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A Scaled-Back Wedding

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A Scaled-Back Wedding

Happy New Year! For 2023, we’ve noticed one trend going very strong: a scaled-back wedding. For some couples bigger is better, but it’s becoming increasingly popular to take some of the hubbub out of the wedding day. Having a scaled-back wedding means different things to different couples, so we’ve taken note to give you an overview of scaled-back wedding ideas. Here are some of the best scaled-back wedding ideas for couples ready to start planning a simpler wedding!

No Bridal Party

This trend definitely can be controversial. Oftentimes friends have been waiting to be part of your bridal party for years. Imagine their dismay when they find out you are not having a bridal party. But here’s the thing: it is your wedding. Not having a bridal party means allowing your friends to be at your wedding with less of a financial commitment: no shoes or dress involved. Not having a bridal party can also benefit you as there will be fewer details and events to coordinate. Speaking of fewer details, if you do not have a bridal party you don’t have to choose bridesmaids’ dresses, or even wedding colors for that matter. If you are someone who feels overwhelmed by having to make numerous decisions, not having a bridal party might be the perfect way to have a scaled-back wedding.

Fewer Guests

Another commonly controversial way to scale back your wedding is by inviting fewer guests. It can be controversial, especially because so many people have been excitedly awaiting your wedding day. Yes, that may mean not inviting your mom’s college friends, sorry mom, but the added benefit is you have more quality time with your closest people. If large social gatherings are not your thing, this trend will add more enjoyment to your wedding day. Likely it will also benefit your overall budget.

A Shorter Wedding Planning Process

While planning a wedding usually takes a year to a year and a half, some couples are opting for a quick, six months-or-less planning window. This can be very stressful especially because many venues book out a year in advance and many bridal gowns can take eight months to arrive, but if you’re ready to get married this option may suit you (pun intended). In contrast, it may make decision-making easier because you will have fewer options. Couples are usually choosing from a sea of dozens of wedding vendors. If you are booking a last-minute wedding fewer vendors will be available, therefore your vendors will likely choose themselves for you. This takes your job of sorting through vendors away. For couples who are indecisive, having a shorter wedding planning process may be the way to go.

Simple Flowers and Décor

While many couples enjoy choosing large centerpieces and bouquets, others are opting for simplicity. If you are looking for a simpler bouquet option, what is more timeless than white roses for a wedding? Clean and simple can be so beautiful, so there is no need to sacrifice beauty if you prefer a simpler wedding. This makes choosing your décor much more simple because white goes with everything. You could just use your engagement photos or other photos throughout the years as décor and call it a day, no need to search for color-coordinating candles and beads.



Choosing a scaled-back wedding may not be for everyone, but there are many benefits. Did you choose to have a scaled-back wedding? What were your reasons? We’d love to know, comment below! If you have engaged friends, send this blog post their way to inspire their scaled-back 2023 wedding planning. For more wedding planning tips and inspiration check out more Chicago Wedding Blog posts below. Happy Planning!

Daytime Weddings

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While it’s typical to have a Saturday afternoon/evening wedding there’s nothing wrong with having a daytime wedding either. If you’re an early bird bride and think an 11am service is for you then check out our tips!

The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure your bridal party is on board and those alarms are set. A daytime wedding will usually require a much earlier start. A daytime wedding is also a great option because lunches are usually cheaper than dinners. After the ceremony, your guests can go straight to the reception venue where lunch could be served as soon as noon. You can still cut the cake, have dancing, mingling and speeches like an evening wedding. The only difference is the time.

Guests should be finishing their meals around 1pm. What should you serve? Most people do lighter fare like chicken or fish with a vegetable and starch. But going with the traditional beef option is up to you. Some couples love to do brunch for a daytime wedding! You can get fun and creative with festive drinks, waffle bars and juice bars.

As far as entertainment goes, the daytime wedding typically only lasts until 2:45 or 4:30pm. What happens after that? You and your groom can spend time alone or go to a spa for some couples time. If you’d still like to hang out with your guests suggest local activities like zoo’s, museums or games that you could all participate in. You can also limit this gathering to only close friends and family for a more intimate celebration.

