The 5 Biggest Trends in Wedding Hairstyles

Selecting the hairstyle for the one day you’ll look back on photographic evidence of for decades can be, well, anxiety-inducing. Especially if you want to feel current but not too trendy. So we turned to Pinterest to find ideas that will work for summer, winter and everything in between. 

WAVY HAIR

Always a winner for weddings with a natural aesthetic. This voluminous look can work with long or short hair. And bonus: If you have highlights or lowlights, even better, as the waves will showcase the change in shades.

RELAXED UPDOS

Yes, we’ve seen a lot of updos in our day, but there are some that stand out from the rest. The trick is contained messiness that still has shape and structure. 

UNEXPECTED ACCESSORIES

The right accessory can elevate your look (but finding one that doesn’t look like it’s from 1992 is tricky). We love subtle, organic shapes for hair clips and pins that don’t look like they’re trying too hard. 

FLOWER CROWNS

They’re not just for Coachella and Snapchat filters. These full floral arrangements add visual interest and color, and you just might be surprised at how well one ties together your whole look. 

The Top Wedding Dress Trends of 2020

Get your wishlist ready. Bridal Fashion Week has finally arrived and there's no shortage of über-chic inspiration in the 2020 wedding dress trends. From bold botanical prints to romantic sleeves and fun party dresses, our team hit the ground running to get the scoop on the new styles coming to a bridal salon near you. So, if you’re planning a wedding taking place at the end of next year or just in the dreaming stage, these are the 2020 wedding dress trends to know. Read on to get the details on what's hot now—and how to pull it off. 

1. Floral Print Dress
We'll spare you the "Florals for spring?" bit and just get right to the point: These aren't your average bridal blooms. Bold floral prints made an appearance in several 2020 wedding dress collections, adding a burst of color to the classically white runways of Bridal Fashion Week. Whether they're subtle and pastel, edgy and oversized or in the form of textural, 3-D embroideries, this cool-girl way to pull off florals adds whimsical visual interest to any wedding dress silhouette.

2. Ball Gowns
Calling all royal wedding fans: This wedding dress trend is the one for you. If you're looking to make an entrance, consider opting for a classic ball gown—and we saw plenty of them in the 2020 wedding dress trends and collections. The best thing about this attention-grabbing silhouette? It’s actually surprisingly versatile and works for most wedding styles. Go full-on Grace Kelly with heavy satin or Elizabethan with billowy sleeves. No matter the details, this voluminous style is sure to turn a few heads. 

3. Ruffles
If ever there's a time to indulge your inner hopeless romantic, your wedding day is it—and it doesn't get more romantic than this frilly, ultra-feminine detail. A ruffly skirt adds dimension to a mermaid silhouette, while a full skirt of frothy, cascading ruffles is equal parts whimsical and fashion forward. 

4. Airy Dresses
From streamlined ball gowns to sheer sheaths, light-as-air gowns took over the runways and 2020 wedding dresses. Effortless fabrics like tulle and organza give off a gorgeous ethereal vibe without any additional bulk, so you can hit the dance floor without stressing about tripping over your gown or feeling weighed down. Do you know what we call that? A serious bridal fashion win.

5. Puffy Sleeves
Hear us out before you totally write off this ‘80s-inspired wedding dress trend. A far cry from the sleeves Princess Diana and other brides of the maximalist era of fashion wore, these ruffly and off-the-shoulder versions are all about tasteful romance. If you love this detail but are worried about overdoing it, look for a slim silhouette with puffy sleeves and keep the rest of your accessories simple. Or, if you love this look but aren't ready to fully commit, go for detachable ones you can take off for your reception or after-party.

6. Pants
These sleek dress alternatives are comfortable, figure flattering and totally of the moment. Bonus: It's basically impossible to put on one of these tailored ensembles and not feel like a badass. For the 2020 bridal trends, lace details, 3-D floral embellishments and metallic beading gave classic white suits and jumpsuits a modern upgrade.

7. One Shoulder Necklines
This unique silhouette flatters the upper body and gives off serious goddess vibes. The best part? This 2020 wedding dress trend also works for pretty much every wedding style—whether you go classic with heavy satin, Grecian with gauzy tulle or glam with one long sleeve.

8. Short Dresses
If you're eloping, going for a super casual wedding style or just looking for a good excuse to show some leg and a killer pair of shoes, this 2020 wedding dress trend is for you. Opting for a long gown for the day of? A short, white dress is also perfect for all of your other wedding-related events like your rehearsal dinner or bridal shower.

