Fall Wedding Trends (We Can’t Resist)

Maddie's version

I recently had a post called “Fall Wedding Trends We Can’t Resist” come across my editorial desk. I got super excited, thinking Maddie had gone rogue and decided to write a random style post in the middle of the night (it happens). I clicked on it, and realized it was yet another PR pitch. Since I had gotten so revved up, I decided to give it a whirl. And this is what I got:

Whether you choose a touch of lace at the neckline or long lace sleeves, you can’t go wrong with lace this fall.

Cue the sad trombone. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love-love lace. But I’m pretty sure lace wasn’t a new wedding trend in 1814, let alone 2014.

Five years ago I was pissed with the wedding industry for being manipulative (it still is, but at least there are more options). These days, I’m mostly just annoyed with it for being boring. Because with all the badass boundary pushing going on in weddings (Funfetti wedding cake and bridal jumpsuit anyone? Formal potluck weddings?), the best the mainstream wedding industry seems to be able to come up with are new places to put lace and the suggestion that you have “unique favors,” as if you even need favors in the first place. While I clearly don’t think anyone needs to involve a single damn trend in their wedding, I deeply enjoy a little bridal boundary pushing. Because to hell with you, wedding industry, for constantly suggesting that a nice bride limits her style expression to the subtle rearrangement of white lace.

So. I clearly did what any reasonable editor would do, and asked Maddie to come up with her own version of the story. After she rounded up her own pics, she decided to poll me on what trends I was loving, and then pull it all together into a roundup. It’s mostly stuff that you put on your body, which I’ll just defer to this post to explain. You’ll notice lace didn’t make the cut. But bridal crop tops did, because I’m pretty sure nobody was rocking those in 1814.

Maddie’s Picks

1. wedding Capes: Capes are possibly the most extravagant wedding accessory you could have. It’s why super heroes wear them and why I love them. See APW ladies rockin’ capes here and here and here. (Photo by Lucy Spartalis via APW.)

2. Non-Floral Crowns: It’s like a floral crown, but shinier. (Not to be confused with hair jewelry, though I’m kind of into that too.) If you want an alternative to the more expensive “bridal” headpieces, NastyGal has some hot headpieces for under $50. In fact, this one is $35(Photo via NastyGal.)

3. High Necklines: Apologies in advance to my fellow big-boobed ladies. Normally I hate high necklines (see: big boobs), but this season’s dresses manage to be sexy and covered up at the same time. I’m into it. (Mock turtleneck wedding dress from the White Magick collection by Lover. Apologies, this is one of those annoying dress listings with no price. But it is super hot, so exception made.)

4. BOUQUETS that touch the floor: If we’re all going to have to suffer through a sometimes ill-advised ’90s comeback, we might as well embrace the best part of ’90s weddings: the OVER-oversized cascading bouquet. This Martha Stewart video on cascading bouquets is the most mesmerizing thing I’ve seen all month. (Bouquet by Florian Flowers in East Sussex. Photo by Sacco & Sacco via Love My Dress.)

5. Burgundy lips: I’m pretty sure my mom wore this color every day from 1992–1999, but whatever. I’m into it now. (Also, it looks good on everyone.) In case you feel like falling down a Pinterest makeup black hole, Google has informed me that the technical term for these dark, wine-stained lips is “vampy” lips. For a list of worthwhile burgundy lipsticks, check out Lucky Mag, or for the DIY version, the Beauty Department has you covered. (Photo by George Pimentel via Getty Images.)

Meg’s Picks

1. Peekaboo Bridal Crop Tops: Sexy, but not… Pnina Tornai sexy. APW’s got tips for shopping for bridal crop tops. Or you can get the one featured here by Karla Spetic. (Photo by Anna Kidman via The Lane.) 

2. Big Ponytails: Know what’s fancier than a ponytail? A big-ass ponytail. Get the tutorial for a ponytail like this one right here. (Photo via The Beauty Department Instagram.)

3. Asymmetrical Floral Crowns: The asymmetry keeps it from looking overly sweet (or overly huge. You want to be able to lift your head). If you’re feeling crafty (or just want to save some cash), you can always make your own. (Floral crown by Emily Martinez, San Clemente. Photo by APW sponsor Marble Rye from this killer APW wedding.)

4. Dark Bouquets: Take our wild flower mart bouquet tutorial and mix in some black flowers and you get a dark bouquet that looks like it lives in 2015. (Bouquet by Art With Nature in Southern California. Photo by Michael Radford Photography via Grey Likes Weddings.)

5. Non-Rebellious Non-White Wedding Dresses: For a long time, most of the colorful wedding dresses you’d see were sending the message “TO HELL WITH IT, I’M DOING IT DIFFERENTLY.” And don’t get us wrong: we like that in a girl. But we’re starting to see colorful wedding dresses being worn like it ain’t no thing, and we love that even more. It signals a sea change on the way. (Sophia’s dress, pictured above, was vintage. But this and this have a similar vibe.)

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