By Lauren Bishop
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The December holiday season is one of the most popular times for couples to get engaged, so it follows that January finds soon-to-be brides - and grooms - planning in earnest.
Merchants know it too: There are bridal shows just about every weekend, teeming with vendors eager to shower couples with brochures and fliers about what they should wear, dine on and decorate with - and where they should go when it's all over.
If you missed the first big Greater Cincinnati bridal show this month, don't get your garter in a bunch: We've scouted out some of the latest trends, and compiled a list of upcoming shows, so you can get your share of free wedding cake samples and discount coupons.
Wedding dresses run the gamut from the simple to the princess style with big ball-gown skirts, says Tina Minshall, manager of Bridal & Formal Inc. in Reading. The strapless look on on any dress style is both stylish and comfortable, she says.
One popular cut is the trumpet or mermaid skirt, which is straight above the knee and flared at the bottom. The style was popular in the 1940s and 1980s and is popular again today, says Michelle Bales, a bridal consultant at Charmain's Bridal at Trader's World in Monroe.
Hints of color - red, pink, silver or gold trim, sashes or embroidery - are hot. Off-white and champagne gowns are also finding fans, Bales says.
"It's just not as stark as the stark white," she says.
Other trendy looks include dresses with corset-style backs and lace.
Tiffany Williams, 31, of Fairfield says she's going for the princess-style dress, complete with tiara, for her Aug. 7 wedding. Another bride, 25-year-old Lisa Donathan of Colerain Township, will wear a strapless silk designer dress she bought on eBay for her May 8 wedding.
"I really wanted to concentrate on classic elegance," she says.
Not just white anymore
Bridesmaids' dresses are better-looking than ever and may no longer be destined for the back of the closet after the big day is over. Bright red was the big color at Wendy's Bridal Show, and many models paraded down the runway in black, too.
That's the color that Jean Cunningham's bridesmaids will be wearing in her May
2005 wedding. The 25-year-old, who is now studying for the bar exam at the
University of Cincinnati, says she's leaning toward cocktail dresses that her
bridesmaids can wear on other occasions. After being a bridesmaid six times
in the last 2 1/2 years, Cunningham wishes she could do the same.
| WHAT TO WEAR |
| Invited to a wedding but haven't
a clue what to wear? Here are some guidelines:
Use common sense. Consider
the season, location and the time of the wedding when deciding what
to wear - don't wear black sequins to a morning wedding at the beach,
for example. Follow any dress instructions on the wedding invitation,
and if you're still not sure what to do, ask someone in the wedding
party.
Women have many more options
than men. For daytime weddings, wear a dress, skirt or a suit with
either a skirt or pants. Something colorful or floral is OK.
For evening or cocktail weddings,
get a little more sophisticated. Wear something you'd don for a fancy
dinner out, but not formal gown.
Black tie optional means you
can choose between a cocktail dress and formalwear. When in doubt,
ask around.
Here's a news flash for female
wedding guests: wearing black or white is no longer a no-no. But
be careful: Don't go head to toe in either, and don't wear anything
that would compete with the bride's wedding gown.
In general, men can rarely
go wrong with a dark suit or blue blazer and shirt and tie. A lighter
suit is acceptable for a warm-weather or outdoor ceremony. Black
tie optional means a dark suit or tux; black tie means a tux, period.
Source: Enquirer research |
"I've just got a rainbow assortment of dresses that I'll never wear again," she
says.
Other colors are more subtle, such as sage green, pale pink and purple. Contrasting trim, such as pink on a black dress, is big. Some hemlines are also rising to just below the knee.
Dyed-to-match shoes are now even easier to come by, as many designers now pre-dye them to match their dresses, Minshall says. But they're no longer de rigeur: think silver, black and colors that match accent colors on wedding gowns.
Brides and bridesmaids aren't the only ones who get to flaunt the latest fashion trends. This year, hip grooms' attire includes square-toed shoes, fullback instead of buckle vests, jackets with three and four buttons and neckties, says Kristina Gray, manager of Skeffington's Formalwear in the Tri-County Mall.
"It's what you see the celebrities wearing," she says.
Classic black and white is making a comeback, but all shades of silver and champagne are increasingly popular, Gray says.
As far as flowers go, roses are perennially popular, says Suzanne Baute, a consultant in the wedding department of the Swan Floral & Gift Shop in Erlanger. And, not surprisingly, "Red is the color everybody wants."
Next most popular are calla lilies, followed by mixed bouquets in multiple colors, Baute says. A pretty alternative: brightly colored gerbera daisies.
Flowers are sprouting on wedding cakes, too - both real and silk. Red is a big color on cakes, too, says Sheryl Eichelberger, owner of Creative Cake Designs in Reading.
Tiffany Williams says she'll have real white roses on her cake, with a tiara on top to match the one she'll be wearing.
"Roses are just the most romantic flower there is," she says.
Pick your own cake
The monogramming trend is invading wedding cakes, too, with many brides and grooms opting to show off their initials in icing, says Eichelberger. But old traditions, like bride-and-groom cake toppers, are coming back too, she says.
And wedding cakes no longer come in just vanilla or chocolate. J. Annette's Cheesecakes in West Chester Township does a booming business in wedding cakes, either entirely cheesecake or part cheesecake, part traditional.
Stacked cakes, both round and square, are also becoming more popular, thanks in part to Martha Stewart, says Peggy Mullenger, co-owner and decorator at J. Annette's.
After the vows are exchanged and the last crumb of cake is eaten, newlyweds are heading off to any number of destinations for their honeymoons.
All-inclusive deals, such as cruises or resorts, are top choices among many couples, say Diana Weneck, a sales representative at Walter Miller Travel in Harrison, and Vicky Mary, owner of Victoria Travel in East Hyde Park.
"That way, they don't have to worry about how much to spend and tip," Mary says.
Some popular destinations for duos: Hawaii, Italy, the Caribbean, Tahiti and the U.S. Virgin Islands. But others are aiming for something different. Jean Cunningham and her fiance decided on a cruise to Alaska.
"We don't want to go to a resort with all honeymooners," she says.
E-mail lbishop@enquirer.com