For the daytime wedding it’s also a bit more casual. For men think morning coats or a lighter color like gray or navy rather than a full tuxedo. As for the bride, you can still opt for the glamorous wedding gown but perhaps with a few less bells and whistles. But it’s your day and you get to wear the dress of your dreams! A daytime wedding can be a lot of fun and a little more casual so that you can enjoy the rest of the big day.

2018 Trends

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We are already into March and seeing some of the hottest trends emerging! Here are some of the 2018 trends:

  1. Card Displays. For your escort cards we love unique displays. You can use the escort/seating cards to give your guests an extra gift. Create a flower wall that your guests can take a bloom home or a fun keepsake like a bottle filled with candy. We also love the idea of using shot glasses for your guests!

2. Registry details. This year it’s not uncommon for a couple to already have essentials like home goods. So, they are asking for cash! The Knot allows your registry to also include funds for adoption or down payment on a home. It’s not rude in this day and age to ask for what you really need. If that isn’t pots and pans then that’s fine.

3. Another 2018 trend we are seeing are balloons and arches! What a fun way to decorate for a spring/summer wedding. Balloons add that flair of color that will make your area pop. Also, you can pair Mylar balloons with latex to get a variety of feels too.  The romantic round archway is also getting a re-vamp this year. A circle represents unity so it’s perfect for your ceremony! Similarly, you can even decorate the arch with balloons to get both trends. Balloons don’t always have to be associated with being out doors either. You can create a lovely archway for your reception venue with balloons too!

No matter what your style you can choose to capitalize on these trends with your own flair. Add in your personal touches to make it the day you want!

Simple Weddings

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For the simple wedding we are loving a limited guest list! This can take some of the pressure off of who to invite. You get to limit the list to family only with a few friends or even limiting extended family. We know you don’t want to leave out people for your big day but sometimes due to budget or time constraints its just better to go simple. Simple weddings are also great for those who don’t want a long engagement because they are easier to plan!

What are advantages to the small, simple wedding? First, the food. Likely, the food you serve will be a big focal point since you can afford to expand the menu or higher quality plates. You can also custom make the menu. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to work with a personal chef and have food made that it’s significant to you and your partner?  You can have dishes that reflect your personalities or traditional cultural food.

Another benefit of a simple wedding is the seating. Your guests will get to be in a more intimate setting which will allow for great conversations and people actually getting to know each other (if they don’t already)! The decor for a simple wedding can still be luxurious and glam. The fewer tables you need center pieces for equal perhaps bigger center pieces. Guests will get to feel like they are dining at a 5 star gourmet restaurant. The wait staff also won’t be over taxed and will be able to be attentive to your guests.

 

A key factor to a simple wedding is having the ceremony and reception at the same place. This way you don’t have travel constraints. You do want to be sure to pick a place that is where you’d want a lot of pictures taken. An inn or bed and breakfast make for cozy, romantic spaces that may also have amazing natural back drops. No matter what you choose just remember that a simple wedding is supposed to be that – simple! Don’t stress too much over finer details because in the end, your guests just want to celebrate you!

 

 

The After Party

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This year we are seeing couples focusing on the “after party”! The after party is the late night portion of the reception. We love that brides and grooms are wanting to keep their special day going to the wee hours of the morning.

  1. The first way you can prolong the wedding reception is to be sure the venue allows the longer hours. You should call ahead and see if they also allow outside food in. Bringing in snacks like pizza, hot dogs, fries, mini hamburgers and milkshakes are fun for after the main course! You want to vary as well. If you served salmon as the main entree you’ll want to serve something unrelated for the after party!

 

2. The after party gives you a chance to change! You may love your dress to death but odds are it’s also huge, maybe heavy and flows all over. If you’re not that type of bride then consider rocking your dress all night. For others, think of how fun it would be to change mid scene! If you’re wearing a two piece dress you could even keep the top but put on some comfortable jeans or leggings with glitzy shoes. The after party dress is usually shorter but definitely still flashy. This is where you get to really personalize your style and wear something you might not even normally wear.

 

3. The after party will generate some cost so who’s paying? Since it’s a newer trend, there is no etiquette for this. If either family offers that’s great. Sometimes the couple pays for the extended hours. Or, perhaps, you have a very generous wedding party. You can keep costs down by closing the open bar too. It doesn’t have to stay open for the entire after party. In fact, depending where you’re having the reception, you may have to move locations altogether. The after party doesn’t have to be limited to your venue!

