Pantone 2011 Color of the Year

You know how we love color here at Forget Me Knot Details- so I've been waiting anxiously for Pantone to release their Color of the Year!! Last year it was turquoise, a calming aqua shade to help soothe us after a stressful year (so says Pantone). This year they've chosen a vibrant shade of pink to embolden us!! Again, so says Pantone. ;) Anywho, the Color of the Year is.... Honeysuckle!

Here's a link to the full description at the Pantone website- I can't wait to see this flattering shade used in 2011 weddings!!

2011 Wedding Trend: Local is the New Organic

Being eco-friendly and "organic" came in strong with the year 2010, with brides planting trees in honor of every wedding guest and insisting that the meat at their wedding be from grass-fed animals. For 2011, supporting your local economy is chic!

Going local usually means you're also getting organic products, as you're buying from the farm around the corner instead of around the world. And, using locally made products for things such as favors and decor supports your hometown and adds a sweet, intimate charm to your event.

Some ideas for going local for your Western New York wedding (which can easily be translated to any town you may be getting married in)...

• Wine from a local winery in the Niagara region or the Finger Lakes
• Chocolate from a local business like Fowlers (we love Truffaloes!)
• Local products included in your OOT guest bags- such as Frank's Hot Sauce
• Favors produced by a local shop, or even roadside stand (candles, soap, etc.)

2011 Wedding Trend: The New Neutrals

Yes my wedding-loving friends, that says 2011 trend. Can you believe we're talking about 2011 already?? Well, it's important to be ahead of the curve in the wedding world, and if Fashion Week shows their collections for next year in the fall, then why can't we start talking trends now?

So, having a neutral base color in your wedding color scheme is a pretty common thing. Most brides choose to have a neutral to ground their theme, and then accent (either lightly or heavily) with brighter colors. 2010 was the year of gray. Gray was by far the most popular wedding neutral, with the color combos of gray + yellow and gray + red dominating the wedding scene.

For 2011, brown is the new gray. Which is funny, because gray was the new brown. So I guess brown is making a comeback. In 2008-9 chocolate brown was the IT neutral for weddings, and for 2011 it's coming back strong. But also, mocha, latte, and taupe are coming back with brown, as a lighter, more airy alternative to dark chocolate brown.

This lovely cranberry and latte themed inspiration board was borrowed from The Perfect Palette.

Sneak Peek: 4th of July Wedding

Phew- July was a whirlwind of a month!!! It was filled to the brim with weddings galore- so stayed tuned for loads of photos! Not all of them were weddings we planned, but we want to share photos from them all so you can get design/decor ideas, and just drool over the wedding gorgeousness. But first, some photos from a wedding we DID indeed plan, Christina and Wyatt's 4th of July Weekend Wedding Extravaganza! Check out the fantastic photographer Lindsay DeDario's blog for a sneak peek of her images. Soon, we'll be posting a full rundown of all of the details we created for Christina and Wyatt, complete with more lovely photos from Lindsay. Enjoy!

Planned by Us: Christina's Bridal Shower

Well it certainly is wedding season isn't it? We've got a string of lovely events coming up, and we're so excited! For now, please enjoy photos from the shower we helped coordinate and design for our 4th of July weekend bride-to-be Christina. The hostesses, mother of the bride Anne and maid of honor Stephanie, chose Rick's on Main in East Aurora and we designed the decor, favors, and setup. Enjoy!

The lovely bride-to-be Christina is in white with her maid of honor and sister Stephanie. Notice the white lantern in the window in the background- we put those in all of the windows!

Favors were little terracotta pots with alysum that Julie and I planted the night before. We also glued ribbon and bows and thank you tags to them. Cupcakes and stand provided by Zilly Cakes on Elmwood.

These centerpieces turned out so cute! And they were really fun to make. :)

The mother of the bride made beautiful baskets to raffle off as prizes for the guests, so we wrote numbers on the bottom of the pots and the bride picked the winners out of a bowl. Here she is showing off the favors! Photos courtesy of Christina's cousin, Taras Muzychko (website under construction).

Enjoy the last weekend in June (can you believe it's over already?)!!!

Ask a Planner: Questions for Photographers

A bride recently came to us and asked for advice on what to ask photographers when you're trying to choose one for your wedding day. So, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my answers with all of you!

