Category Archives: Attire & Accessories

Hot and Fiery: PANTONE’s 2012 Wedding Colors Burn Brightly

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Recently, it was announced to huge applause that the PANTONE color of the year was Tangerine Tango, a fiery, vivid shade of orange that energizes with passion and drama.

Image courtesy of Pantone

Brides everywhere are going crazy for every incarnation of orange, from foodie persimmon to softer ranges of tangerine as coordinating blooms and fashion accenting. They’re outfitting their bridesmaids in this shade, and adding fiery Tangerine Tango flair to their florals, linens and invitation designs. And they’re not being subtle about it. Fiery oranges are not minimal accents to invitations or dresses…they’re the primary color. The trend this year, then, is unabashed vibrancy and heat.

This spicy shade isn’t the only one in PANTONE’s fire-inspired palette this season. Also in sunny bursts are Cabaret, a deep red that pops with a deep pink undertone, and the well-named vibrant yellow named Solar Power. Grouped together, this trio would comprise a hot and spicy bouquet or centerpiece florals, especially if paired with tangerine linens to wow guests with color. The partnership of these three shades would produce the colors of a sunset over the desert, or the golden reds and oranges of autumn leaves in full color change, aflame with the best beauty of its year.

Chart courtesy of Pantone

In our Trend Talk discussions, fascinatingly, our respondents didn’t choose Tangerine Tango as the #1 Be-All-End-All color for weddings this year when asked for a favorite shade. That honor went to the red/rust/deep pink shade of Cabaret, which beat ‘TT’ by a little more than 13% — so it was close. Why the preference? Perhaps it’s the deeper rust edge of the Cabaret that makes it seem more workable…you could pull off wearing a Cabaret-shade lipstick far easier than a fire-bright orange, perhaps. Our Trend Talk crowd looks at how colors will work with one another and with available flowers, linen trends and more…so they found Cabaret to sneak past the showy Tangerine Tango. 

Still, no matter which shade wins the top prize, the expert team at PANTONE and our experts and respondents went fiery with their winning picks, showing that this is going to be one hot year for spicy shades in weddings. Vibrant colors, after all, equal the very qualities that many wedding couples desire for their big day: exciting, passionate, dramatic, sexy, high-energy, hot. There’s also a cultural elements to the fiery oranges, rust reds and yellows of the top color lists, calling to many different heritages’ embraced shades.

Speaking of celebrations, keep in mind that fiery reds, oranges, persimmons, tangerines, yellows and golds topping the trends list aren’t just for your wedding reception itself. You might choose this spicy palette for your rehearsal dinner, or your bridesmaids might make your color wish come true by going fiery for your bridal shower plans. You can add some fiery shades to any element of your wedding season, from start to finish.

Tell us…how would you use fiery shades in your wedding plans?

Photo courtesy of Monday Morning Flowers

Would you buy a used item for your wedding?

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Photo courtesy of KellyMJewels.com

When I first thought about this question, visions of browsing through consignment shops popped into my head. There, I could find all the coats and jeans and  handbags I could ever want, but I never thought of the housewares section. That’s where the real gems are, as far as wedding decor items are concerned.

Our recent survey shows that 90.5% of brides and grooms would buy something for their wedding that’s secondhand. Most said they’d wear secondhand jewelry, and I can attest that the consignment shop has a tremendous amount of pretty bracelets and necklaces for under $20 apiece. Veils, too, can be found in consignment shops, and they’re also bought from friends who were recent brides. It’s a great way for Bride #1 to recoup some of her bridal expenses, and Bride #2 gets a budget-friendly ‘Something New-To-Her’ that no one in their circle of friends and other wedding guests would remember on Bride #1.

But let’s get back to the other realm: decor. In the survey, most of the write-in answers centered on decor as the respondents’ choice of their ideal second-hand buy. If the item is in good condition, it’s a Yes. We’re talking platters, domed plates, teacups and teapots, and many of the wedding coordinators I talked to for this story say they hit the flea markets and the consignment shops, Goodwill and the Salvation Army to find chargers and sets of china, plates, vases and other items that celebrity wedding coordinators use in their magazine showcases…but those items cost 99 cents apiece.

Since most brides and grooms are on a budget, they’re losing the ick reaction about using secondhand items and considering it smart to go on a hunting expedition, or cue their coordinators to go on their behalf, to round up pretty decor items that can shine as-is, perhaps in vintage or rustic style…or that can be dressed up with a coat of shimmery paint or embossed glass effects, then grouped to dazzling effect.

Of the survey-takers who would buy used items, 98.5% said they’d do it to save money, and another sector — 35.8% said that using second-hand items works within their values of eco-conscious planning. These used items are being repurposed, recycled. They’re getting new life at the wedding. And then there’s the circle of wedding couples who love the idea of showing off unique, one-of-a-kind, or discontinued items that none of their friends are going to have at their wedding. A tremendous amount of brides would likely say they fit into all three categories.

And then, when their wedding is done, perhaps they’ll sell their weddingwares to the next lucky bride and groom who also want to save money, be unique and creative, and repurpose items. That domed platter gets to go to two weddings.

Which kinds of items would you buy used for your wedding? A veil and headpiece? A wedding dress? Jewelry? Or are you among those who would stick to decor items? Share with us your secondhand wishlist…