2021 Wedding Trends

Michael Gaddie  0:00  

Want to know what the future looks like for weddings? What are the cool couples up to want to be the first to try something epic and new at your reception?

Sharon Rumsey  0:11  

weddings are just like everything else. Trends come and go. But can we say bye bye chicken dance? While it's your day, and you should do whatever feels right. You want to know all of the latest options, right?

Kristina Stubblefield  0:23  

You might want to get a pin in a piece of paper because the information in this episode is noteworthy. You got engaged. Congratulations. Happy. Yes. joyful time. Of course. Now what timelines to do lists and checklists. 100% Don't worry, you're in the right place. Welcome to the ring, the bling, and all the things. Hi, I'm Kristina Stubblefield, one of your hosts, along with my two good friends, Michael Gaddie and Sharon Rumsey. We have over 50 years of wedding industry experience between us. We have seen it, heard it, done it and found a way around it. We are here to get you from down on one need to down the aisle. Our podcast will cover everything from you saying yes to the I do's and all that happens in between. So buckle up and enjoy the journey. Now let's get started with this episode.

Sharon Rumsey  1:41  

Before we get started with this week's episode, we want to give a shout out to our listener of the week. Robin from New Albany, Indiana shared this review great entertaining and informative podcast. Christina, Mike, Sharon and the guest of the ring, the bling and all the things are funny and full of great tips on wedding planning and beyond. Check it out highly recommend. Thank you, Robin for that amazing review.

Kristina Stubblefield  2:08  

Thanks, Sharon for telling them about our listener of the week. If you like what you hear on our podcast, take a minute, make sure to subscribe and write us a review. You may be featured next. Mike, this episode, you've done quite a bit of research for this topic. And we've really sharing gotten Mike into reading more about trends and tips, right that that's been a ongoing thing now for him

Sharon Rumsey  2:35  

or I've been accused to get Mike into a lot of things. This is one of the more positive things that we've gotten into

Kristina Stubblefield  2:41  

Watch out he got a computer and the next thing you know, he throws all kinds of stuff. But Mike, in all honesty, you really wanted to discuss this because it's trends for weddings in 2021.

Michael Gaddie  2:53  

Exactly transfer 2021. And there are so many things that that we're going to list here. But some things are things that we do all the time. And I'll be honest with you, there are some things that I haven't even heard of. So I think but you got to think too, we're talking about the whole world. So I mean, things go different on different places around the world. So

Kristina Stubblefield  3:15  

are these based out of just this area? Or are these kind of from all over?

Michael Gaddie  3:21  

This is all over?

Kristina Stubblefield  3:23  

Okay, Sharon, I know you see a lot of things that happen. And that go on at weddings. And as we go through this, I hope that you're going to share with our listeners some of the things that you're seeing as well. Now, Mike, where do you want to start with this? I think at the top of your list has to do with florals. And I'm not surprised right, Sharon, any opportunity to talk about flower?

Michael Gaddie  3:49  

Hey, it is what it is.

Kristina Stubblefield  3:50  

Oh, there you go. You got your microphone. Now we're in good shape.

Michael Gaddie  3:55  

For one thing that you're seeing a lot now is dried flowers, dried products, Pampas grass, dried materials, you see that a lot.

Kristina Stubblefield  4:04  

Okay, wait, stop. Now look, I'm not in the floral business. pompous grass cut grass. Could

Sharon Rumsey  4:10  

you please describe yourself that or do you

Michael Gaddie  4:17  

know Pampas grass is a

Kristina Stubblefield  4:18  

troll and report back to that guy. Okay, so Pampas grass. Now, is this a filler or is this

Michael Gaddie  4:26  

No, it's actually a better type product, which, if you're going down the road, it's ornamental grasses that you'll see in landscaping. It grows probably about seven or eight feet tall and it's really fuzzy. So that's real popular for weddings. Now, to be honest with you, we use it down the aisle. We'll just put it in glass vases.

Sharon Rumsey  4:49  

I actually have seen it

Michael Gaddie  4:50  

we try to use it only on outside decorations because it does shed.

Kristina Stubblefield  4:55  

Do you know that term before I asked him, okay, so is that some than that a lot of times people are familiar with.

Sharon Rumsey  5:02  

Yes. Okay, Brides, I've had brides even ask for it.

Michael Gaddie  5:05  

Yeah, I mean, you know, research it on Pinterest. I mean it

Sharon Rumsey  5:10  

right like a nude color. It isn't new

Michael Gaddie  5:12  

Heather color and wait to tell you the truth that comes in pink and purple. And you can get all that now I have not experienced that self, but the nude color is what we've been using.

Kristina Stubblefield  5:22  

And so you're seeing a lot of that in neutral colors. Yes.

Michael Gaddie  5:25  

You know, along with other dried material like mushrooms or dried wood roses, that's real popular where the rose itself is made out of wood. We have not seen that but one or two times. But the research that I did, and they had tons of pictures and it was on Pinterest. It's really pretty. Actually the first

Sharon Rumsey  5:47  

wedding I've ever I ever did with you the bride's bouquet. You did all the centerpieces and everything but the bridal bouquet was made out of wood. Yeah. And it was gorgeous. And she loved the thought of being able to keep it forever.

