1. Soft. Now Softer.
Welcome to the time of the trend I’m calling the “light touch.” Before you get a mental image, let me rule out shabby-chic. That is not at all what I’m talking about. What looks on-point now is an undercurrent of softness that feels fresh. This doesn’t mean you abandon bold color – at all! Think about softening that deep eggplant with a complement of soft, pale, buttery yellow-orange and a bit of matte rose gold. Weddings with an expert color palette feel fresh. Need some help with that? Try one bold, one metallic and one or two soft, pale colors.

2. Minimal Fuss. Maximum Fluff.
Wedding guests and hosts alike are moving toward the goal of being intimately present and connected with each other instead of putting on or attending a big show. This is manifesting in several ways. First, unplugged weddings are on the rise. This means guests turn off cell phones (that means the camera, too) and actually tune-in to the ceremony and subsequent party. Second, guests are staying in one, maybe two venues and not hopping around for cocktails, the ceremony, dinner and then after-party. Minimize the flurry and fuss so everyone can relax and have a memorable time. Which leads to the fluff – one venue means the décor can be floor to ceiling eye candy.

3. Rustic-chic is Still Hot.
There are many advantages to the rustic-chic movement, not the least of which is finding affordable venues and pouring your budget into making them look gorgeous. From barns to warehouse spaces, think “old-meets-new.” The romantic, lacey dresses hot off the 2017 runway look amazing illuminating dusty old spaces that have been decked out with soft candlelight and a flurry of petals.

4. Replace “Theme” with “Palette” in Your Vocabulary.
We aren’t talking themes anymore. Every reputable planner shutters at the mention of the word. Themes have been replaced with a working palette of colors, florals and textures. Designing a wedding today looks more like an interior design project. One main color can flow throughout your day or weekend and be accented in different ways throughout the festivities. For example, you are getting married by the sea and your color is deep blue. Keep the ceremony more formal with your specific blue dominating the scene. Then, marry the same deep blue with pale yellows for the brunch the morning after.

5. Anything but Mass-Produced.
From invitations to food, the human touch feels chic while mass-produced details feel impersonal and even a bit cheap – even if they weren’t! The opportunities for artisan-crafted details are everywhere from handwriting on wedding paper goods to touches you found in small Etsy shops, to farm-to-table foods from locals. Don’t mistake hand-crafted for D-I-Y. The details I’m describing definitely require employing an expert!

Photo courtesy of (in order of appearance): Monica Stevenson (1st and 3rd) and John Cain Sargent (2nd)