Bright Ideas

What will be the hottest wedding colors of spring and summer 2011? We checked out the fashion runways and the bridal industry’s latest color trend reports, and we see a bright future for you. Also, an earthtoned one. The hot wedding colors of the upcoming wedding seasons may be in one or the other color family – bold and vibrant, or calm and sunwashed neutrals – or a stylish blend of hues from each palette.

Wedding Colors

To inspire you, here are some of the trends in wedding colors that you can build into your bridesmaid dress choices, wedding flowers, décor, linens, invitations, and all other details of your big day:

Brights:

Tangerine, hot pink, apple green, celadon, coral, cherry red, vibrant violet, daisy yellow, fuchsia, and especially vivid aquamarine (the #1 wedding color of 2010, according to the Pantone® color report for the bridal industry)

Earthtones:

In a range of hues, the hot earthy neutrals of spring and summer are: slate gray, taupe, light brown, chocolate brown, sage to medium green, and metallic silver, bronze, copper and gold. Chocolate brown was a popular wedding trend a few years ago and is now making a big comeback, especially when paired with a vibrant color such as aquamarine.

Jewel tones:

In spring and summer, rich, deep jewel tones are smart wedding color accents, and in fall and winter they become the larger part of the color motif, with lights, brights or metallics as their accents. For spring and summer 2011 overall, the hot jewel-tones are: sapphire blue, emerald green, royal blue, peacock blue, teal, currant and ruby red.

What about pastels? A soft rose pink has made the list of top wedding color choices for this spring and summer, but it’s quite alone in the trends as last season’s lavenders and baby blues fade back, awaiting next year’s trend possibilities.

Do you have to abide by this color trends list? No, you can design your wedding to feature your favorite colors in any combination you wish, and our event specialists can help you create perfectly color-coordinated décor all around our establishment.

Best,
Michael Mahle, Director of Communications, Pleasantdale Château

Renewing Wedding Vows

Every so often, celebrity couples grab the headlines for renewing their wedding vows, sometimes just a few months after their splashy wedding celebrations. Recently, Khloe Kardashian Odom and her husband Lamar Odom were reported to have renewed their wedding vows, and other stars such as Heidi Klum and Seal have made it a tradition to renew their wedding vows every year, sometimes in creative theme celebrations.

While celebrities often drive wedding trends, their example in the world of renewing wedding vows has become a bit confusing to couples. So to clear away that confusion, here are some reasons why renewing vows is so popular right now:

• Renewing wedding vows re-connects couples, especially if they’ve had a challenging year for any reason – a health crisis, financial stress, job search struggles, a move to a new city, what have you

• Renewing wedding vows allows couples to celebrate milestone anniversaries – the 1st, 5th, 10th, or more – as well as any anniversary they choose. So a 7th anniversary is completely welcoming of a celebration

• Renewing wedding vows allows couples to plan their wedding ‘re-do’ their way, which is quite wonderful for those who were perhaps unhappy with how their original weddings turned out, or whose parents overtook the plans

• Renewing wedding vows gives military couples the chance to celebrate their appreciation of one another before or after a deployment

• Renewing wedding vows serves as a wonderful example to the younger generations of what a positive, successful marriage looks like

• Renewing wedding vows may be done privately, just the two of you on a beach or mountaintop, or it might be a large family and friend gathering in a ballroom

• Renewing wedding vows allows you to show appreciation for your spouse, a healthy element of a strong marriage

In these challenging times, so many people want something cheery to look forward to and enjoy, and a wedding vow renewal provides exactly that.

Best,
Michael Mahle, Director of Communications, Pleasantdale Château

During the months and weeks prior to the big day, most brides experience a growing level of wedding stress and anxiety. With so many tasks to fulfill, and so much input from relatives and friends, an enormous To-Do list – not to mention everyday stress from work and home responsibilities – it’s not surprising that some brides lose their cool from time to time. Simply put, they need a break. That’s why most brides budget for and schedule regular spa treatments to pamper themselves and relieve their pressures.

Brides-to-be say they count on the ‘breaks’ afforded by monthly spa treatments, from hour-long massages to weekly manicures and pedicures. Treating themselves well and decompressing keeps them in balance, and also allows them to experience the VIP treatment as a salon’s bridal client. Knowing this, and wanting the bride to get the royal treatment, many grooms, maids of honor and parents often give the bride gift cards to her favorite spa or salon, so that she can indulge without financial worry.

Pre -Wedding Spa Treatments

Here are the top pre–wedding spa treatments that brides enjoy:

• Full-body massage, in light to medium pressure

• Hot stone massage

• Foot massage and reflexology

• Cranial sacral massage, focusing on stress in the neck, face, jawline and shoulders

• Aromatherapy body wraps

• Facials (which can also help to clear and clarify the face for a radiant look on the wedding day)

• Manicures

• Pedicures

• And more…

An enjoyable trend for the bride right now is scheduling weekly manicures and pedicures together with one or more of her bridesmaids, maid of honor, even her mom, to allow for relaxation time and unhurried quality time with her nearest and dearest. That includes the groom, as well. He too may book de-stressing massages in fun pre-wedding spa treatment outings with his bride, and it’s not unusual for grooms to book skin-clearing facials as well. Together, the happy couple indulges themselves, escapes the harried world of wedding preparations, and gains confidence that they will look and feel amazing on their wedding day.

Best,
Michael Mahle, Director of Communications, Pleasantdale Château

Welcome to The Art of Reception, a blog about everything to do with weddings. The Knowles properties (The Manor, Highlawn Pavilion, Pleasantdale Chateau and Ram’s Head Inn) have been hosting wedding of every size, style, nationality and budget since 1953. That’s more than five decades of experience, something few others can claim.

As a result, we have some of the finest, most capable bridal experts both in-house and as preferred vendors. This blog will feature the expertise and helpful hints from our in-house bridal experts and occasionally we’ll hear from our preferred vendors too, on trends specific to their line of work. Here’s a Who’s Who of our blogging wedding experts… Read more…

By Rolf Shick, Banquet Manager, The Manor

As much as they love you, attending a wedding can be an expensive proposition for your guests: gift, transportation, maybe a new suit or dress. Saving them money might get some who are undecided about your invitation to come. Some guests might be traveling from great distances. They’re going to need a place to stay. One great way to save them money and also make the festivities more fun is by partnering with a hotel near the site of your ceremony. You can arrange for discounted rates by blocking a set of rooms. This also makes it easy for your guests to socialize before and after the ceremony as well. The facility where you’re having your reception may have an arrangement with area hotels. For example, a wedding at any of our three West Orange, New Jersey properties – the Manor, Pleasantdale Chateau or the Highlawn Pavilion – will get you top priority at our local Residence Inn.
You may also be able to arrange shuttle transportation with the hotel to and from the wedding, saving your guests wear and tear as well as money – and making it easy for them to celebrate safely. Remember, don’t drink and drive!
Here’s something else you can do when you designate a nearby hotel as “action central” and book a block of rooms: You can put together great welcome packages for guests with snacks, a bottle of wine and information for local things to do in the area. This is a great way for out of town guests to feel special and appreciated!

Thank you,

Rolf