First of all, before interviewing potential photographers, it's important to know the style that you want your wedding photography to be. There are SO many photographers out there these days, and they all specialize in different styles. The two basics are traditional vs. photo-journalism, but there are varying degrees within these two categories. Traditional style wedding photography is more of the posed, formal shots with bride, groom, and wedding party, using elegant and scenic backgrounds. Photographers who use a photo-journalistic style strive to "tell a story" with their photos, so they include more candid, unposed shots and usually take a lot more pictures. As I said, there is a lot of variety within these two basic styles. The best way to figure out what you want is to look at wedding photos! Check out the galleries on the Knot, Style Me Pretty, Project Wedding, etc. and save photos that you like. When you put these all together, you can start to see what style you want your wedding day photographed in.

Once you've pinpointed style, start interviewing photographers who say they specialize in this. Often, photographers bring assistants to weddings to take photos as well- then one photographer can take the posed shots while the other focuses on details and candid shots. This is a great way to get a mix of styles, if that's what you want. Ask if the photographer uses an assistant, and if it's included in the package or if you have to pay extra.

When looking at the packages a photographer offers, make sure you ask exactly what is included in them. Is there an hour limit for how long they'll be with you on the wedding day? Do you get any prints or a book included with the package price? Is an engagement session or bridal portrait session included in your package? Do you have personal usage rights* to the wedding photos? This last question is a big one!! Some photographers retain the rights to your photos, so that you receive 4x6 prints or low-quality jpegs on a disc and if you want more prints you have to purchase them through the photographer- or you can pay an extra fee to purchase your high resolution photos from the photographer. If you do so, then you can print your images whenever you want. Other photographers give you your photos as part of the original package. Make sure you understand whether or not you will be receiving a disc of your photos that you can print from or not.

The photos are the biggest thing you'll have left of your wedding day, make sure that you get what you want with your photographer! Any other suggestions on what to ask a photographer- let us know in the comments section!

(photo credits 1,2,3)

*"Personal usage rights" is different than outright owning the copyright on your photos. Photographers usually don't sell the rights to their photos to any couple, because then this couple could profit off of the photos without giving any credit or compensation to the photographer. So instead, photographers protect their work, and offer couples personal usage rights, meaning they can have the high res photos to print and reprint for years to come, but cannot sell these images to anyone. Thank you to Lindsay DeDario, a photographer friend of mine here in Buffalo, NY, for further explaining the terminology to me!

Testing Testing... 1 2 3

Just trying out some new looks on the blog- I want to be able to display photos bigger and better so I needed a new template. So, enjoy the test photo collage of Southern Belle/Country brides and tell me what you think of this background and design!

Colors We Love: Pool Blue and Pink

It's summer!! Well, not officially yet, but with temps in the 80's in Western New York, that's good enough for me to call it summer. :) Let's bask in the bright colors that brides often choose to celebrate their wedding day in the summer sun- an alternative to one of my fav color combos of navy and fuschia, pool blue and pink is summery, fresh, and fun! (click for a larger view and photo credits)

Anemone Love

I'm kind of in love with anemones right now. They are very graphic flowers, with their stunning black center, and I've been on a 60's mod kick lately, so these flowers just speak to me. So, let's look at some pretty photos and learn more about the anemone.

Anemone comes from the Greek and it means "daughter of the wind." In the wedding world, anemones symbolize anticipation. They come in a wide variety of colors, including white, red, blue, and pink, and you can also find anemones with yellow centers rather than black.

Anemones are in season from January-May and August-December, so they are perfect for all wedding seasons beside summer. They are especially popular for winter weddings, when they are most available.

Tell us- what flower is a must-have at your wedding? Do you love anemones as much as I do? (photo credits 1, 2, 3, 4)

Ask a Planner: How to be a Good Bridesmaid

(image courtesy of A Stylish Soiree)

This is, of course, a loaded topic. For the most part, I think friends of the bride agree wholeheartedly to being a bridesmaid with the best of intentions. They love their friend, want to be a part of her wedding, and who doesn't like to dress up pretty and be a part of the show? :)

The thing is, when you agree to be a bridesmaid, you agree to more than just wearing a nice dress and smiling for photos. Bridesmaids have a duty to be there for the bride throughout the planning process, to assist when needed, and to (within reason) do as they are told by the bride. The Knot has some great resources for bridesmaids, detailing what their duties are and how to deal with various wedding situations. I particularly like this quote from the list of bridesmaid duties: "Be a trooper, no matter how stressful the ordeal becomes. Try not to complain about the bridesmaid dress -- even if the color is horrendous. Be gracious and tactful."

