Wedding trends for 2019

So it's 13 days into the new year...how are we finding it?

Although this time of year can be quite dull with respect to the weather and going back to work after our Christmas breaks, I always find it motivating with regards to planning and up-coming trends.

Most of the big wedding bloggers have already got their trend predictions out, and Pantone announced their colour of the year for 2019 last year, so what does this mean for us?

Well you are going to have your wedding your way whether it's on-trend or not, however new inspiration and ideas are always a good thing. Trends for designers are important to constantly keep striving forward, progressing and evolving. I personally love trends and keeping a eye on them. It keeps me current and motivated. For you trend helps give your wedding a splash of difference. It gives it a more un-traditional look which hasn't been seen before. Having unique elements to your day is super important in my eyes, and utilising up-coming trend predictions and incorporating these into your wedding plans can give your wedding that special edge.

One of 2019's big wedding trends is dried flowers.

Now this may at first appear quite strange to some of us, however it's a truly beautiful trend with so many differing end results, which is super exciting!!!

It's not just dried flowers, but dried foliage as well, and this can be kept natural or even spray painted, depending on the look you want to achieve.

I love the fact that nothing is wasted when using dried, plus additional texture is given to floral elements, which is NEVER a bad thing! It is a trend which would also work through most seasons too; late summer, autumn or winter. I think it has a real whimsical and romantic feel and can add a delicate feel to a more industrial style venue. Even just adding some dried grasses can add an element of texture to just lift and give further dimension to a floral design.

So you can tell I like dried flowers!!! I was itching to try these in a floral design as I kept seeing them on IG florists posts in Australia and America, so I was thrilled when I got around to organising a styled shoot at Haarlem Mill in Wirksworth Derbyshire with a fabulous bunch of wedding suppliers:

Creative direction, styling and Floral design by me (Unique Your Wedding)

Photography by Magda K Photography

Cakes by The Confetti Cakery

Dresses by Sixpenny Bride, Katie Dell Bridal Design, and Haarlem Bridal

Hair accessories by Sixpenny Bride

Hair stylist Alison Jenner

Make-up Ellen Fowler Artistry

Silk ribbons by Bertie and Fred

Dried flowers by Sandra the Flower Lady.

Model dancer Katie Evans

The idea for this shoot was inspired by a Pantone interior colour palette for this year called Classico. White, tan, grey, black, teal, gold, apricot and burgundy red, all create this warming yet natural look. This classic natural look has a real depth to it due to some of the stronger tones and it's this which made me think about strength, which lead me to dance. I had also seen many inspirational photos of ballet dancers and their movement. The art of ballet is powerful, feminine and beautifully romantic. This love of ballet stems from my own childhood and memories of me ballet dancing, and although I gave up aged 17, I have so much respect and admiration for ballerinas. So all these ideas were in the background, and then I met Sandra who grows her own flowers locally and also dries them. I met with her in autumn last year and was totally mesmerized by all her dried flowers and foliage, and I just knew I had to incorporate these into the shoot! The colours tied in with the colour palette, but also the delicate nature of the dried plant materials linked so well with ballet. So the overall feel for this shoot conjures up desire, feminine strength, and a romantic motion. These photos were part of a larger shoot with differing elements to it, with colours gradually getting deeper and brighter in tone, but all sitting under the title 'Desire'.

Katie Dell bridal designer has the most exquisite eye for detail and this cape of hers with pearls is such a beautiful way of adding a touch of modern as well as warmth to a simple wedding dress style.

I wanted to create a real explosion of texture with this hanging install and insure it fitted in perfectly with its surroundings. I absolutely love brickwork and these dried flower tones sat wonderfully together. Some light relief was added with the muted green dried out palm leaves and eucalyptus, and then to balance all the texture, I added a few real smooth and shiny anthuriums which I love! Oh and I added a few pampas grass heads too which I'm a bit obsessed with!!! It was all created on a natural stick found locally on a dog walk, and fixed up with beautifully hand dyed silk ribbons from Bertie and Fred.

Katie Dell also created this amazing feathered full skirt which is breathtakingly beautiful. Modern, dramatic and full of texture. This worked perfectly with a simple halter style top also from her new collection.