Michael Gaddie  6:01  

Well, this new generation and I love it because they're wanting to involve natural elements. You know, they're they're wanting to bring in things out of their yard. I know we're doing a wedding together that in August raw rocks and mouse. I mean, that's just a trend Friday and reading

Sharon Rumsey  6:19  

Mike's talking about the bride loves rocks, almost to the point that like the grim teases are about it pretty much every time we meet, but she wants a lot of nature Incorporated. So we met with Mike and she's wanting rocks. She wants natural moss, like real moss, not the fake Hobby Lobby moss.

Kristina Stubblefield  6:40  

She wants a disclaimer, there's really if you choose to

Sharon Rumsey  6:45  

Hobby Lobby lobby, Hobby Lobby. I

Kristina Stubblefield  6:46  

mean, we're Hobby Lobby shopper. So Sharon didn't mean that.

Sharon Rumsey  6:51  

She wants not artificial moss.

Michael Gaddie  6:54  

She wants the moss, right out from our poetry.

Sharon Rumsey  6:57  

Yes. So

Kristina Stubblefield  6:58  

okay. So, Mike, because I'm not as familiar with this terminology. And I would think people that are planning their weddings, if especially if they're just getting started, do you feel like that's why people come in with their Pinterest boards, especially for florals because they don't necessarily know the names.

Michael Gaddie  7:16  

I have had this discussion many times this week with brides. And you know, at one time, I hated Pinterest.

Kristina Stubblefield  7:23  

But I remember that period. And

Michael Gaddie  7:25  

I'll be honest with you, I love it now, because what happens is, they bring their Pinterest board to me and they've got all these pictures of something that they want. And it doesn't have to be exactly, but it's going to be similar, but different. If that's if that's a good term, but at least that gives them and they're showing me what they like what and they also show me pictures of what they don't like.

Kristina Stubblefield  7:47  

And it allows you to probably do something unique for them. Yeah, it's not exact as that picture on Pinterest,

Sharon Rumsey  7:53  

I love it. When I do my initial consultations with the bride, I always tell them to bring their Pinterest, because most girls start making their Pinterest boards before they're engaged. You know, they just really have their wedding in their head. And a Pinterest board helps me at that initial consultation really get to know my client quickly.

Kristina Stubblefield  8:12  

Well, in a side note, from a marketing standpoint, if people out there planning their weddings don't know, you can actually make a board private, where none of your followers can see that board. So if there's private things that you want to store in Pinterest for your wedding planning, I think it's been posed to me a few times, people didn't realize that it could be private. So maybe the parents couldn't see it or their best friend or maid of honor in case they stored something in there, that was

Sharon Rumsey  8:43  

a surprise or afraid of the groom seeing it, they don't want their dress to be seen. And I wasn't trying to leave him out. So he's an important part of that out to our planner, which is the CRM, the CRM software that I use. Inside of IO planner, I create each wedding. And each wedding has a design board. And in order to see that design board, you have to have been sent a link. So that's a great way of keeping it private, but I can I can link Mike to it or I can link the cater to that

Michael Gaddie  9:15  

I like about that too is they can get on Pinterest and capture all the pictures they want and then they can link it to our planner and then I can just go right in there, pull it straight up and see all that

Sharon Rumsey  9:25  

if we haven't linked to the Grimm, then he has no ability to see it.

Kristina Stubblefield  9:29  

Right. And I think that's really great information. Now, Mike, I know you've composed composed a lot of stuff on here. We just got to item one. I know Do you wanna keep going move on? I'm excited to talk about this next topic.

Michael Gaddie  9:41  

Well, I'm really excited about the next topic also because and I don't have to be really good when I say this is but

Kristina Stubblefield  9:49  

every time that politically correct good or nothing good. No,

Michael Gaddie  9:54  

which one it's just that you know, every bride has their wish color for their wedding. And I'll be honest with you blush, dusty rose and dusty blue. We've been doing everything for three years now. And they're telling me now that it's gone,

Kristina Stubblefield  10:12  

it's out. It's headed out,

Michael Gaddie  10:14  

it's going out, even though I don't want my brides listening, saying,

Sharon Rumsey  10:17  

choose your words carefully.

Michael Gaddie  10:21  

I mean, it's trending for now across the nation. So I mean, you've got to think you're still living in the trends from last year, because it usually takes two or three years to get the trends to come around.

Kristina Stubblefield  10:33  

And wait a second. Just because something's a trend

Michael Gaddie  10:36  

does not mean you have to go away exactly

Kristina Stubblefield  10:39  

if that's your colors. And that's what you want to roll with. We've done an episode before, guess what, what do you tell them? Sharon?

Sharon Rumsey  10:44  

It's their wedding, what they can do whatever they want.