 

New Age Bohemian

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Welcome to 2018 brides! We are taking a look at a trend for the new year: New Age Bohemian. This may sound like hippie nonsense but give it a try. The Bohemian look is going to replace all the rustic wedding trends we saw last year.

What entails a New Age Bohemian wedding? First, let’s look at where your guests will start – the invitations. Bohemian is all about florals, romance and non-fussy. We love a touch of elegant flower on your invitations to set the mood. You can set the tone you want depending on which flowers you choose and the color scheme. Romantic doesn’t have to mean all pinks or reds. If you’re a more dramatic bride you can incorporate plenty of dark greens and blues.

Let’s not forget where flowers are also a big hit – on a hair piece! The New Age Bohemian look is perfect if you are a bride who wants to wear flowers in her hair and dance barefoot. You can put together a lovely crown of flowers with greenery for both you and your bridesmaids.

The most important aspect, to go with this crown of flowers, is your dress. There are hundreds of Bohemian style dresses out there and we’ve picked out a top few! As an added bonus, the flowy, lacy dresses also look quite comfortable to wear.

Feel free to go all into the Bohemian wedding trend this year! We love that it is fun, elegant and romantic.

Winter Wedding Ideas

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Winter Wedding Ideas

Most people don’t think of a winter wedding as romantic or even easy to do but we have some ideas for you! A winter wedding can be just as much fun as any other time of year. Think of cozy fires, warm drinks, comfort foods and friendship.

Many brides worry about where and how they want their wedding photos to be done. You will love some fun winter wedding ideas like big, fluffy blankets or how about a snap of your bridal party around a bonfire with snow in the background? You don’t need to be outside forever but it’s always fun to jump outside without a coat, grab a picture, and hustle back inside.

For decor at your reception we love putting together cinnamon sticks and mulberries. This is not only a great smelling decoration but also could function as a place holder or napkin tie. The red berries are very festive for a winter wedding and the cinnamon is a wonderfully nostalgic scent for your guests. They could even put the sticks into a mulled wine or cider if you are offering that kind of beverage.

Another winter wedding idea is cheap and easy but looks fabulous. We love using cotton balls in your bouquets or wreaths! The texture of cotton is natural and resembles those open seed pods that spread out in the fall. You could blend both autumn and winter into your decor for bouquets or table center pieces.

And finally, we are loving winter wedding capes! Who doesn’t want to look and feel like a superhero? We love capes and the winter variety are the best because they function as both a warm piece for you and a beautiful centerpiece for your photos. A winter wedding can be a great time to get out something like a cape that’s bold and unusual. Most brides don’t think of wearing capes but in winter this could be the perfect time!

What to Wear to a Fall Wedding

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Now that the autumn season is upon us the big question is: what do you wear to a fall wedding? The weather can be very tricky this time of year depending on where you live or where the wedding takes place. One day it could be 80 and sunny and the next stormy and 64. So, we have some great options for you to think about if you’re attending a fall wedding!

A lot of brides pick this season because it’s beautiful and the cooler temperatures don’t hurt either. For a fall wedding it’s great to wear layers. That way you can be comfortable during all parts of the day. We also recommend looking at the invitation to get an idea of the color scheme of the wedding. Or, if you know someone in the bridal party just ask what colors the bridesmaids are wearing. You wouldn’t to clash with them either.

Let’s take a look at some cheaper dress options if you are on a budget. Or, you might have more than one fall wedding to attend and you wouldn’t want to wear the same thing four times, would you?

First dress is lovely crimson colored dress with lace sleeves. This is a comfortable fit for most body types and it’s a striking color! The lace gives it a nice feminine touch as well.

A second option would be to go to the Rent the Runway site. You can rent high quality dresses for as little as $3o.  You get the option of a 4 day or 8 day rental. The downside is you don’t get to keep the dress but who needs the maintenance of a high end dress anyway?  Just be sure to take lots of pictures!

Whatever your taste is for a fall wedding you’ll do it in style! Let’s not forget that old little black dress in your closet either. That is perfectly fine to wear to a fall wedding – just glam it up with accessories and amazing shoes!