While strolling through the internet late the other night, I saw that a huge discussion has exploded about how weddings in this country are getting over done. We of course have had that discussion or worry here as well. The endless inspiration that brides are bombarded with each and every day may cause a sensory overload or the need to compete. I hope not. Mostly, I’m happy to see that brides are excited, thrilled, inspired, and feeling creative about their big day. Having been married for almost 25 years, to me there is nothing more important than marriage and I am happy to see that this most important day is being so thoughtfully created and designed for each couple.
Last summer, we had the pleasure of having the young floral designer Elodie here from Paris. She was mesmerized and enthralled by the wedding industry in the United States. As a floral designer, it was a great disappointment to her that weddings were no longer hugely celebrated in France. Florals and decor are rarely required for weddings in her country. She also further explained that many young people were choosing not to marry, but simply choosing to live together. This was truly sad news to me, I simply can’t imagine a life where marriage is not celebrated. I am thankful we Americans love to celebrate this one day as perfectly as possible.
Just last week, we had our visit with the Russian designers Olga and Tania, and they too validated that in their country weddings have not been a hugely celebrated event. However many young people like Olga and Tania are starting to follow the American wedding industry. While following my blog these young floral designers were delighted to see the importance of florals in American weddings. They hope to create a wedding floral business that will provide to a growing wedding trend in their country. Both of these girls also share my love of the blog Style Me Pretty and they agreed that young people in their country were catching onto the wedding industry craze due to following all of our wedding blogs. I was amazed to find that these young Russian women were following any of our blogs.
Thankfully, this is not an issue in our country, and our young women and men are encouraged and allowed to have their one big special day. Let’s face it, after a few years of marriage you may need to call upon the memory of that one special day as you look upon a sea of diapers, and a formal dining room that hasn’t seen flowers, china, or a pretty linen in years. We all need that one day. It’s our foundation.
Many fabulously home-based businesses, like my own, have been created to assist you along the way. Where would all these wonderful businesses be without the new-found desire to create a unique and truly inspired wedding day? Etsy alone has over 1,500 shops catering to the wedding industry.
As a designer, it is a blessing to be given the opportunity to help a couple or family create one of the most significant days in their journey. It’s my responsibility to make each detail meaningful and real. An overload of details is awesome if they truly have sentimental value. In the process of creating and designing for your event, hopefully a spark will be lit that awakens your creative side. I’ve seen it happen to many of my brides, and a new wedding professional was born. All of these details do matter. Your guests and your family will truly remember a day that was created and designed specifically for you.
Great grandmothers’ brooch (above) and grandfather’s car (below) was driven cross-country to make it to the wedding. Photographs by Genevieve Leiper.
This tabletop was created for the candy bar, but after the wedding it was redesigned to be the bride and groom’s dinning room table. Photograph by Genevieve Leiper.
Grandmothers rosary tied onto the bouquet. Photography by Kate Headley.
All of these little touches do matter, and if they are chosen perfectly they will matter for years to come!!!