I've been a bridesmaid/maid of honor three times, and I'll be doing it a fourth time this July. Also, as a wedding planner, I have worked with countless wedding parties, both large and small, with all sorts of bridesmaids. The bottom line for bridesmaids is- you do what makes the bride happy. If she wants you to attend all four of her bridal showers, you do your very best to attend them all. If she wants you to throw one of them, you throw her a shower. If she asks that you wear an olive green gown, you wear it. And if she wants everyone to dye a pair of shoes the perfect shade of pink- you DO IT! If you're not up to following instructions from your friend the bride, then you shouldn't have said yes. 95% of the time, what she's asking of you isn't unreasonable. It's her day, it ought to go her way. When you get married, you can tell her what color shoes to buy.

P.S. For bridesmaids dealing with the 5% of brides who turn into bridezillas and make numerous unreasonable requests- check out this helpful article, again from the Knot.

P.P.S. Got any crazy bridesmaid-related stories?? Please share in the comments!

Buffalo Brides Magazine "Dress Dilemma"

Julie and I were consulted for a recent article in the local Buffalo Brides magazine- it's all about choosing bridesmaids' dresses! There are a lot of challenging aspects in making this decision, click here read the article to find out some tips and suggestions. Happy Thursday!

Ask a Planner: Bridal Showers

The month of May is filled to the brim with wedding showers here at Forget Me Knot Details, so I thought I'd put together a little "Frequently Asked Questions" about bridal showers from the pros.
Who should throw the bridal shower(s)?
First of all, it definitely should not be the bride. I'm not one to stick to every rule of etiquette and tradition out there, but this is a rule that was made for a reason. It's tacky to essentially throw yourself a party to get presents. ;) As for who should throw it, some people say the mother of the bride shouldn't throw it either, but I'm flexible on this one. Sometime moms or moms-in-laws really want to, and sometimes they have to when no one else is stepping up the plate (which shouldn't happen, but sometimes it does). Many brides ask their bridesmaids to throw at least one of her showers, and this is a reasonable request of her friends. Other people on the shower-throwing list: aunts, grandmothers, close friends of the family, or any friend who offers.
How many showers should I have?
This answer depends on two things: the size of your guest list, and the financial means of those throwing the shower. It might be a huge burden on your two bridesmaids to throw a shower for 120 women, since not only will they have to feed that many, but probably rent a location. If it's a large guest list, it's usually a good idea to split it into 2 or 3 smaller showers if possible. This way, people feel like they spend more time with the bride, and they don't have to watch you open 120 presents all at once. ;)
Who should be invited to the showers?
The general rule for this is: every woman on your guest list. But, this is not always expected. Many brides chose to exclude out-of-town guests that they know won't make the trip, perhaps telling them about the shower but letting them know it's okay that they can't come. Other people who may not make the shower list: girlfriends/significant others that you're inviting for the male guests' sake, but you don't really know her. Other than that, you should be inviting most of your female guests to a shower.
What should take place at my shower?
The basic outline for a shower is as follows: guests arrive and mingle, guests eat (and perhaps play games), guests watch bride open presents, guests leave. Outside of this- have fun and do what you want! :) If you don't want to play games, then don't. If you want to play 10 games, have at it! Guests can be fed a meal, or just hors d'oerves/desserts (just make sure your time matches up with this). Showers can have themes, or not. Sit down and talk with your hostesses and let them know what you'd like- even if they're surprising you with the details, at least tell them your expectations. The shower should be a reflection of you, the bride.
Should I place registry info cards in my invitations?
Another age-old etiquette question!! Many many wedding etiquette experts will tell you definitely not, that people ought to ask the hostesses where you are registered if they wish. However, practically every store with a registry gives you those cute little cards stating "the bride and groom are registered at xyz store." I say, it depends on your friends and family. Think back to showers you've attended in the past- did they include a registry card in their invite? I know within my own circle of friends, it is expected to have registry info in the shower invite- because everyone does it, it's not considered bad taste. I'm not sure if this is regional or not, but most brides in the WNY area I've worked with include registry info as well. I mean really- the whole point of a shower is to buy gifts for the bride, so registry info goes hand in hand with that. So- take the etiquette advice for what it's worth, and do what you think is best within your circle of ladies. However, please do NOT put registry info in your wedding invite- this is still tacky. ;)
While opening presents, should I announce to my guests who they are from?
One last sticky situation for our brides-to-be at showers, and I'm going to go against the grain on this one. Again, this may be regional (I'd love to know what people do outside of WNY so let me know if you know!), but I've been to many showers where the guests do this, and some where they don't. In my personal opinion, I think it's best NOT to tell everyone who the gifts are from as you're opening them. This may put your guests on the spot in front of everyone, make people self-conscious about what they got you, or start to compare their gift to everyone elses. The economy is rough these days, and not everyone can buy you that $300 set of pots and pans. So, be kind to your guests, appreciate everything you receive, and thank people with heartfelt thank you cards in the mail- not by announcing what they purchased for you in front of everyone.