Kristina Stubblefield  10:47  

That is exactly right. So just because the trends are saying that this is headed out, right doesn't mean if that's what you want. Well,

Sharon Rumsey  10:54  

and another thing too, that I think is is impacting this as a lot of the people that had to postpone their wedding. Exactly, you know, a year 18 months ago, dusty blue blush, that was the colors that was what we did. So they chose those colors, maybe even purchase bridesmaids dresses. And now we see the trend changing a little bit actually the Pantone colors that I just saw on the Association of bridal consultants just sent out for 2021 is a really bright sunshine yellow and a gray. The Pantone colors are the year Oh, yeah. But I haven't seen a lot of them.

Michael Gaddie  11:31  

Do that for a while. Yeah, because it takes a while to get up to us.

Kristina Stubblefield  11:34  

So I'm excited about the next topic. They

Michael Gaddie  11:36  

say though, that the the color right now for 2021 is black, and I'll be honest with you, I am seeing a lot of black dresses.

Sharon Rumsey  11:45  

We just talked about a client I she just booked me for 2022 and she's going with black and we have a wedding together in July. This year. That's going well

Michael Gaddie  11:56  

block and jewel tones is what's coming up. So we'll see those dark Burgundy's dark morons, Hunter green, all those

Sharon Rumsey  12:04  

and we're not just seeing it in the bridesmaids dresses and the florals. Guys, we're seeing brides wearing colored dresses, and I am all about it. I

Kristina Stubblefield  12:14  

love it. Previously, we had posted I believe it was a pink dress. Yeah, on our social media because we had talked about that in a previous episode. And it was beautiful. Yeah,

Sharon Rumsey  12:24  

I've had a bride where a very, very light blush dress, kind of more of like an overlay lace overlay over blush. But I have a bride right now that is considering and there's quite the discussion going on between she and her mom. But considering a black dress, and I I've never done a wedding with a black dress, but I'm all about it. I think that people need to really let go of what you have to do. We've said that so many times.

Michael Gaddie  12:55  

Those black wedding dresses. I've got a couple of weddings this year and they're beautiful. And we know Yeah, and very unique. Something that the next thing on the list we've got is hair accessories. We did a wedding Mandy Hogue she was here she was one of our guests. And he noticed in her pictures and I think we can post this on our social media but the hairdresser went in and did all these unique designs in their hair. They

Sharon Rumsey  13:24  

had Bobby bobby pin art each each bridesmaid was told. And this was the first time I've ever done this but each bridesmaid me and he told him to pick the design they wanted. So we had a starburst we had, I think a halfmoon we had a full circle. But anyway, once they got their updates done, they the hairstylist went in and created actual bobby pin art amazing. We took a picture just with all of the bobby pin art, you know, their their heads turned to the side with all the body pin art. And once again, that's just one of those little things that everybody is going to notice and is really going to cause a lot of pop.

Michael Gaddie  14:03  

And when it says you know what come into our that Mandy used to actually bobby pins but they're taking pearls and beads and braiding them into a design and swirl on them. So

Sharon Rumsey  14:14  

I had a bride this past November. Sweet grace, she was so pretty. She actually had a wire, a long wire. She had beautiful red hair. I'm gonna send you a picture Christina to post but beautiful red hair and she had a wire that had beads, pearls on it and little bitty bitty flowers. And the hairstylist did a really loose braid and braided that through her hair. And she looked like old Hollywood you actually livestream that wedding Christina so you got to see her that day.

Kristina Stubblefield  14:48  

Yes at the church. Yes,

Sharon Rumsey  14:49  

she looked like this. She pulled her right out of maybe 1920s Hollywood which is exactly what she wanted. Absolutely.

Kristina Stubblefield  14:57  

And was speaking of Mandy Hogue, one thing I was just I'm going to mention really quick. She did the bold statement with the hat. And I know that's not necessarily hair accessories,

Michael Gaddie  15:08  

accessories,

Sharon Rumsey  15:09  

and she rocked it.

Kristina Stubblefield  15:10  

Have you all seen any more of that with hats? It was a beautiful hat will snag a picture of it to to show your but

Michael Gaddie  15:17  

I haven't seen other hats besides Mandy but i mean you know Mandy so unique in person. She She's amazing.

Kristina Stubblefield  15:24  

Absolutely.

Michael Gaddie  15:26  

Next thing, she believe this or not short dresses for the bride is really big. And also the bride's wearing low cut dress dresses, so they're exposing more.

Kristina Stubblefield  15:40  

Wait, did you say short dress short

Michael Gaddie  15:42  

dresses? So above the knee? Really?

Sharon Rumsey  15:47  

That's I have not had a bride do that yet. But I've seen it a lot of magazines. It's common. Well, I'll

Kristina Stubblefield  15:52  

tell you where I remember it from was 27 dresses. I'm not ashamed to say it's one of my favorite movies. You can go in through the closet. Sharon, I know you've seen this movie. Oh, a million times. Right? She goes through the closet of all those weddings she was in and she was trying to pull down her dress. I think it was an LA wedding or something labeled I should know as many times have I seen that movie but interesting. Yeah. Interesting.