Haarlem Mill is a stunning venue and they offer the most wonderful wooden trestle tables and modern chairs which is so refreshing in comparison to most wedding venues. These can be styled up with fabric runners and table linens if you wish, but I think they are beautiful just as they are, and being set out in trestle formation is contemporary and in keeping with the industrial nature of the building and size of the room. And aren't those original windows just gorgeous?! There is so much character in this building dating back to 1780 and built as a cotton mill by Richard Arkwright.

Haarlem Mill has the capacity for 150 people and its set over 2 floors for ceremonies and banqueting. There is also a beautiful bridal suite for the bridal party to prepare on the day, a terrace overlooking rolling fields, and bar areas with lovely quirky furniture. It's a definite must see for newly engaged couples wanting a modern and unique wedding venue.

Sixpenny Bride provided all the headpieces for the shoot and I was blown away with the beauty of them. These head bands and crowns are incredibly detailed and are vintage. Jacky at Sixpenny restores these unique finds and the results are outstanding. Delicate, feminine, unique are all words to describe these hair accessories, and I would definitely recommend you looking at her latest pieces on Sixpenny Bride's Etsy shop.

Sophie from The Confetti Cakery provided this three-some of sweet delights. A trio of semi naked cakes in 3 differing textures and colour tones, with a mixture of real and dried flowers and foliage works a treat! I just love the relaxed effect that's achieved when staggering wedding cakes instead of the traditional stack. It creates a real show piece in an un-traditional way.

Sophie takes immense pride in what she does and her wedding cake style would best be described as contemporary, creative, and bold, taking inspiration from weddings, fashion, art and nature to design beautiful and original wedding cakes. If you want a cake designer who listens to what you want, creates beautiful looking and delicious cakes, then The Confetti Cakery is the supplier for you!

This image has just been included in Rock My Wedding's recent blog - How to get Married in 2019 RMWS trend predictions for the year ahead. It's a really inspirational blog to start the year with so I'd recommend taking a look!

Magda is a super talented photographer who loves to tell stories, in raw and honest emotions. Her work is fun, editorial and natural with an eye for fine art. It's these wonderful qualities which draw me to working with Magda. She has a real passion for life too and her unobstructed style means you hardly notice her whilst she manages to take all these amazing quirky shots, which means you can just relax and be yourselves.

Simplistic dried flower and foliage table centrepieces worked really well here. The mixed textures sat wonderfully in the modern lantern's on the dark wood tables. Did you know you can hire pieces such as vases and candles from me? Items like these are what makes your day feel even more unique, and I can style these in with your floral design on the day when setting up.

This stunning natural hair style was created by Alison Jenner. Alison is recognisable and highly respected throughout the wedding industry. She creates with ease exquisite, elegant and flawless hair. The attention to detail she gives is amazing and no matter what style of hair you are wanting for your big day, Alison will put in the same amount of passion and consideration. This relaxed curled down style worked perfectly with the feathered headband from Sixpenny Bride.

Ellen Fowler Artistry created the make up for Model Katie Evans. Ellen has a real passion for make-up and can really deliver the exact look you are after. We wanted a bit more than just natural, so Ellen went more dark golds and tans with eye make-up and lips which looked beautiful.

Astra at Haarlem bridal designs and produces her pieces in house at Haarlem Mill. She is the owner and director of Timeless Couture, however she saw a need in the market for a more flexible couture service that could be delivered throughout wedding boutiques. Her pieces are a mixture of modern and traditional, and she has just launched a mini me range for kids too!

So have I managed to change your mind on dried flowers?!

Hopefully you can see their beauty and how they can be added with real flowers as well to create a really dreamy, textural and modern looking wedding flowers. Mix these with contemporary wedding cakes, a beautiful industrial setting, luxury silk ribbons, on-point hair and make-up, vintage hair pieces, uniquely beautiful designed wedding dresses, and a photographer who has got an amazing eye for lighting and capturing detail, and you've got one heck of a beautiful wedding look.

Don't ever be afraid to ask your wedding suppliers to experiment with ideas and try to create something unique. You can just take small elements from a trend and adapt this into your wedding plans.

I'm really excited to see what 2019 brings and how these trends adapt and evolve throughout the year:)

Thank you to all the wonderful suppliers involved!

Katie xx