Got any other questions about bridal showers- or anything wedding-related? We'd love to hear from you! Drop a question into the comments, or shoot us an email at forgetmeknotdetails@gmail.com.

Carolina Herrera's Latest Bridal Collection

Style Me Pretty has been doing a fantastic review of the Bridal Fashion Week, and I am just eating up their fashion galleries! Check out Carolina Herrera's collection- the hats and headpieces are outrageous and amazing!! Also, I love the ruffles, and the few subtly patterned dresses- I would love to see that become a new trend! Below is my favorite dress from the collection (love the sleeves and the collar!), check out the gallery and tell me which is yours!

New Wedding Dress Trend?

I've been noticing around the wedding blog world a new style in wedding dresses popping up- I'm wondering if perhaps it will be a new trend! Brides are always looking for a way to make their dress memorable. Short dresses are certainly making a come back, but these hemlines allow you to have the flirty short look, while not sacrificing a gorgeous train and/or length in the back. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet... tell me what you think of the new asymmetrical wedding gown hems!

Ask a Planner: Budget Wedding Planning 101

This is probably one of the biggest wedding topics discussed by wedding professionals everywhere. And as a wedding planner, saving money while planning a wedding is a MUST if we're going to be worth our salt! I could probably write about a million posts about various ways to save money- and maybe I will. :)

But to begin, let's talk about where to get fantastic deals online using online classifieds. Brides sharing their wedding accessories is becoming a really popular way to clean out their closets, go green, and make some cash. I mean really- what DOES one do with 5 pounds of green glass beads after they've graced your reception tables for an evening? Rather than putting them out at the next garage sale hoping for the best, brides are posting these items on websites where YOU, the saving-savvy bride, can come along and find just what you need at a reduced price! Whether it's vases, picture frames, or custom-wrapped votive candle holders, you can find pretty much anything you might need being sold used. You could even find the perfect wedding gown- but that's a story for another post. ;)

Here are some of the very useful wedding classifieds online:

Ruffled Blog: Free Wedding Classifieds

WeddingBee Classifieds

The Nest: Trash to Treasure Board (also check out your local Knot message board, as many brides post items for sale there as well)

Project Wedding Classified + Deals

WeddingWire Forums

Stay tuned for our discussion of budget wedding planning with local vendors!

Newly Engaged & Adorable

That's Valerie MetreJean- and she's an incredibly inspiring entrepreneur to boot!! She not only runs this fun blog The Wedding Shoebox, featuring wedding inspiration from wedding professionals, but she also designs adorable invitations AND is a wedding planner in Louisiana. All while currently planning her own wedding!! Anyway, I'm loving a recent post of hers about what to remember when you're first engaged- check it out!

2010 Wedding Trend: Gray is the New Brown

I don't know if you noticed, but the last decade of wedding colors was dominated by brown. When choosing wedding colors, many brides go with a neutral (black, brown, navy, gray, cream, etc.) as a base, and then accent with their favorite shades. The early 2000's saw a lot of brown weddings- brown/blue, brown/green, and brown/pink were the most popular combinations. Well, 2010 brides are aiming to set themselves apart- and we're seeing SO many going with gray as a base for their wedding palette!

Gray is a modern choice for wedding color schemes, but with a soft feel that goes well with a lot of the vintage-style weddings we're seeing recently. It give a more muted feel than black, so it works well with pastels such as yellow and peach. It also works well to help control a bright color, such as apple green or fushia. Grays are fast becoming a popular choice for tuxedos, as grooms are straying from the traditional black as well. Tell us what you think of the gray trend! And do you spell it grAy or grEy? An age old question. ;)

Photo credits: 1,2, and 3

Real Wedding: Fun, Sporty Wedding by Steve Morse

Today we're featuring a real Buffalo wedding with a very sporty bride and groom! Mike and Lisa's wedding day was captured by the talented photographer Steve Morse- and we love the fun feel of this wedding! Through some coveted connections at HSBC Arena, Steve was able to photograph the wedding party right on the ice where the Buffalo Sabres play- of all the unique places we have in Buffalo for wedding photos, this is one of the best!! We are also loving the photo of the groomsmen laying around the flag on the golf course- the color contrast is amazing. Check out Steve's photos below, and be sure to visit his website to view more of his very cool work.

