Hi Friends!

I’m McKinzie Loutre, the Events Coordinator here at The Center for Rural Development. In our second Wednesday Wedding Wisdom of 2018, I’m going to look at how you determine your wedding style. What is your vision, or wedding style? Your wedding style will set the tone and define all other elements in your wedding.

Photo left: McKinzie on her wedding day, at The Center for Rural Development.

What’s Your Wedding Style and Why is it Important?

One of the first steps I urge future brides to take when beginning wedding planning is to determine their vision, or wedding style. In other words, I encourage them to think about the wedding’s look and feel. Often the style is communicated with words like, elegant, vintage, rustic, or whimsical; all of which create a certain aesthetic. Though it may seem like a miniscule detail, knowing how you envision your wedding is incredibly important. Your wedding style will define all other elements of your wedding, including your venue, décor, type of reception, food, dress, and so on and so forth.

So how do you go about determining your wedding style? Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Where do you envision your wedding taking place?

Will your wedding take place indoors at a church or event venue, or will it be outdoors in a barn, or even on the beach?

2. What kind of atmosphere do you want your wedding to have?

Do you imagine a casual-family barbecue, an elegant soirée, or a formal sit-down dinner?

3. What is your own style like?

Think about the clothes, accessories, and home décor you and your fiancé are draw to.

4. Is there anything in particular that defines your relationship?

Perhaps you both enjoy traveling, have a shared career, or a favorite hobby. You can easily incorporate those elements into your wedding style.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you can begin piecing together the details of your unique style. It can be one common style, or a combination of styles. The more specific you are, the easier it is for you and your designers along the way. I can speak from experience by saying that having a specific wedding style in mind, helped myself and my designer considerably throughout the planning process. I knew I wanted a chic, effortless, French-inspired occasion to reflect my husband’s culture and yet could still tie in traditional details. The venue, my dress, florals, and table décor were all represented by this common aesthetic and it was everything I could have ever dreamed of and more!

So I’ll leave you with this final piece of advice. Don’t do something just because it is a popular trend. Be you, not someone else. You want to look back in ten or twenty years and know that your wedding was the best representation of you and your fiancé and the relationship you have together!

You are invited to attend our bridal show “From This Moment”, on January 19, 2019, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Brides will have exclusive access to a wide variety of vendors and services for your big day! Brides are free; guest admission is $6 (price includes sales tax). Check out our event page for more details and follow us on facebook.com/centercrd for vendor announcements and emerging details.