Michael Gaddie  16:17  

And loca. That's what I thought was interesting, too. But these low cut dresses,

Kristina Stubblefield  16:21  

they're showing a little more showing a little bit

Michael Gaddie  16:23  

more skin, I mean, all the way down to their belly button.

Sharon Rumsey  16:25  

Well, and not only in the front, they're showing it in the back. Yeah. bridal dresses are just really, really really the trend now is less and less is more. And I don't know what to is in

Kristina Stubblefield  16:39  

less fabric.

Michael Gaddie  16:40  

Yes. are saying less fabric.

Sharon Rumsey  16:42  

Okay, just clarifying. And I don't know what to attribute that to, except for I think we're dealing with a generation that grew up very confident. Or at least more so than what I grew up and secure and who they are. And I mean they're rockin these these revealing dresses and if you're ever if you ever want to look sexy ever in your life should be on your wedding day.

Michael Gaddie  17:05  

And you know what even if you decide not to wear a short dress during the ceremony itself, you're seeing brides change into our I mean our but the rehearsal the reception

Kristina Stubblefield  17:17  

rehearsal not before the event, you're meant

Michael Gaddie  17:19  

Reception The reception and then you know changing and having a short dress I even had

Sharon Rumsey  17:25  

a bride that had a dress where the bottom of the and I'm not a seamstress by any means. So I apologize if I don't explain this well, but the bottom of the dress detached. So she had on a long dress with a train and everything and then instead of taking her in and bustling her, which is what I usually do, we actually took her in and we took off the bottom of the dress and it was then above the knee. And it was very fitted down until that big train started. So once we took that off, it was just a really tight fitting beautiful white dress and that's what she went to the

Michael Gaddie  18:00  

and there's a few pictures on that I come across it was just like that. I love that look on a light.

Sharon Rumsey  18:05  

Yeah. And it I mean you could hear people going when she walked in it really got attention. And it was something different. Yeah, it was fun and she was a fun bride. So

Kristina Stubblefield  18:13  

okay, so speaking of this mic your next item, lace on shoes,

Michael Gaddie  18:19  

lace on shoes, and lace.

Kristina Stubblefield  18:23  

Oh, we go back to the 80s

Michael Gaddie  18:24  

Believe it or not, we are

Sharon Rumsey  18:26  

Hey, I'm comfortable there.

Kristina Stubblefield  18:28  

Now look, we start crimping our hair and I mean multiple color well and

Michael Gaddie  18:34  

you're seeing light but you're seeing lice not so much on dresses. You're seeing laces as accents, such as lice on shoes, and then also lace added to veils. Different embroidery for the edge of the veil. So you're seeing an accent not where the dress is all lice. Even though you see a lot of wedding dresses that has a lice top on it.

Sharon Rumsey  19:00  

There are a lot of high heels now. That if you look they're covered in lace or you can buy a plain high heel and then have lace applied to it that matches your wedding dress. I've had a couple of brides do that. I'm also seeing and this isn't on my list but I'm seeing a ton of My Brides that don't want to be in heels or maybe they just want to be in a heel for their ceremony. But they want to be comfortable and they want to not worry about falling and a lot of my clients are wearing like the Kate Spade lace up tennis shoe that says bride on the back and it's sparkly. You know I'm seeing a lot of just everybody doing their own thing as far as shoes it's it's very rare now that I see a whole bridal party where all the girls have exactly the same shoe.

Michael Gaddie  19:52  

Well since we're on shoes, another one is that and I have not seen this. But the bride and the groom. It takes The broadcast, you know, their shoes that they're wearing during the wedding and writes them a message on the bottom of their shoe. Have you seen I have I have not seen that. And I thought that was very unique and different.

Sharon Rumsey  20:10  

So I had a bride not long ago. And, you know, she wore heels for the ceremony, but for the reception, she just put on white Converse what we used to call chucks. She just put on solid white Converse, but she had had Mrs. And her new last name and broad read on the shoe. And it made for some really cute pictures. And she danced all night because she was really comfortable.

Kristina Stubblefield  20:32  

I bet my sister in law actually wore I don't want to not say it correctly. I'm not Chuck Taylors, but something very similar to that. And there are such cute pictures of their wedding, where she's kind of lifting her dress and showing her shoes. And I just thought that was a really he was comfortable in that,

Sharon Rumsey  20:58  

as you guys know, that are listening. If you've listened before, we're located in Louisville, Kentucky. And we see a lot of boots. A lot of boots, I see a lot of boots.

Kristina Stubblefield  21:09  

Yes, my other sister in law did the boot thing. And I was actually she got a pair specific for the wedding that had beautiful white accent. It really went great with her dress. And us in the wedding party also wore boots for quite a while until the reception. But actually I like it. And I know it's it goes on a lot in our area. And I'm sure other places as well. Especially a fall wedding, Sharon, I know that that's a big thing of the guest is well will show up and wear boots with their bags on.

