One of the great things about following the wedding industry for a living is that we get to see all of it—the good, the great, and the “Oh! Isn’t that…interesting?”  Over the course of the year, we see lots of beautiful styles, ideas and trends from both vendors and real brides alike. And while we never want to rain on anyone’s wedding-day parade, there were also a few things that made us go “meh” in 2012.

 

Best: We love that Pinterest has become a bride’s go-to for inspiration! Scrolling through big, beautiful images of flowers, gowns, hairstyles, invites and more are extremely helpful when planning a wedding. It’s also become a great tool in the planning itself, as we’ve seen many a bride use it to help show a wedding planner her vision or give some pointers to bridesmaids who don’t know the difference between blush and bashful.

 

Worst: The “mason jar” look that pervades Pinterest and has brides of every stripe working overtime to create a certain look that isn’t authentic to who they are.  Don’t get us wrong—we LOVE mason jars…we just hope that brides who incorporate them are doing so because they love it too, and not because they are trying to live up to someone else’s ideal.

 

Best: Weddings in unique or special locations, such as the bride’s parent’s backyard or a school football stadium (Roll Tide!) We absolutely go gaga every time we hear the story of how a couple chose a location that is a special part of their story or family history.

 

Worst: A venue that was chosen simply for its look. We’ve got nothing against barns, for instance, but it seems that many brides who’ve never stepped foot in a barn, or on a ranch, are suddenly having rustic weddings just because they saw it on a blog and thought it looked pretty.

 

Best: Wedding day #hashtags! It’s great fun to be able to view all the photos from a wedding on Twitter together, and really helps the couple connect to how people are enjoying their wedding! Social connection also helps those who weren’t able to travel to the wedding, but want to see all the highlights.

 

Worst: An unfortunate side effect of social media is forgetting to be in the moment! We’ve seen too many couples, family members and friends miss out on truly wonderful moments of togetherness because they were crafting a clever tweet or taking just one more Instagram.

 

 

Best: Personal touches. We see so many fun, interesting ideas from our readers! From bouquets made of fabric, brooches or wood to superhero-themed receptions, there is truly no limit to creativity at weddings, which is one of the best parts of watching people plan their big day! We’re also smitten with personalized cake toppers, banners, photo booths and table décor. The closer it is to the couple’s heart, the better.

 

Worst:  Cake toppers where the bride is dragging the groom by the collar. Ring bearer and flower girls carrying a sign that reads “This is Your Last Chance to Run.”  We want to see a couple’s sense of humor, always—but the idea that marriage is something to escape from isn’t the kind of humor we’re hoping for.

 

Photo Credit: Courtney Bowlden Photography