Hello and welcome to The Events Designers journal. Today we will be sharing our trend predications for 2018. We truly believe that ‘style is timeless’ and always remember trends come and go. Your wedding should be about you both and your unique love story, not conforming to the latest trends and wedding seasonal ‘must-haves’.
BOLD COLOURS
2018 will see colours re-introduced into the wedding world. We predict that greenery will still be one of the most popular colour palettes paired with more natural tones including greys, creams, warm sands and almost mauve colours. Darker shades such as Navy will become popular mixed with metallics to create a softer style. Whether you hate it or love it, Pantones colour of the year Ultra Violet will create a storm.
Moodboard Design: The Events Designers ● Purple Tablescape: Gagewood Photo via 100 Layer Cake ● Purple Moodboard: Pattern Curator
METALLICS
The loved metallic tones such as Rose Gold, Copper, Brass and Gold are still going strong. We do predict that silver will be re-introduced this year for a more timeless and classic look and perhaps even crystal to create a transparent look.
Dining: Couvert● Photography: Eva Tarnok
Gold Tablescape: Lucy Cuneo Weddings ● Gold Cutlery Inspired By: Shine Wedding Invites
TRANSPARENCY
Set to be one of the biggest trends of 2018! Transparency is everywhere right now, from venues and marquees with transparent ceilings, stationery designs and welcome signs. Whilst this adds a modern style to your wedding theme it is also a very classic and timeless trend that won’t look dated in a few years.
Ghost Chairs Tablescape: Lauren Peele Photography via Wedding Sparrow ● Transparent Seating Plan: Jack & Ginger
FLORALS
The motto for 2018 is most definitely the bigger the better! Large bouquets bursting with greenery and foliage creating a wild and majestic feel. Brides are choosing one unique floral element and mixing with beautiful big green blooms. Table garlands and fireplace garlands are still very popular and wreaths are starting to make an appearance. 2018 will see very creative and architecturally inspired backdrops and we cannot wait!
Wild Bouquet: Soil and Stem
Liz Jones from Blue Sky Flowers believes peach, apricot and plum toned flowers will be the favourite choices and richer jewel tones and darker foliage in the Autumn. Big foliage displays will still continue through to 2018 as they have proved so popular with couples looking to achieve a natural and relaxed style.
Floral Design: Blue Sky Flowers ● Floral Design Photography: Larisa Shorina
Floral Design: Blue Sky Flowers ● Floral Design Photography: Eva Tarnok
Floral Design: Blue Sky Flowers ● Floral Design Photography: Eva Tarnok
UNIQUE VENUES
Couples are seeking more unique and unusual wedding venues that represent them as a couple with exclusivity for the wedding weekend. Statement ceilings to large installations are a must to create that picture-perfect moment. Any space that is deemed as the perfect backdrop.
Venue: Anyhoe Park ● Venue Photography: Marianne Taylor
Streets of Paris Photo: Katie Grant Photo
AN EXTRA EVENT
Destination weddings are increasing year-on-year and more couples are creating a whole wedding weekend or extending their celebrations for extra days. A wedding weekend is the perfect way to spoil your guests especially if guests are have travelled from afar. We are thinking a welcome dinner and drinks under the stars and an elegant picnic brunch the day after the wedding – an excuse to soak up all alcohol or better still keep the party going!
Destination Wedding Tablescape: Jose Villa Fine Art Photography
FURNITURE
Lounge furniture is a trend that has been growing over the past few years and is set to storm this year. Oh… and velvet, velvet lounge furniture everywhere, we may even see Groomsman rocking velvet suit jackets. Couples are moving away from the traditional round tables to shaped and long tables, we love the idea of mixing things up using long and squared tables for family groups.
Inspired via: Pinterest
Green Velvet Sofa: Darlings of Chelsea
STATIONERY
Stationers are creating more modern, minimalistic and timeless designs creating a very sleek, sophisticated and classic look! Couples want to make their stationery as personalised as possible, monograms and using initials are still a popular option. Many of our couples are creating customised and illustrated maps to really add a wow-factor for guests, all beautifully hand-drawn. Wax seals are still going strong too, and a perfect way to include your metallic colour.