Michael Gaddie  21:52  

Well, you know, I think every couple was different. And me personally, boots on love Converse and tennis shoes. That's I'm not a fan of that. But younger generation. They're all over it. And

Kristina Stubblefield  22:06  

then you know what Sharon says though,

Michael Gaddie  22:08  

you do what you want to do.

Sharon Rumsey  22:09  

The only vote that counts is her Girl, girl in the white dress, which might not be a white dress, it might be a black dress, but her votes The only one gone.

Kristina Stubblefield  22:18  

You know what we need to make that a little bit more politically correct. We always say the girl in the white dress. How could we make that the only vote that counts is the bride and groom or the bride and bride or the groom and groom. Couple right Sharon?

Sharon Rumsey  22:34  

Right. I know a big vote for that. The only vote that counts on it. I mean, we joke about it. But to me, this is one of the reasons I always have the couple signed my contract no matter who's paying me. You know if if the parents of the bride are paying me I'm still gonna have that couple signed my contract along with that person that's paying because when it gets down to it, the only persons I'm going to listen to and I'm going to take direction from are the owners of that day. And the owners of that wedding are the two people getting married. Hands down. No other. That's the period at the end of the sentence. The owners of that wedding are

Kristina Stubblefield  23:14  

the two people standing up there getting married and you know what, I don't think there's any other way to say it. Then the way you just did exactly. Mike now when are we already talked about some flowers, but we get to talk about some lighting.

Michael Gaddie  23:28  

We do awesome. Me and Sharon and I are dealing with a wedding right now with this and you're seeing more and more bulb lighting and when I say is that like market market electro is gonna say its market lighting now on the trends that I was looking at they called it bulb so that's why I lifted bulb but it is market lighting to me

Kristina Stubblefield  23:47  

is that like an old school type lighting Yeah, it's

Michael Gaddie  23:50  

a like a black cord and then you can still see the inside of the light bulb the wires and stuff. But you see that a lot. Either it's in a barn or event name it's not in a barn it's in an even a nice place you can dress it down by adding market lighting or even for a rehearsal dinner which we're going to get ready to do. And we've got a barn that we're adding market light to also but you're seeing more and more market lighting now

Sharon Rumsey  24:14  

if you have an elegant venue if they have like an outdoor patio or something outside where guests are going to go a lot of people will hang up some market lighting.

Michael Gaddie  24:21  

I think that's a trend for not just weddings or parties. I think it's a trend for you know your patio would

Sharon Rumsey  24:28  

I have them on my deck.

Michael Gaddie  24:29  

I love that. I mean that's just a that's just something you're seeing that train go all the way through not just weddings,

Kristina Stubblefield  24:35  

I've seen a lot of pictures posted. He used to be what I remember a lot of outside events you would see him I've seen it a lot on inside venues like you all are mentioning and it came over the dance floor. You can dress it up or like you all said dress it down just depending on the I really love

Sharon Rumsey  24:56  

the the lighting that they give off to they make room Really nice photos

Michael Gaddie  25:01  

of amber glow. It's not like it's not a star white ball. Yes. Something that's really I mean, you know, you've got your first look that that we do all the time, or you may not decide not to do the first look and the bride walks down the aisle in the groom Caesar for the first time, or something that's really trending right now is if and this may be hard to explain. But if you're behind a closed door, and each of the bride and groom, or a couple reads a letter to one another, but they don't see each other face to face, like one's in the bathroom, and the other one's out outside the bathroom door that's trending more than I've ever seen. And I've even heard my bride and groom's talk about that

Sharon Rumsey  25:46  

I had the sweetest couple and they had written their own vows to each other. On wedding day, the green came up to me and he was so concerned. And he said, I don't think I can do it. My vows are so personal. I couldn't do it. He said, I don't think I can do it. They're so personal. I can't say this up in front of everyone. I just want the minister to just do the traditional ceremony. And I was like, oh, how's this gonna go over with the bride. But anyway, what we decided to do was exactly what Michael just described, they got ready in a hotel. So we put them around a corner at the hotel, and they held hands, but they didn't see each other. And they read their vows to each other. And it was just themselves and the photographer. And I'm not gonna lie, I probably didn't need to be there as a wedding planner. But I really wanted to see it and I went and I mean, I was bawling. I was crying, I want to cry. Just listen, it was the sweetest thing. And he got very emotional, he broke down. And that's what he was afraid of happening. If he did this during the ceremony, so he got to say what he needed to say, but he got to do it privately. And the photographer has the most amazing photos from that. I'll get you one. It was just a really special moment. I love that.

Kristina Stubblefield  27:02  

I mean, it doesn't get much better than that. Because those days you're sharing them with the people that's closest to you. But those intimate moments that will be memories forever. That you just don't know exactly how they're going to go. Some of that for just that couple. I think are really important because we've talked about it before how hectic that day can be and you're so overwhelmed and pulled in so many different directions. So just that little bit of downtime you talk about you've talked Sharon before about just that breath, they need a minute minute, but even at couple even though they can't see each other just having that maybe it's five minutes, three minutes to just kind of be ready to absorb it in. Because you hear so many times people don't remember, you know, they go back and look at photos or videos. And there's so much work that has went into that day. So having that intimate moment. I could see that growing. I know the trends growing for that.