9. Sparkle
Bring on the bling. While glitz and glitter is nothing new where bridal fashion is concerned, over-the-top sequins, tonal beading and metallic embellishments turned the Fall 2020 Bridal Fashion Week runways into a glittery affair worthy of Studio 54. Perfect for evening nuptials, this wedding dress trend is daring but sophisticated. Pro tip: If you're rocking a gown with lots of sparkle, keep your accessories minimal and let your glitzy frock do all the talking. 

10. Tiered Skirts
If you're on the hunt for a dress with some added flair but don't want the hassle of a full skirt or long train, look no further than a gown with a tiered skirt. Made for twirling, a layered skirt adds pretty texture and movement—but not heft—to a ball gown or A-line silhouette. 

How To Make a DIY Backgdrop

One of the things I hear most from my DIY brides is "I wish I knew how to build my own backdrop" Backdrops add another level to your wedding/reception. You can build a backdrop for anything from a backdrop or arch to get married in front of, or a fun backdrop for pictures at any party--reception, shower, birthday, or just a spring brunch. We have added a link to a tutorial for building your own backdrops. You won't believe how easy it is to build a backdrop for yourself, using nothing more than PVC pipe and your choice of fabric! Let us know how well it worked for you! We want to see your backdrops!

Bridesmaids gift idea: DIY pamper basket

We’re feeling a bit crafty this morning, so how about we start the day off with a little DIY? Your bridesmaids are your best gals, so chances are you’re putting a ton of thought into their gifts. As a result, we came up with another angle for a thoughtful gift, this DIY pamper basket. See the how-to below to show your ‘maids how much you appreciate them with the gift of relaxation. Say it with us now: Ahhh.

Our DIY gift contains:

• custom aromatherapy perfume (a combination of essential oils and a carrier oil, like jojoba).
• DIY herbal tub tea
• coconut milk lotion
• body brush and loofah
• lip butter
• pink clay soap
• spa headband
• salt hair spray

…All tucked inside a pretty basket.

And for the herbal tub tea:

Mix together epsom salts + rose buds + chamomile + lavender + calendula and put in a Weck jar. Tuck in a muslin bag for your recipient to put the tea mixture in for their bath.

As for scents, some lovely combinations to make are…

5 drops rose + 3 drops sandalwood

5 drops jasmine + 2 drops clove + 3 drops vanilla

2 drops lavender + 2 drops chamomile + 2 drops cardamom + 1 drop cedarwood + 3 drops geranium

2 drops orange + 3 drops  lavender + 2 drops cedarwood + 2 drops ylang ylang + 2 drops bergamot

Then, put the aromatherapy oil and jojoba in a pretty rollerball perfume container.

Pretty, right? What do you guys think?! 

Don’t forget to see our other posts for more bridesmaid gift inspiration!

Elegant spring destination wedding at Isola del Garda in Italy

We sure love hearing from couples who treat their wedding as one big adventure. Sometimes you just have to entertain the thought of a destination wedding long enough to realize it’s actually possible… It just takes some careful planning.  Hadeel + Kalil, for example, chose to travel from Texas to Italy for a villa wedding at Isola del Garda, a dreamy spot they’d only seen in photos, knowing it’d be the adventure of a lifetime. Italian Wedding Company helped them bring it to life and Facibeni Fotografia has the images to prove it…

Their story… Hadeel and Khalil were introduced through a mutual friend (thanks, Bridget!). Their friend mentioned that they would be perfect together and they were interested in meeting to see if it was true! They met at a coffee shop for a study date, Khalil was in medical school and Hadeel was in dental school. They stayed at the coffee shop until late that night chatting and getting to know each other. The more time they spent together the more they fell in love.

20 Most Popular Registry Items

If you're like me, you're dreading having to spend hours at numerous stores, scanner in hand, trying to figure out which stemware set is the best one for you. Maybe it's because I've gone through this so many times with every bride who's wedding I've stood up in. Maybe it's because I just find shopping tedious. I digress. If you love to shop, you should be all about this. But where do you start? Some couples (especially if you've been living together for a while) don't need a whole lot and opt for your not-so-run-of-the-mill registry items like honeymoon packages, excursions and home improvement store gift cards.

However, if you're more of a traditionalist -- or REALLY need some upgrades on the mismatched dishes you've been keeping around since college -- then we're hoping this list will help you. It's not quite EVERYTHING you'll need (that part is up to you and your significant other), but this particular list consists of the 20 most popular registry items according to Brides Magazine. We hope it will, at the very list, create a starting point for you.

1. Kitchen Tools: Instant Pot DUO Multi-Use Pressure Cooker

There’s a reason you’ve been hearing about the Instant Pot nonstop and that’s because it’s magical. It’s a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker...it can basically do everything except make your registry for you.