Hand Drawn Designs: Peonies & Paperclips
Founder, Sadaf Michaelsen of Elmo Paperstories expects quite a big change happening in 2018. While very romantic and handwritten looks were dominating our Pinterest and Instagram feeds in 2017, she feels the trend is turning to more modern, timeless and a touch minimalistic. We love this trend as it is so sophisticated and grown up, leaving room for the wedding to be just a fantastic event with no distracting bits and bobs. We also think the pastel trend is very much moving to tone-in-tone colours. We predict different tones of sand, cream and grey will be dominating next year. A mix of printing techniques can make this minimalistic trend stand out. An embossed custom logo on the front of your invitation will give a much more luxurious touch and feel.
Stationery Designs: Elmo Paperstories
Natalie Jahangiry from Nats Paper Studio also feels 2018 is predicted to see a shift in style with bolder styles rising to the forefront of creative wedding stationery – concentrating on modern typefaces with beautiful card stocks. Nat personally loves this design direction and has adapted her studio range accordingly by creating a few collections that focus on simple styles which can be customised through colour, foil and textures.
Talking of textures, these will be a big game changer this year. The current trend seems to see designs stepping away from flat colour and leaning towards textured card, vellum, cotton rag and material. Nat who may we add, a 2018 bride-to-be, will certainly be playing on textures to create an interesting stationery suite that’s stylish and modern.
Stationery Designs: Nats Paper Studio
FOOD EXPERIENCES
Three words: street food stations. Food stations are a great way to get guests talking whilst adding a WOW factor. Think miniature midnight snacks such as posh fish and chips, miniature burgers and crepes. We are also seeing more and more grazing platters served during the welcome drinks and reception. Food experience is one element guests will always remember and talk how amazing it was. Remember no one wants to go home feeling hungry.
Food Grazing Platters: Southern California Bride
CAKE
The importance of a stunning wedding cake has increased over the years and 2018 is predicted to see even more larger cakes, more opulent and to be featured as the main centre piece of the day. Luxurious looks, with metallic elements, intricate detail and sugared flowers are the most sought after cakes right now says Kelly-Dee Towriess from Pink Frosting Cakes. With the trend of baking Television programes, there seems to be an increased important on the taste and flavours of cakes with couples choosing several different flavours. Chocolate and Hazelnut are among our favourites at The Events Designers.
Dominique Pickering from Poppy Pickering predicts that the Pantone shade of Ultraviolet is going to prove very popular either as a flash or intense colour or in a subtler softer pastel shade combined with clean fresh whites and greens. Marble cakes combined with metallic such as Rose Gold will continue a strong look along with hand painted cakes.
Marble Wedding Cake: Poppy Pickering
SPIRIT BARS
We predicted this trend towards the end of 2016 and it is now booming in the Events Industry – everyone loves it. Second bars designated to a special spirit, we are talking Whisky, Bourbon and Rose bars. Champagne towers are popular than ever right now and oh-so much fun to create. It’s all about adding quirky fun. Keep to the style of your wedding by adding in coloured glassware and coloured ice cubes.
Metallic Sparkly Bar: Inspired Via Pinterest
Champagne Tower: Erin & Tara
BEAUTY
Gustav Fouche, London’s best hair expert predicts that one of the biggest hair trends for 2018 is Bows. Oh, and we are talking Ivory or Velvet textures instead of a sparkly head piece. Brides are wanting to create a voluminous look with soft waves, think beach waves for a soft, feminine and romantic look. Simple hair up designs, with a soft low looped bun will create a stunning and modern version of the classic chignon. Centre partings are also on the rise creating a sharper look for you stylish and trend-setting brides. Gustav truly believes bridal fashion is there to have fun with and tells all clients to look and feel fabulous, be brave, be bold and be you, because this is your beautiful day.
GIFTLISTS
Prezola, the UK’s favourite wedding gift list service are predicting couples will pick jewel tones, greenery and plants to their home gift list as well as gold and brass accents, those metallic tones just keep popping up. Many couples still choose entertaining gifts such as music systems, cocktail sets and drink trolleys but gifting is much less about setting up home and more about upgrading to the luxe items couples have always wanted. Here’s a selection of some of our favourite Prezola gifts:
Copper Heart Bottle Stopper: Just Slate ● Barwell Cut Crystal Decanter: Soho Home ● Deluxe Pomegranate Noir Candle: Jo Malone London ● Play:1 Wireless Speaker: Sonos ● Danny Dachshund Planter: Graham & Green
If you’d like to learn more about working with an experienced U.K Wedding Planner and destination Wedding Planner then please do check out our wedding planning packages and get in touch to save your date!
Much Love,
