5 Trends For Your Contemporary Wedding Ceremony

5 Trends For Your Contemporary Wedding Ceremony
By Annemarie Juhlian, Seattle Wedding Officiant
www.marriedbyannemarie.com

As you are planning your wedding ceremony, kick it up a bit and incorporate unique elements and rituals to celebrate your lifetime moment.

Today’s bride and groom often want their ceremony to be a celebration of their loving relationship and a public opportunity to express their uniqueness as a couple and gratitude to family and friends.  A well-designed ceremony offers a gentle balance between the traditional/sacred and contemporary.

As you consider what’s possible for your wedding ceremony, here are 5 fun and unique trends that I see for couples in 2014

1)     The Officiant/Minister Moves Around - To create a dynamic ceremony where the presentation is directed not only to the couple but to family and friends, your Officiant/Minister moves around the ceremony space.  Not only does this make for a more intimate ceremony but it allows a photographer to get wedding ceremony photos of a couple without having the Officiant/Minister in the way.

2)     Pooch Mania!  More and more couples are including their beloved dogs within their ceremony – whether this is a walk down the aisle, presenting the rings at the ring exchange or being a part of another ceremony moment. 

3)     Unexpected Surprises – In the past couple of years, I have worked with couples to incorporate a special surprise and/or unexpected moment into their ceremony.   One year, I worked with a groom to create a “proposal moment” before his wedding vows as he never formally proposed to his Sweetheart.  Last summer, one of my couples presented hand-crafted and personalized keepsake boxes to their parents with a special note of gratitude.  It’s not about a surprise being “big,” it is about a surprise being appropriate and real.

4)     Guys and Gals on “Both Sides” – One of the most fun trends I see is “guys and gals” on both sides of a wedding party line-up.   For instance, at one recent wedding, a groom had his sister as “Best Person” and she stood up with his guys.  At another wedding, I had guys and gals on both sides as this couple had an amazing variety of friends – both male and female.

5)     Passing Of The Rings – Here is a new twist on a part of the ring ceremony/exchange.  Before a couple exchanges rings, the Officiant/Minister orchestrates the passing of the rings to the wedding party and asks each person to momentarily take the rings and imbue a good wish into the rings. This trend works because it involves the wedding party in the ceremony and invites personal participation.

Annemarie Juhlian is a Seattle-based Non-Denominational Wedding Officiant & Minister.  She works with couples of all faiths and traditions to create contemporary and personalized ceremonies. She lives outside of Seattle on Bainbridge Island with her husband, Greg, and their family of special needs dogs.  When she isn’t working in the wedding world, you can most often find her working in dog rescue and rehabilitation throughout Seattle/Tacoma, WA.  (www.marriedbyannemarie.com)

Meet Annemarie during Weddings in Woodinville 2014 at Willows Lodge-tickets available through Brown Paper Tickets.

Green & Gorgeous at DeLille Cellars

Weddings in Woodinville is excited to introduce DeLille Cellars 2014 theme presented by Event Success, “Green & Gorgeous”.

Jacky Grotle, lead planner at Event Success, will be mixing greens to showcase the perfect garden-vineyard wedding. With elegant touches, this timeless color is a NW favorite. DeLille Cellars is the perfect venue to showcase how mixing greens and natural textures can create a "WOW" effect. 
Look for the hot color of 2014,  orchid/fushia which will be used as an accent color.   

"I am honored to be showcasing at DeLille Cellars again this year and look forward to introducing you to new vendors and a new design."
- Jacky Grotle

Meet Event Success and her vendors at DeLille Cellars on Sunday, January 26th, 2014, during Weddings in Woodinville.  For a full-list of participating vendors and to purchase tickets visit www.weddingsinwoodinville.com. 

Geometric Dreams at Columbia Winery with Simply Wed

Weddings in Woodinville is excited to introduce Columbia Winery’s 2014 theme presented by Simply Wed, “Geometric Dreams”.

“Geometric patterns are hot right now, from the runway to the home, and now in your wedding!  It's a fun and funky way to infuse some versatile personality into your special day.  We've selected the saturated tones of plum, clementine, fuchsia and turquoise, which are softened by the use of mixed metallics and a bright white backdrop to really make it pop!  This is a trend to have fun with - any geometric shapes layered upon one another and repeated create depth and interest.  Invite your guests to your Geometric Dream where you've mixed modern, elegant touches with handmade details to create a look that is totally cool and absolutely you!  

"We can't wait to meet you at Columbia Winery and talk about your amazing wedding dreams!"
-Kirstie Warren 

Meet Simply Wed and her vendors at Columbia Winery, Sunday, January 26th, 2014, during Weddings in Woodinville.  For a full-list of participating vendors and to purchase tickets visit www.weddingsinwoodinville.com. 

Want even more geometric inspiration? Follow Simply Wed on Pinterest at: http://www.pinterest.com/simplywed/geometric-dreams/

Cicada Bridal welcomes Portland designer Claire La Faye

Cicada Bridal welcomes Portland Designer Claire La Faye's beautifully hand crafted bridal line to their shop January 18-26, 2014.

“We love her delicate feminine outlook and whimsical details, and are proud to be the only shop in Seattle offering a chance to view her collection for this limited time. Please let your brides know about this opportunity. We will be offering 10% off all bridal orders placed in January.” - Jennifer Gay\Cicada 

Meet & see Cicada Bridal at DeLille Cellars during Weddings in Woodinville 2014. Tickets available through Brown Paper Tickets.

A bit more about Claire La Faye: Since officially entering into the wedding circuit in 2010, Claire La Faye Bridal gives a more creative and non-traditional approach to modern day brides.

Inspired by a need for the rare and unexpected, Claire La Faye offers a style for women that is wearable, feminine, and most unforgettable. Living and working in Portland, OR, Claire La Faye is currently available online and at select boutiques nation and worldwide. 

Weddings in Woodinville-A wedding show AND wine tour

Weddings in Woodinville is a one-of-a-kind boutique wedding show created as a “wine tasting tour” for engaged couples and their families and friends. Wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres at every stop are included as part of your ticket purchase.

The show is recommended for adults only, however guests under age 21 are welcome to attend with your party. Ticket holders will be asked for ID at registration and will be issued a wristband before embarking on the tour. Underage guests will be issued a different color wristband and every venue will be checking wristbands. Bartenders may also ask for ID at any time so please keep your ID handy while on the tour. We do not offer discounts for underage guests. 

Small children and babies are not recommended for this event. Vehicles providing transportation between venues are not equipped for children as per the Washington State Child Restraint Law. You may provide your own transportation between venues; however, please note guest parking is limited at some of the venues during the show.

Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets.  If you have further questions, you can contact us at info@weddingsinwoodinville.com and we look forward to seeing at the show!