What's Hot in 2011 - Dazzling Decor

Taken from Bridal Guide January/February 2011

     The look of the year? Vintage. "I'm so excited that the traditional wedding is coming back," says Tara Guerard, or Soiree in Charleston and New York. "It's whites and champagnes, grays, golds and maybe a pop of lavender - muted colors that are classic and timeless."
     Capture vintage glamour with cut-crystal chandeliers. "Chandeliers are going to be the look," predicts New York City-based Bentley Meeker, the lighting designer behind Chelsea Clinton's wedding.
     The easiest way to get the vintage look? Wallpaper, says California planner Sasha Souza of Sasha Souza Events. Not only is it relatively inexpensive, but you can use a gorgeous vintage print and still get a modern feel.
     The something new is something blue. Tara says, "Navy popped on white is such a tailored look. I just did a wedding in lavender, robin's egg and Carolina blue.
     Table numbers are out, says Melinda Morris of Lion in the Sun, a paperie in Brooklyn, NY. Her brides are asking for table illustrations. Escort cards are printed with guest names and a small image, which guests match to images on the tables inspired by the couple's story. "It's uber personal - this is the story of our day and how we got here," Melinda says.
     Get a stunner of a bar. Tara says, "I like to do something like an old bar from the fifties with glassware stacked behind it. I even like to have stools at the bar."
     This year's wow factor? Bentley's pick is video scenes. "Imagine a big white wall nicely lit up. Then it turns into a beach with rippling water, then a beautiful sunset, then a starry night sky. You can create a whole video and turn the room into whatever you like. And it's gorgeous!"
     Nineteen-fifties and fabulous. "The look is tailored, with a clean line. It's from the fifties - so feminine." Tara says. "I'm excited about it because I'm Southern."
     From the invites to the menus to statement splashes on the dance floor, brides are branding their day with a custom-designed wedding emblem. "One bride chose a lino's head in cobalt blue and gold," says Tara. But does that mean monograms are out? "Monograms will always be in," she says. "But now the  monogram is nestled into a wedding emblem.