The Bridal Veil 102

It's been awhile, but let's return to our veil discussion shall we? In my first post on veils, I discussed the various lengths and styles available to brides. Now let's talk about the various elements that go into a bride choosing a type and length of veil.

There a few factors brides should consider when choosing a veil, such as you face shape, body shape, hairstyle, and wedding location.

Face Shape

A veil will frame your face, so taking into consideration your face shape is important. For a square face, it is preferable to have a veil that is at least shoulder length, since usually a square face is wider than it is long and it may be desirable to add length to the face. You also might consider having some volume on the top of the head. Circular and cascading veil styles can also help soften the lines of a square face.

A bride with a round face would generally want to avoid veils with a lot of volume at the sides of the head, since this will make her face look wide. Choose veils that are long and cascading, as this will make the face appear slimmer.

An oval face is slightly longer than it is wide, and is usually well-balanced, so this bride can be free to experiment with various veil styles. However, it would be wise to avoid extremes in volume or width, so as to maintain your proportions.

Those with a rectangular face would look best in veils that have width around the face, and should avoid height on top of their head so as not to add to the length of their face.

Body Shape

Brides with large busts can benefit from a veil that is fingertip length or longer, because length in the veil can help elongate the upper body.

Pear-shaped women tend to look best in veils that end at the shoulder, elbow, or waist level. These lengths draw attention to your small waist, rather then the width of your hips.

Tall women can typically carry off longer veils, especially cathedral length, but shorter women tend to suit veils that are waist height or above.

Please keep in mind that these are just general guidelines based on advice from professionals. But ultimately- you should wear what YOU want. It is your wedding day, and a wedding planner will be the first one to tell you that you should do what you want because it's all about you!! :)

Also, please check out my veil styleboard featured over on Bride Chic, and the gorgeous veils made be Amy-Jo Tatum! Stay tuned for The Bridal Veil 103 where we'll discuss how your chosen hairstyle and wedding location can effect your veil choice.

Ask a Planner: Rehearsal Tips

The age old saying "practice makes perfect" is why most brides and grooms have a rehearsal of their ceremony in the few days leading up to their wedding. You only get to do this once, so you want it to go smoothly! Also, big wedding parties are quite popular, and to organize a large number of people is easier when you've rehearsed the ceremony. Here are a few tips when organizing and carrying out a rehearsal.

1. First and foremost, it is SO important to put someone in charge ahead of time to run the rehearsal. It can be a family member not in the wedding party, a friend, or a wedding planner- but remember, you can't be running the show! The bridal party and parents will be rehearsing themselves, so someone else needs to be directing.

2. Once you've chosen someone to direct your rehearsal, sit down with them and tell them exactly how you want it to go. It's frustrating for everyone if you're making major decisions about who walks when, where to stand, etc. during the rehearsal- so decide how you want things beforehand. It's okay to change things if you don't like the way it looks, but have a plan.

3. Make sure that everyone involved knows who is in charge. Make an announcement and introduce them, and let everyone know that they will be listening to the direction of this person. A wedding planner can be invaluable in rounding up bridal parties, getting people to focus and listen, and knowing how things should run. They are the pros after all!

4. Usually, three dry runs should do it. The first is just winging it, seeing how everything looks so you can tweak if need be. The second time will have your adjustments, and the third is to cement the details and make sure everyone knows their cue. Some bridal parties have got in down in two runs, some need twenty! But honestly, people are probably hungry for your rehearsal dinner, so as long as things look good, try not to insist on running through it too many times. 5. Kids in the bridal procession need to be prepped for what they'll be doing. Rehearsals are great for them, but this shouldn't be the first time they're practicing. Mom and Dad should be going over walking down the aisle with little ones so that they're prepared and excited. And, your rehearsal director should probably bring candy for bribing purposes. :)

6. Make sure you're music is set and ready to go beforehand- music glitches take up precious time and are frustrating! Whether it's a guy pushing play on the sound system, or a string quartet playing live, make sure they know their cues, and make sure your bridal party listens for their cues in the music. Again, a director and/or planner can be helpful in letting people know when it's time to head down the aisle.

Got any other tips for a smooth rehearsal? Please share!

(Photo credits: 1,2,3,4,5,6)