Trend predictor: What’s going to set the wedding world ablaze at The Scottish Wedding Show
As Scotland’s largest wedding extravaganza, The Scottish Wedding Show, gears up for its hotly anticipated October 5-6 show, we took five minutes with some of its exhibitors to talk weddings.
Angela Smith, The Scottish Wedding Show’s show manager, says “Twice a year we transform the SECC into the ultimate wedding utopia and inspirational hotbed for brides- and grooms-to-be. We have around 300 expert exhibitors all who have a wealth of experience within the bridal industry and are well placed to know what’s hot for weddings in 2014.
From event design to dresses through invitations and cakes, some of The Scottish Wedding Show’s exhibiting names to know reveal their tips and trends for the upcoming wedding season.
The Wedding Planner
“Invitations and thank you cards are becoming a lot more personal with a growing number of brides and grooms incorporating their own touches – from engagement photographs on save the dates to favourite wedding photos on their thank you cards,” says Claire Owens of Heart Weddings and Events. “On the whole, rustic and vintage weddings are also growing in popularity – a great idea is to choose a fantastic outdoor back drop, somewhere special that will also save you spending a fortune on dressings and candles.
Heart Weddings and Events, Stand P29
07971 127593, www.heartweddingsandevents.co.uk
The Event Designer
“Next year’s bridal collections are full of lace and bold colours which really sets the stage for the year ahead,” says event design expert Jordana of Jordana Events. “Bridal trends constantly follow through to the design and décor of a wedding, letting the bride-to-be neatly tie all the separate elements of her special day together.’’
Jordana Events, Stand P8
0141 337 1117, www.jordanaevents.com
The Cake Designer
Top wedding cake designer Michael Burns of Special Days Cakes suggests: “Every couple wants a star wedding cake that makes a statement and reflects their personalities – it’s the centrepiece of the reception (after the newlyweds of course)! “A great way to tie the cake into your wedding’s theme is by having small, delicate handmade flowers as decoration. It’s so much easier to match handmade flowers to your colours than to try and source the exact colour of fresh flowers which can also be very expensive.”
Special Days Cakes, Stand 420A
01698 327075, www.specialdayscakes.co.uk
The Bridal Gown Designer
Joyce Young OBE says “In 2014, vintage will continue to be a big wedding dress trend and we’re seeing a lot of lace fit and flare dresses with beautiful back detail. Head dresses will be big next year and we’re seeing seventies-style rings of fresh flowers accompanying romantic floaty dresses. The vintage brooch-style hair clip will remain popular, but the halo tiara which circles the head coming down over the forehead is also set to be a big trend.”
Joyce Young for By Storm, Stand 404A
0141 946 0660, www.joyceyoungcollections.co.uk
The Florist
Wedding and events design specialist Lorraine Wood of Lorraine Wood Flowers says: “A rustic country garden look in soft muted tones is set to make waves in 2014. An array of textured flowers create a more relaxed floral design, while incorporating plants and herbs such as rosemary, lavender add natural scents to the designs.”
Lorraine Wood Flowers
07795 101000, www.lorrainewoodflowers.co.uk
The Caterer
Jeremy Wares, Chef Restaurateur at Macdonald Houstoun House Hotel says: “No longer are people content serving up a standard chicken dish at their wedding breakfast, now brides and grooms want to know how the food they will be serving is sourced, the reliability of its source and the transparency of a products journey from pasture to plate. Good food is no longer enough; today’s savvy brides and grooms want their wedding breakfast banquet to be of an exceptional standard both from a culinary and quality perspective, with a focus on provenance.’’
Macdonald Houston House
0844 879 9043, www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/macdonald-houstoun-house
The Photographer
Renowned wedding photographer Dom Ibbotson of Duke Studios reveals that “during the last few years we were starting to see more couples choosing to have their wedding albums on a disc as opposed to being physically printed; however, there has recently been a strong resurgence back to printed albums as people wish to have their memories to keep hold of as a special keepsake of their day.” When it comes to the photographs themselves, Dom believes that “couples are leaning towards a more vintage way of the shots being styled which keeps in line with the current trend of going back to a traditional look and feel.”
Duke Studios, Stand 436A
0131 555 0737, www.dukestudios.co.uk