April 30, 2010 | British Columbia

Brides channel wedding inspiration from eras of the past

Vancouver, BC - April 30, 2010 - Pick up any bridal magazine off the shelf these days and visions of flowing dresses, hair and unstructured décor take center stage. Envision a modern day Buttercup (the Princess Bride) with a pearl hair piece pinned to her long, wavy locks - a romantic look that is nowhere near fussy. Brides today are veering away from tradition and turning to favourite eras when putting the finishing touches on their weddings. 

With the popular TV show "Madmen" came a new found appreciation for hair accessories, glamorous red lips and dress shapes that enhanced a womanly silhouette. Other popular wedding inspirations include revisiting the free flowing characteristics of Woodstock, or more recently, Coachella. 

Some of the more popular emerging wedding trends that were showcased on recent bridal runways or in current magazines include:

• Dresses: Romantic, flowing dresses in floor-length or tea-length styles. Fabrics such as chiffon, tulle and lace are being used with greater prevalence and after many years as a bride favourite, the strapless gown, although still popular, is being overlooked in favour of off-the-shoulder gowns and cap sleeves.


• Hair: Unstructured hair styles, either long and wavy or loosely tied back have taken centre stage at weddings. The extravagant use of aerosol hairspray to cement a head full of ringlets has almost seen its day. And for that, the environment is thankful!


• Colour: New colour combinations are making an appearance in bridal parties today. In the past couple of years, the use of pink or blue with brown was a popular choice. Now, there's a greater emergence of corals, turquoise and fuchsia, often paired with platinum or dove grey.


• Flowers: Hand-tied wedding bouquets tied in wide satin ribbons are a popular choice at today's weddings. Brides are also choosing to add a glamorous touch and clipping a brooch, jewel pin, or a string of pearls to the wrapped stems.

At the end of the day though, trendy or not, it's the childhood dreams of the bride that usually win out in the end when it comes to wedding plans.

CDI College's Event Coordinator and Management program will train you to plan events from weddings to corporate retreats! Fill out the form to your right for more information!