For those who don’t know me, my name is Bríona Farrell and I am a wedding coordinator, currently based between Ireland and Scotland. I have been a wedding coordinator for over 3 years now and I am 3 time nominated for wedding coordinator of the year.
I love taking care of Brides and Grooms in the lead up to their big day and have been lucky enough to have seen hundreds of happy couples through the process to the big day and often their second day celebrations.
In March I made the move from Ireland to Scotland for my dream job opportunity however, like many people, I lost this dream job as a result of covid19. This was the push I needed to finally create “Briona’s Wedding Blog”.
This was something I had contemplated starting for a long time and possibly procrastinated doing until that point. It means even more to me now that this blog has originated in the hope that I can continue to help Brides and Grooms through the lead up to their wedding via this blog!
Here are my top 5 favourite trends for 2020 and 2021!
1. An Intimate Wedding Ceremony with an informal dinner followed by larger evening celebrations!
There has been a new type of wedding that has been creeping into venues over the past 2 years which I can only see becoming more popular following covid19. This new type of wedding consists of an intimate civil/ humanist ceremony and dinner service with the same 20 – 50 guests followed by a much bigger after party of 100 or more guests.
I spoke about this recently in a blog regarding what weddings might look like post Covid19. I think this is a fantastic option especially given the current circumstances. Also, in light of the restrictions and guidelines offered thus far, I am of the opinion a wedding like this would work well with the social distancing rules. Given the fact only the immediate family and friends following the ceremony will attend the traditional “Wedding Breakfast” or dinner allowing for easier distancing.
During the evening party there is traditionally less need for seating given the fact most people are usually mingling and or dancing so with less tables and chairs there will be more space for social distancing. Couples will, instead of inviting 100+ additional guests to the wedding breakfast, invest in upgraded evening food and perhaps an additional band for the evening celebrations. Creating a different and more relaxed guest experience. In my opinion it is the perfect amalgamation of the intimacy and informality of a micro wedding with the fun and energy that a larger scale wedding has to offer!
2. Larger Florals
This trend involves larger than life and lavish florals, everything from bouquets to floral décor. I love a large and “loose” tear drop shaped Bridal bouquet; they photograph incredibly well. They also work beautifully with the simple and minimalist wedding dress trend we have seen growing! Tidy and simple bouquets of flowers with the addition of some larger flowers such as hydrangeas, protea and maybe even some succulents surrounded by over spilling foliage and greenery is what we are seeing trending worldwide. Brides are making this trend their own by using locally sourced flowers for a more foraged and personal feel.
This floral trend goes for décor as well, Floral / Foliage Chandeliers are possibly my favourite trend to come out over the past few years with venues such as Horetown House being a fabulous example of such. (see photo below). Floral Chandeliers are a striking way of adding décor to your venue without cluttering your tables. They create a simple elegance to a room, however they do admittedly work best in the draped marquee/ tent setting.
3. Dried Flowers & Pampas Grass creations of any description
This trend is no longer for your Nanny’s mantel piece. Dried flower bouquets give off a beautiful rustic and vintage feel with creams, pastel colours and touches of dusty pinks. They are the epitome of natural romance in a bouquet. Also, the ever-growing popularity of Pampas grass ties into the whole soft, rustic and romantic vibes that comes with the dried flowers trend. We LOVE pampas grass for the incredible versatility it offers. I have seen it used in table centrepieces, bridal bouquets, as part of moon gates for ceremonies and backdrop for photos as a flower wall alternative.
Recommended supplier: Mad about flowers, Seonaid Renton, based in Bagenalstown Co.Carlow, has created numerous bespoke dried flower Bridal bouquets with the majority of flowers grown and dried by her. (please see photo below of one of Seonaid’s beautiful dried creations, photographed by Gemmagphotography)
4. Neon Signage
Probably one of my favourite trends is a combination of a few of the above; Pampas grass and dried flowers with neon signage as a Backdrop for photos. This sounds incredibly specific I know but imagine the contrast of the soft rustic dried flowers and pampas grass with the contrasting luminous typically industrial neon signage. GORGEOUS! A Fabulous Backdrop for a Brilliant photo opportunity for all your guests.
Recommended Supplier – Candy Lady Lisa. Neon signage has been a harder trend to source in the past however the lovely Lisa has started hiring Neon signage such as the below!
5. Eco Touches
Last but certainly not least the Eco and Environmentally friendly wedding touches. I believe this has become a big factor for Brides and Grooms when planning a wedding as early in the process as choosing a venue.
More and More couples are conscious of food waste and biodegradable straws being available. In addition to this we have seen couples provide personalised reusable straws as wedding favours.
Personally, a venues eco-awareness, would influence my decision hugely. As a wedding coordinator I have previously along with the support of the venue’s management refused to allow the likes of an outdoor Balloon release because of the environmental implications. (Yes, biodegradable balloons do exist however from the research I found at the time they take 8 years to fully decompose). It is important that wedding venues get on board with eco-awareness, as they have the potential to be a huge producer of waste and to their credit many have started to make changes over the last year especially. However, I do believe clients/ wedding couples do have a certain responsibility to hold venues to a higher standard and ask the questions surrounding what (if even small) changes a venue is making to contribute to a climate change solution.
There are many small changes a couple can make to their day to make it eco-friendlier however, there is one in particular I love….
Plantable wedding invites are a fantastic Eco-friendly version of something which normally takes several pieces of paper (Save the date cards, wedding invites, rsvp cards, thank you cards, etc). Which when you think of how many weddings with on average 100+ guests take place annually worldwide; it really does beg the question how can we make this process eco-friendlier?
Of course, E-invites are the easiest way to cut both the cost to you as a couple but also the environment. However, e-invites to lack the emotive result which a wedding invite normally gives, and it feels as if there can be a certain lack of occasion when received. The most widely and readily available option is Recycled paper invites. Most invite creators have a selection of recycled paper available to choose from and in my opinion, this should be the main choice available to all couples if not the only.
However, without doubt my favourite eco-friendly invite has to be seeded paper invites otherwise known as plantable wedding invites. Once you are finished with the wedding invites you can plant them in soil and watch them grow and transform, giving them a new life and new purpose. This is by far my favourite eco-friendly touch!
Recommended supplier; Thepapershop.ie are an Irish supplier who creates wedding invites using seeded paper meaning your invited guests can literally plant seeds of love and watch them grow.