Michael Gaddie  28:02  

Well you know, Pam and I did not write her vows. We just did the regular ceremony and the minister took care of it. But I couldn't even repeat what the minister said. I was crying and I feel like

Sharon Rumsey  28:16  

I love my couples will write letters to each other and they'll have me deliver them you know while they're getting ready and I love that too but just something about that holding hands and reading. That's great to each other is such a special moment.

Michael Gaddie  28:31  

Well on that same line with with this we got rings. I know we had a jeweler on and he was talking about different styles and different things. But the trend now is the groom or the couple giving each other or the groom giving the broad, a mother's ring, a grandmother's ring so they're transferring story something with a story and they're you know, like a hairline and passing it down from one another. So you're seeing that and I have hat Matter of fact I just did a wedding last week. And Sarah and she was the sweetest she can be and she that her wedding ring was the groom's great grandmother's wedding ring.

Sharon Rumsey  29:14  

See as as a married woman I would 10 times rather have something like that because of coz of the history and the story behind it would mean more to me.

Kristina Stubblefield  29:26  

Not that you're not happy with the ring that you have because Ron did a fantastic

Sharon Rumsey  29:30  

ring but I just I don't know it just I love us. I love something that has

Kristina Stubblefield  29:36  

a family heirloom part of it. If you have that opportunity. Maybe really consider that because it can keep getting passed on and mean a lot more right. I think it's really good.

Michael Gaddie  29:48  

today's generation puts more thought and effort into everything everything than my generation ever even thought of. I know it Sharon and I are on the same generation Christina, you're a little bit younger, younger than we are. But I mean,

Kristina Stubblefield  30:03  

I thank you just a little bit.

Michael Gaddie  30:07  

But I mean, I think it's very special that they put so much thought they put so much thought into it mind boggles me, it's like, I don't even think of that. Are Why would you even think of that?

Sharon Rumsey  30:20  

They really do. And I noticed one of the things Mike has on his list for us to talk about today is proposals. And, you know, I just don't ever remember back when, when people my age, you know, when my group of friends first started getting married, I don't remember the big epic proposal events that are happening now I've actually been hired, you know, not only to plan the wedding, but I've been hired to plan a proposal, because it's an event in itself now.

Kristina Stubblefield  30:53  

And are we going back to because of the meaning because of the making the memories and capturing, I mean,

Michael Gaddie  31:00  

they are planning trips, and their friends are getting together. And it's still a surprise and you know, the bride usually does not know what's happening. And then it's a whole event by itself. And that's one of the trends that are just really blowing up and

Sharon Rumsey  31:16  

you know, I love it. I just, I do think that the generation you know, that our that makes up the majority of engaged couples right now are more thoughtful than we ever, ever were.

Michael Gaddie  31:30  

And I hope very much so. I hope it continues to

Kristina Stubblefield  31:33  

Absolutely. Now what are we on to next

Michael Gaddie  31:35  

let's move down to different things at the reception. One major thing that you're seeing is smaller cakes, and more desserts. One major thing is donut walls, donut walls. I know a few of them I've seen and they're usually you know put out when the cake is when they because they still usually have the cake that they cut like a smaller smaller version. I'm seeing that trend where the cakes are getting smaller you know some may even go with the 180 inch cake sitting on a tire of cupcakes or a tire of donuts or whatever it may be but now you're seeing the Baker's got these fabulous donut walls that have little spools on them where it will spindles on them and they hang the donuts.

Kristina Stubblefield  32:22  

It's a display and it's a play

Michael Gaddie  32:24  

on its own. Some of them will light up some of them you know have light shining on the lights.

Sharon Rumsey  32:30  

I think cake is going away.

Michael Gaddie  32:32  

I hate to hear that too because I feel like that's a really important part of the wedding.

Kristina Stubblefield  32:37  

But they're still holding on to the tradition. A lot of times of cutting the cake it might not be as huge of a deal and everyone circling around I know Sharon you've mentioned it before about people just kind of doing it for pic most

Sharon Rumsey  32:51  

of the time nowadays when I have my final planning meeting with my couples they don't want you know the cake cutting announced and everybody to come over and take photos like they just quietly go on the corner with a photographer and cut the cake. We're back to maybe a more intimate type part of the reception then a big ordeal with everyone watching well and I think too. We're seeing like Mike said a lot of donut walls. We're seeing a lot of late night snack. I've done donut walls. I've had White Castle brought in Waffle House Waffle House. If you're not from here, White Castle. I'm trying to think it's like crystal in the south. The we had a wedding with the Waffle House catering truck that came and we did a waffle bar and hashers hashbrown bar like there's so many different things you can do. So I think couples now are just not in that box of cake.

