Making Your Wedding Uniquely "YOU"

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Your wedding will be like no other.

Your wedding should reflect who you are as individuals and as a couple. The details you select make a statement that should let your guests know "This is us!" Atlanta Wedding Extravaganza gathered a host of expert Atlanta wedding vendors in a variety of categories to help brides and grooms understand wedding styles and learn how to identify their own.

What are the different styles of weddings?

Many brides and grooms at the start of their planning journey don't even know what styles are typical for weddings, or how to express their style to potential wedding vendors. Here's a quick overview of the most popular wedding styles currently:

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Romantic: Think soft color palette, elegant lines of linens and tables, lots of florals, and candlelight.

Alternative: Create some drama with a bold or moody color palette. Florals may be minimal and the wedding party may choose non-traditional dress in unique colors.

Vintage: Bring on the unique antiques! Wedding attire will set the tone most vividly, and mismatched vintage tableware, seating, and décor touches can carry the style through the weekend.

Whimsical: Bright colors and Bohemian elements define a whimsical wedding style that might feel more like a festival than a formal wedding. Food trucks, optional footwear, and comfy seating groups add to the vibe.

Modern: Sophisticated spaces, with clean lines, geometric patterns, dramatic lighting, and minimalist décor make a modern statement. Wedding gowns tone down the bling in favor of richer fabrics and sleek silhouettes that stand on their own.

Rustic: Rural settings are the ideal spot for rustic weddings. Guests may use wine barrels as cocktail tables, mason jars for cocktails, and décor relies on indigenous blooms and greenery. Think organic, from food to fabrics for wedding party attire.

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If you like more than one of these styles, borrow from each to create your own unique aesthetic. As one planner notes, your wedding style should reflect your journey as a couple. Don't settle for anything less!

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What should couples do first to determine the style of wedding that is right for them?

First, put together your budget to determine how much you want to spend. Then, think about your guest list. The number of guests you plan to host helps decide what your venue will be. Some couples opt to keep their guest list smaller so they can spend lavishly on each guest. Others want everyone who has touched their lives in some way to be in attendance, so your venue will need to accommodate that number.

Once you've fallen in love with a space, you're halfway there! If it's industrial modern venue, or a rustic farmhouse, or a dreamy castle, your venue sets the foundation for your event style. From there, you can start to add in elements that complement the space and have meaning to you as couple.

Do you want to recreate the atmosphere of a favorite vacation spot? Do you want the flowers to mimic the first bouquet your partner brought you? Is there a hobby you share? A movie you've seen dozens of times together? Consider how your love story can plan out over your wedding weekend and let that guide your choices.

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How do you give your guests a hint of what's to come?

Invitations are the first signal to guests of what your wedding experience will be! If you’re going formal, casual, or even heading off to a tropical destination to get hitched it should reflect the weekend’s vibe, Your invitation, from papers to colors to fonts, sets the tone for the entire weekend. The full invitation suite can be customized in so many ways!

While the main wedding invitation can be formal, the welcome party or bridesmaid gathering invitation can carry a different tone or color palette while still staying complementary. Experiment with wording that feels like you. Express yourself without being bound by the conventions of other invitations you've seen before. And remember that some guests like to make a gift out of the invitation as a keepsake, so you'll want it to be something you'll love to look at for years to come!

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How can photography reflect your wedding style? 

You and your partner should book an engagement session with your photographer of choice so that you build a relationship and he or she understands what helps you feel comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera. If your favorite pics of you as a couple are candids, share that with your wedding photographer. If you want to recreate a favorite wedding photo of a relative's that you've always admired, share that, too! Do you love black and white photography, journalistic style, or dramatic, formal portraiture you could hang above the fireplace? Make your preferences clear so that your style shines through. If you have special guests coming, like a beloved aunt, college roommate, or elders, provide a VIP list to the photographer so that all the faces you'll want to see in your album will be there. A great wedding photographer can capture not just pretty pictures of the happy couple, but also the energy and style of the ceremony and reception. They'll take pictures of all the little details you may not have a chance to look at or remember with all that is going on. You'll be transported to that space and that moment when you view your wedding photographs.

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How does your entertainment partner help you infuse the wedding reception with your style?

Your entertainment partner should have good chemistry with you and be able to understand clearly what you like in terms of dance music. They will be able to match the right music to you and your guests to keep the dance floor filled for your entire party. You may consider instrumentalists for certain aspects of the weekend, like for the cocktail hour or first dance. Then your reception can rise to a higher level of energy once your live band or DJ takes over the music. This is the soundtrack of your relationship - whether it includes a mix of today's pop, college fight songs, classic oldies, or anything that makes you want to dance, your entertainer can bring it all together in a cohesive flow. They can also read the room and make changes if they see guests are responding well - or not responding at all - to some song choices. And most of all, they'll make sure that you get to hear the songs that have meaning for the two of you.

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How do favors showcase your style?

Photo mementos still reign supreme as the most popular wedding favor. Couples often choose a photo booth or green screen with themed props and backdrops to carry their style into impromptu pictures of the celebration. Guests love getting to pose in the groupings they want for photos that they can take home as wonderful memories. You can do giant photo strips, buttons, magnets, 4 x 6 prints, snow globes… whatever your style, you can have a novelty to match! Photo partners can also create a memory photo book from the evening’s images so the wedding couple gets a copy of each image taken throughout the night. From formal to silly, there's a favor that'll reflect your unique style and love story.

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‍Moving beyond the wedding weekend, how should couples approach honeymoon planning and find agreement on where to go/what to do?

Work with a travel planner to help you determine what you want to do and what the trip should involve. Do you want to lay on a beach or have a great adventure? Are you interested in exploring a city and go-go-go, or do you just want relaxing time together in a beautiful resort? You may not have the same style when it comes to travel, so you can also develop a hybrid schedule that involves both active time and downtime for both partners to feel like they're getting out of the trip what they most want. Also consider how much time you can take off from work or other responsibilities. If you only have a few days, you won’t want to have lengthy travel times and that can limit your destination choices.

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When it comes to selecting your wedding style and creating your ideal wedding vision, there are no rules! Follow your heart, trust your instincts, and let your wedding vendor partners help you bring your love story to life.