2. Kitchen Tools: Breville Convection and Air Fry Smart Oven Air

This baby is a next-gen toaster oven with 13 functions. On the healthy side, it can dehydrate fruit and roast veggies. On the hell-yeah side, it air-fries doughnuts and french fries.

3. Kitchen Tools: All-Clad d3 Tri-Ply Compact 7-Piece Cookware Set

The pieces in this stainless steel set conveniently nest inside each other, making them perfect for a smaller kitchen with limited storage. With its excellent heat conductivity and non-reactive surface, stainless steel is ideal for searing meat and making sauces.

4. Kitchen Tools: Wusthof Classic 7-piece Slim Knife Block Set

With high carbon steel blades and Wusthof’s amazing edge retention, these knives are a cut above (pun fully intended). The seven pieces include everything you need to excel in the kitchen, from chopping onions with the chef's knife to cutting bread with the serrated blade.

5. Baking Gear: KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

We know this pick will come as no surprise, but this stand mixer is still one of the most coveted (and rightly-so) wedding gifts. This 5-quart wonder can do everything from kneading dough to whipping perfect egg white peaks. It's a must-have for anyone who loves to bake.

6. Baking Gear: Food 52 xRosti Mepal Margrethe Nested Mixing Bowls

The first mixing bowls from this iconic brand first debuted in 1954 and they’re still popular for a reason. The lightweight melamine, pouring spouts, and matching lids for storage make baking prep a breeze.

7. Bedding: Cultiver Linen 3-pieve Duvet Set

Linen is a luxe material that only gets better with time. This incredibly soft set includes a duvet cover and two shams—just what you need to give your bed a warm and inviting makeover.

8. Bedding: Parachute Down Alternative Duvet Insert

It’s hard to appreciate your cute duvet cover if your insert is lumpy. This hypo-allergenic one has little sewn pockets to prevent fluff from moving around without your permission.

9. Bedding: Brooklinen Luxe Core Sheet Set

Whether you’ve lived together forever or this is your first foray into sharing a bed, cuddling is just better in cozy cotton sheets. Choose from eight gender-neutral hues and graphic patterns.

10.Bath: Matouk Milagro Bath Towels

These towels are made out of 100% cotton and they're so soft—good luck motivating yourself to get dressed. We love all the colors, but the darker tones hold up especially well to makeup stains.

11. Bath: Brooklinen Super Plush Robe

No lazy Saturday is complete without something super comfy to lounge in. Register for a pair of these Turkish cotton robes so you and your spouse can be matchy-matchy in comfort.

12. Home Decor: Jaipur Gem Throw

Admittedly, this super cozy throw won’t make you want to go out tonight, but you probably didn’t really want to anyway, right? The soft, neutral tone of this knit blanket will go with everything in your living room and make your sofa look infinitely more inviting.

13. Travel: Calpak Ambeur 3-Piece Luggage Set

This lightweight luggage set will have the two of you heading off to your honeymoon in style. The four-wheel spinning style makes rushing through the airport a breeze and expandable sides mean extra more room for souvenirs to bring home.

14. Household: iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuum

Make your cleaning routine a thousand times easier with this smart vacuum—it can be scheduled through Alexa, Google Assistant, or just using the app on your phone. It's also a great option for anyone who lives in a smaller space (who has room to store a giant machine?).

15. Household: Black and Decker Handheld Vacuum

There are times when dragging out your big vacuum feels like too much of a chore. This will do the trick for when you spill popcorn on your sofa or spices on your counter.

16. Household: Honey-Can-Do Madison Double Hamper

Make your laundry life easier with this divided hamper, which can be used to keep whites and darks separates (or keep your spouse's gym socks separate from your favorite tees).

17. Coffee & Tea: Cuisinart Stainless Steel Electric Kettle

Did you know that different types of teas should be brewed at different temperatures? Six settings help you get the best out of every variety, from green to Darjeeling, without having to guess.

18. Entertaining: Vera Wang Venato Collection

This marble-inspired china features touches of both silver and gold so you can have fun mixing metals with your flatware, serving pieces and whatever else is on your table.

19. Entertaining: Marquis by Waterford Markham Double Old Fashioned Glasses

Prepare to impress your friends with your updated home bar set up. Even cheap whiskey feels fancy when you drink it out of hand-cut crystal glasses like these.

20. Entertaining: Snowe Hostess Set

With a stainless steel ladle, cake server, serving spoon, and serving fork, this set will have you covered when you're scheduled to host a holiday or dinner party with friends.