Kristina Stubblefield  33:46  

You know doing things that they enjoyed they they like to go into the waffle house when they were dating so they want to incorporate

Sharon Rumsey  33:53  

Taco Bell I've had Taco Bell

Kristina Stubblefield  33:55  

Yeah, that's one of my favorites. Like another thing that I've seen regarding donut walls are in that same category I guess is the little small pies. Yes, I've even seen some that have had like a few cupcakes, some little pies and some cookies almost I guess like an assortment right

Michael Gaddie  34:13  

well dessert dessert bar but also grandmothers and aunts will make a pie. So you've got trends of you know people bring in different desserts their self like they did back in the olden days. And that's you're seeing more and more of that now.

Kristina Stubblefield  34:27  

I love the little I'm sorry Sharon I'm loved the little pies

Sharon Rumsey  34:31  

I don't know what baby pies that's what I call them. Yes. So

Kristina Stubblefield  34:33  

cute. Like with the little aluminum pans.

Sharon Rumsey  34:36  

I've seen a big I've got a bride getting married in November and we're actually not doing a cake at all. We're gonna do a bacharan Tower. So she's got

Michael Gaddie  34:48  

a really a item right so

Sharon Rumsey  34:51  

we're doing all different flavors and colors and then we're Mike is the florist for that wedding and he's gonna put some flowers around it. Another dessert trend that I learned, Mike, you might already know this, but I learned it this past winter, I had a bride who was originally from Pennsylvania. And in Pennsylvania, you do a cookie table. It's a big thing there. So like, all the all the different families that are invited are included in the wedding, they make cookies. And so instead of a cake, you have a cookie table. But all the cookies are provided by the family. And everybody makes a little bag, you know, of the different types of cookies. And I thought that was pretty neat.

Michael Gaddie  35:30  

And that's what that's what I was saying back to if they make cookies, or that the family does it, instead of actually going somewhere and having a purchase.

Kristina Stubblefield  35:38  

Well, don't forget about the cookie cakes. I mean, we know we've mentioned Mandy before a big thing. A lot of times people really do like cookie cakes instead of the traditional cake.

Michael Gaddie  35:48  

That's and that's what we're gonna say too, is what the trends, you're seeing cookie cakes, and you're also seeing Bundt cakes. I mean, so there's so many things that's coming out of the box that you're not used to saying,

Sharon Rumsey  35:59  

Yeah, each is getting a little individual bundt cake is so cute.

Michael Gaddie  36:03  

I'll tell you what, like when I got married, you had the fountains and the and the colored water, water bridges to the next level. And it's like you don't see that anymore.

Kristina Stubblefield  36:12  

I don't know if I've seen a water fountain if that's what it was called.

Michael Gaddie  36:17  

I'm not champagne, champagne film, paint paint was colored water though.

Sharon Rumsey  36:22  

I'm not I'm not sad if those cakes never come back. But

Michael Gaddie  36:25  

you know what I hate to say they probably will. Oh, I know, next few years. Along with the tuxedos that has the ruffles on the on the shirt, you're gonna see that come back to Okay, watch the Oscars that you go with?

Kristina Stubblefield  36:39  

You know, Mike, one of the items that I seen on here was about honoring loved ones. And I know we've seen all different types of things. But what kind of trends are we seeing now?

Michael Gaddie  36:50  

Well, you know, you usually have your traditional Memorial table. And now and we actually talked to another bride not long ago, and she said some ideas about what she does, but you're not seeing that Memorial table anymore. You're seeing they're recognizing deceased family members, such as an empty chair. And, you know, maybe I would still make the flowers for them. And they would lay that risk or saw that small bouquet in that chair for for direct nasm using kick psych psych keepsake items from like the knife that cut the cake from the grandmother. There's so many other ways that this generation is trying to incorporate history to bring in their family that's no no longer there. I think that's awesome.

Sharon Rumsey  37:38  

I feel kind of strongly about this one. If my clients want a memorial table, then of course, we'll do the memorial table. But if they ask my advice, I just feel like it's my job to get really creative and understand who they want to honor and get to know that person a little bit and come up with some different ways to honor that person had a wedding and the groom's father passed very, very close to the wedding day. And you know, a lot of times those Memorial tables are sad. And I knew to put pictures of this Graham's dad out when he had just passed a few weeks before was going to be way too sad for the groom for his mother for his sisters. But as I learned about this gentleman, he was a huge Chicago Cubs fan. So what I came up with was during the night, I would have the DJ play just some little snippets of Harry carry the announcer for the cubs. And he you know, Harry Kerry came out with Are you ready to rumble he came out with cub fans, let me hear ya, that kind of stuff. So as they're dancing is that stuff's going on, we would just play a little snippet of that in between songs. And it really, really, it brought a smile. It wasn't a sad memory, but we still honored him and included him. So I think there's a lot of ways that you can get creative, especially if you're working with a planner, let your planner get to know that person and include them in some ways that are happy. Because a lot of times when moral tables are really sad

