with you!) I came across this inspiration board. Elegance, Sophistication, Beauty, Chocolate Truffles, Martini . . . oh, my. {I thought to myself, this deserved more than just a little blog post.}

Being a "Brown" myself, not just the color scheme was inspiring (as an inspiration board should be), but the Chocolate Martini front and center was "inspiring" as well!

That is when I got SO excited and thought {Let's call a bunch of the best local wedding vendors in the area, ask them to donate a bunch of their time, efforts, money and exceptional talent, and come together to create a phenomemal display all around this random arrangement of beautiful picture clips!!}

If the inspiration board is already this amazing, you absolutely can't go wrong with the design. {At least that is what I keep telling myself till I can actually see it come to life and while I'm trying to pull all the millions of details together for this shoot.}

The first order of business was to find a Photographer, and WOW did we score! The talented Jensen Sutta will be capturing the entire event for us. Just check out his work for yourself!

I'll will obviously share the amazing images on here in a couple of weeks.

In the upcoming weeks, I will share with you some of the details that we are incorporating, a few diy ideas, and some of the great vendors that have joined forces to make this event spectacular!

Lastly, as part of all the "planning" I stumbled accross this recipe for a Chocolate Espresso Martini. To top this creation the main ingredient is Amarula Liqueur. This "bottle of perfection" is a South African Liqueur made from the African Amarula fruit. (Just look for the bottle with the BIG elephant on the label.) Finally this creamy deliciousness is now available in some local liquor stores and if I may say my absolute favorite after dinner cocktail!)

I hope you enjoy and find the recipe as great as I do and choose to make it your signature cocktail for your upcoming event!

Cocktail Pre-Mix:
1/2 cup Starbucks Coffee Liqueur
1/2 cup Amarula Cream (or Irish Cream Liqueur)
3 tablespoons chocolate sauce, high quality such as Fran's or Scharffen Berger
1/2 cup vanilla vodka

Chocolate Cream:
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons chocolate sauce
chocolate covered espresso beans

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the pre-mix, in a small contain combine the coffee liqueur, Amarula (or Irish Cream), chocolate sauce, and vodka. Transfer to a pretty bottle with a pour spout. The re-mix can be made up to a week in advance if kept refrigerated.

To make the whipped cream, in a small bowl, combine the whipping cream and chocolatesauce and whip until very soft peaks are formed.

To make the cocktail, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and then measure and add 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of the pre-mix. Shake vigoursly for 10 seconds, then strain into a small martini glass. Top each cocktail with a dollop of shipped cream and garnish with chocolatecovered coffee beans.

(Recipe and picture courtesy of www.fabulousfoods.com)

Valentines Day Inspiration Board

Love, Love, Love this Black and Deep Red color combination.

I hope you all have a love filled day with those close to your heart.

Happy Valentines Day!

Naomi & Kirk's Wedding - October 30, 2010

I was so honored to be asked to be part of Kirk and Naomi's Wedding. They were introduced to me by a dear friend, Katherine Lawrence, who is the Floral Wedding Designer & Coordinator at - The Perfect Petal, one of Denver's finest floral boutiques.

Katherines brought Naomi's amazing vision of a "Gothic Period Style Wedding" to life with four feet tall arrangements, cathedral style candelabras and lots of candlelight (that is where Illuminations Design Studio came in)!

The deep velvet red roses and gold accents were beautiful. For this design we combined various sizes and shapes of luminaries that filled the center of the loooong banquet table. The entire room glowed with candlelight.

Naomi had a maticulous eye for detail and it was all flawlessly executed by Jessica Horvath, Owner and Principal Wedding Planner of Weddings by Design. It was my first wedding working with Jessica, and it was an absolute pleasure! It was certainly one of my favorite weddings to work on for 2010.

The beautiful background for the ceremony and reception was The Sanctuary in Castle Rock, CO. Regardless of the season, the breathtaking views and architectural details of this venue is stunning.

Last but certainly, not least is Frances Morron. She is the Owner and Lead Photographer at Frances Photography. She is such a delight to be around and a true artist. A special thank you Frances for capturing and sharing your work - You have an amazing talent!

A very special thank you to to the adorable couple - Naomi and Kirk. Your wedding was beautiful and it was an honor to be part of your special day!