In the wise words of Yves Saint Laurent, "Fashions fade, style is eternal". I often get asked how to ensure you don't look back on your wedding and hate the pictures. This is an entirely understandable concern, you're spending a lot of money, so the good memories should last. My Aunty Katie went for the incredibly bold choice of a pink dress with a matching top hat (in the 80s, sleeves n'all). You best believe she hates it now.
The wedding industry is full of choice. It's an industry which is in constantly evolving. So how do you ensure your wedding design is timeless in such a fast-paced world?
Timeless to you
I firmly believe that a wedding should reflect who you both are as people, as well as the lives you have ahead together. That may mean that you love something that other people dislike, and that's OK. I have always loved black and neutral colours. Some people think it's boring, but over and over again I've been drawn to not only working with these colours but wearing them and decorating with them too. Black and neutral are timeless to me.
If you're unsure what you like, start by taking a look at your home and wardrobe. Do you general play it safe with your décor? If so, you should begin with a reasonably safe wedding design and develop from there. Or perhaps your style is much darker; an Autumn wedding might be perfect for you. Don't feel any pressure to be something you're not.
Avoid trends
Pencil thin eyebrows, leg warmers, blue eyeshadow, and coloured tights. All things that were trendy at one point in time, but now most of us wouldn't be seen dead in! Trends tend to come and go. If you incorporate trends into your wedding, it is much easier to look back on the pictures and identify the exact year it took place.
Wedding trends are slightly more complicated, as often something which starts as a trend hangs around for quite a long time. For example, pampas grass began as a trend but has stayed and evolved. Because there haven't been any weddings for the last year, we're also yet to see 2020 trends fully emerge.
Use modern twists on tradition
Some classics will always be timeless and traditional, and that's not something to be scared of. I can guarantee that you're thinking of a white dress, red roses, and a church when I say traditional wedding. Or perhaps a stately home, three-course meal and first dance.
Whilst these elements are all very established, adding modern twists gives you the best of both worlds. For example, let's look at roses—perhaps the most classic wedding flower and incredibly timeless. Reflexed roses (opening the petals) are astonishingly popular at the moment and give this traditional flower a much more contemporary and stylish look.
Plus, you don't have to choose one or the other. You don't have to be modern or traditional. You can wear a ball gown in the day and a jumpsuit in the evening. You can get married in a church but have your reception in a warehouse. You can wear something blue and serve street food.
Have a neutral base
Some colourways will never go out of style, and all of them have a neutral base. By neutral, I mean white, grey, cream or something as equally harmless. Colour palettes like white and green, cream and blush, and grey and white will always be timeless because of their subtlety. They don't need to shout about how beautiful they are, they just effortlessly are.
The more colour you bring in, the more chance you have of it dating your wedding. A classic example being able to date something by colour is avocado bath sites. A bold choice at the time, now hated by many.
However, it's also important to ask yourself if it's better to have something you love now and hate later than to have something you always think is OK.
Accept that fashion changes
Fashion will always change and develop, in homeware, clothes, weddings, everything. The wedding industry if full of incredibly creative, talented people, who are constantly pushing boundaries and creating new styles.
Consequently, that means that there's always going to be something more modern.
Do a few things well
There are some things in life which are always going to be timeless. In the wedding world, those items are elegant tableware, flowers, and well-fitting suits. Instead of trying to spread your budget thinly over a lot of areas, pick a few elements and do them well.
A good quality, heavy napkin will always immediately lift your table and won't ever go out of fashion. Different coloured cutlery is also a way of making a statement that's never going to be unpleasant.
Tableware is a great way to bring some of your personality into your wedding. If you love pink, look at perhaps having a chic faded pink water glass. If you're more of a minimal person, you can reflect that in stylish san serif fonts of your place cards.
Stick to Calligraphy or san serif fonts
A font can tell you a lot about something. Comic sans has a particular impact on us all and speaking of impact, remember that!?
Swirly, elaborate fonts will often go in and out of fashion, so if you are trying to achieve a timeless but modern look, it's best to go for san serif fonts. San serif fonts are the ones without the fancy bits, like Arial and Helvetica. Try to stick to the simple ones too. Serif fonts are the more complex ones like Times New Roman. Fun fact: sans means without in Latin.
However, I'm quickly going to contradict everything I've just said by saying classic calligraphy will never go out of style. Classic calligraphy is an art in itself, and will always immediately lift an invite, place card, or menu.
But most importantly…
You should love your wedding. And if that means in 20 years you look back on the pics and can tell you got married in 2021, then so be it.
If you can reflect on your wedding knowing you loved it at the time and had an incredible day, that's all that matters. It's OK to like trends; weddings aren't permanent. You won't wear your wedding dress ever again, so if it makes you feel a million dollars for one day, let that be the lasting, timeless memory.
Great memories will always be timeless.
Written by Rebecca Brennan-Brown | @byrebeccabrennanbrown
Photos 1-6: Jada Poon
Photos 7-8: Lemonade Pictures
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