Michael Gaddie  39:11  

when you want the deceased or the person that's passed away included in some way and by doing it the way that we've lifted it's not a sad thing, right they're there and you know in spirit Yeah. And that's just a good way to do we

Sharon Rumsey  39:25  

have a wedding coming up together in September Mike and I and I'm a nervous wreck about this honestly the cake topper. Is is a is a I can't even a porcelain figure. And it it has been passed down from the great grandma and it's been at every wedding in this family for going on the third generation now that has specialist that's

Michael Gaddie  39:51  

very special and it's not actually going on the Cape No. And a glass dome right on the cake table. And it's their original From

Sharon Rumsey  40:00  

Yeah,

Michael Gaddie  40:02  

way back,

Sharon Rumsey  40:03  

and I've asked them to get

Michael Gaddie  40:05  

excited about that, I want to say that's

Sharon Rumsey  40:06  

because you don't have to set it. I've actually asked them to bring it wrapped in bubble wrap, I'm not lying, because I am so afraid of letting something happened. I mean, it's an irreplaceable item. Absolutely, but nothing that's smart. And to be able to incorporate those things, it just,

Kristina Stubblefield  40:23  

we're back to the importance of doing what you want to do what's important in containing their wedding

Sharon Rumsey  40:31  

out of that box, and making it your wedding.

Michael Gaddie  40:35  

or talking about taking it out of the box. A couple of things to that's really unique, that's that we were even doing this in a couple of months, is having your wedding in the round. Now what's exciting, you know, that's not at your church. The wedding that we're actually doing, it could, it's in a ballroom, but we're actually having the ceremony in the center of the floor, and all the chairs are in a circular form around the couple. Now, you can do that in a garden also. But this is a new thing. And actually, I'm looking forward to that, because it's something different than we have. And

Sharon Rumsey  41:08  

you know what I did, I came up with this great idea. And I'm like, I can't wait to do this, I presented it to my couple and I said, I'm so excited for this, and you know, it's gonna be so beautiful. And then I asked Mike to help me set the chairs because I don't know how.

Michael Gaddie  41:22  

Nothing wrong with that, but we're still going to have an hour.

Sharon Rumsey  41:25  

You see what I want, in my mind, I just have to make it happen, but it's gonna be beautiful, it

Michael Gaddie  41:29  

will be briefed,

Sharon Rumsey  41:30  

and Mike talked about, you know, we're gonna have the couple in the center. And we're gonna just do a ton of candlelight, and greenery. And everyone is in a circle around them with just an opening for the aisle. Yeah, very intimate. And that's very trendy right now. So

Michael Gaddie  41:45  

another thing that's trendy talking about dance floors and areas is clouds. And when I say clouds, I have a DJ that I work close to. And he did. He says he does this at least two or three times a month. But as the wedding is, as they're doing their first dance, they'll have all this smoke. I don't know if that's the word you use, most call, roll on the dance.

Kristina Stubblefield  42:13  

Some venues are not going to like it.

Michael Gaddie  42:16  

Or going off my board is the word I'm looking for. But how romantic is that? You know, they caught they're saying it's called the cloud dance.

Sharon Rumsey  42:25  

And once again, putting your money where your photos are. Yeah, that's gonna really add to that first dance photo.

Kristina Stubblefield  42:31  

Absolutely.

Michael Gaddie  42:32  

Wedding themes are real popular. So and we have actually have a gal that we work with that that works with themed weddings. And when I say themed weddings, I mean from Batman and Wonder Woman to

Kristina Stubblefield  42:45  

superheroes superhero gaming, disney princess.

Michael Gaddie  42:50  

So they take the theme and run with it. You're seeing more themed weddings now than you ever have.

Kristina Stubblefield  42:56  

There's so many different things. And I think it goes back to what you're all saying about out of the box. People are really letting their personalities and what's important to them shine. Yes, they're keeping a few of those traditions, but they're not afraid. And Sharon, maybe it does go more towards confidence or being confident in who they are. And you're there to support them and what they want that day. That's what's going to apples

Sharon Rumsey  43:22  

today are not going to be told what they have to do.

Michael Gaddie  43:26  

You're exactly right.

Sharon Rumsey  43:27  

They're not. And I'm and I'm glad it's it's time.

Kristina Stubblefield  43:31  

Absolutely. Okay, my I know we're getting ready to wrap this up. But I know you've got a couple other

Michael Gaddie  43:37  

one more thing. Let's Let's Well, two more things. Having a first look with your grandparents. To we have a one special one on one moment with them. That's that's special, you know, for them

Kristina Stubblefield  43:53  

to be able to be there with you right that day. There's a lot of years of knowledge and expertise that they can share past and we'll talk

Sharon Rumsey  44:03  

about, you know, we were just talking about a way to honor someone. How special does that make your grandparent feel? To have I mean, I I have a granddaughter it's actually her birthday, so shout out to Bri Happy birthday. But man, if she asked me to do that on her wedding day,

Kristina Stubblefield  44:21  

I would be a mess there

Transcribed by https://otter.ai