Wedding trend shows couples keen on family, traditions
Posted by Stephan on Jun 18, 2007 in Blog | 0 comments
Wedding trend shows couples keen on family, traditions
(http://www.post-trib.com/lifestyles/majeske/423142,weddingtrend.article)
June 12, 2007
The wedding was modern and casual, but just a hint of tradition peeked through.
“I wore something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue,” said Megan Rodriguez, who was married last month in Portage. “I mean, ever since I was a little girl I knew about that.”
Like many brides these days, Rodriguez put a personal spin on her special day. “I told (guests) they could just come in anything they wanted,” she said. “I wanted them to be comfortable. I don’t usually dress up, so I didn’t want them to feel like they had to.”
And while Rodriguez didn’t have a wedding party, there was one tradition she couldn’t pass up.
“I did have my father walk me up the aisle,” she said. “I’m a big daddy’s girl; I couldn’t imagine the day without him.”
Personalization — entwined with tradition — is one of the major trends style experts are seeing this year in weddings.
“It’s all about personalizing your wedding,” said Christa Vagnozzi, senior editor at The Knot, the all-encompassing wedding Web site that receives 3.2 million hits a month. “Weddings today are colorful, they’re casually elegant, and they’re all about personalization.”
The hot color this year is orange — from peach and melon to burnt sienna and chocolate, depending on the season. And, in one twist on tradition, bridesmaids may not all be dressing alike. Instead, they may wear different styles united by color, allowing them to show off a dress that’s actually flattering to them.
But that’s not the only change, Vagnozzi said.
Couples today may decide on a traditional ceremony in a non-traditional venue.
“These days, you can get married in your favorite art gallery, at a zoo, at an aquarium, on a rooftop, in a garden,” Vagnozzi said. “Weddings at home are very popular; brides love to get married in a place where they grew up.”
Destination weddings — to Rome, Italy, Venice, or closer to home in Hawaii — also are popular, she said.
But wherever the vows are said, there’s a notable recognition of family and heritage.
“Brides and grooms today are changing the traditions by including their own,” Vagnozzi said. “They may not throw the bouquet or toss the garter, but they’ll incorporate family traditions — it’s all about family.”
A Chinese bride may fit a ceremonial tea service into her wedding or reception, she said; an Italian bride may pass out time-honored Jordan almonds.
A ribbon from grandma’s wedding dress may hold together the stems of the flowers, or mom’s trademark cookies might be given as wedding favors.
Local disc jockey Steve Zana sees all types of traditions taking shape at the wedding receptions where he entertains with his “Let the Good Times Roll” DJ service.
“I think people love traditions, and I think a huge part of weddings is tradition,” said Zana, who also serves as a morning host on Indiana 105.5, WLJE-FM. “But everyone’s tradition is a little bit different.”
For example, he’s seen couples hold an anniversary dance, celebrating the longevity of marriage.
“They’ll start out and say, ‘OK, everyone who’s married, stand up and dance.’ Then, it’s ‘Everyone who was married today, sit down,’ and then it’ll be everyone married less than five years, sit down, and then they’ll get to 10 and 20 (years) to find out who’s been married the longest, until there’s just one couple left on the floor. I’ve seen brides who skip throwing the bouquet; they just give it to that couple.”
Even in the song selection, the couples orchestrate the moments that are important to them, he said.
“There is this one song by Heartland that’s very popular for father-daughter dances — it’s called ‘I Loved Her First,’” Zana said. “I remember at one wedding, the bride and groom started the dance, and then later, the father cut in. It was something they had planned, and it was just wonderfully classy, really nice.”
Rodriguez, of Portage, kept parts of her wedding traditional — with a white wedding gown, church locale, and of course, the old, new, borrowed, blue tradition.
For something old and something borrowed, she wore the wedding band of her husband’s late mother, and for something new and blue, she wore assorted jewelry given to her by her own mother.
Otherwise, she said, they kept it short and sweet.
“I didn’t want to deal with a lot of drama,” she said. “I loved it — I couldn’t be happier.”
