The Best Looks from the Summer 2014 Wedding Season

Summer is almost behind us now, but there have been some great wedding trends that will last for several summer wedding seasons. A wedding can be a more personal event, and there were so many brides making their weddings personal with these great new styles. We saw cool new things in everything from food and venues to accessories and décor. Every wedding should be one that reflects your individual style and personality.

Fun

A fun idea that many brides had this past summer was to incorporate a photo booth at the reception. There were digital cameras, photo booths, film cameras, and many pictures captured via cell phone. Brides would set up an area where there would be hats, glasses, mustaches, masks, scarves, and other fun accessories that would highlight the fun had at the reception. Groups, couples, and individuals would leave funny surprises for the bride in digital pictures. Some had spaces set up like a sitting area where guests would gather, socialize, and simply take fun pics together and many selfies, too.

Photo by Faylyne (Flickr)

Food

There were so many great trends in reception food for this past wedding season. Food trucks are a great urban experience to incorporate into a reception. Guests can choose which type of fun and delicious foods they want to enjoy.

Photo by Wicker Paradise (Flickr)

There were many different buffets and bars incorporated into the fun as well. Candy buffets, sundae bars, taco bars, potato bars, and s'mores bars infiltrated receptions everywhere. These were simply fun ways to provide guests with yummy treats just the way they like them.

Another trend on the food front is the idea of moving toward smaller portions. Many brides served bite-sized servings of foods so that guests would be able to eat and go back to socializing, dancing, and having fun. Doughnut towers in lieu of cake give a reception a more casual feel while giving guests a yummy treat to snack on while they mingle.

Dress

This summer brought with it the desire to have a more casual wedding theme, including a more casual style with dresses and accessories as well. There were lots of flower crowns worn by ladies young and old that gave off a "throwback-to-the-'70s" vibe. With this "hippie" or casual approach to wedding styles came lots of barefoot brides enjoying their laid-back ceremony in the sand or grass.

There were a lot of vintage trends in dress and in décor. We saw brooches passed down from decades ago and lots of feather hair accessories. Vintage pieces were mixed in with more modern ones for a bit of a classic look. Old Hollywood makeup, hair, and dresses were seen and were a beautiful throwback to another time.

Before, it was a bad idea to wear white to the wedding, with the exception of the bride, of course. This is a rule that many folks are starting not to follow. In fact, there were quite a few white-washes when it comes to the bridal party this past summer. Many brides in addition to their grooms, their bridesmaids, and the groomsmen were all in white to make it a white-washed bridal party, and there couldn't have been anything more beautiful.

by Blooms A Million (Flickr)

Décor

The trend to have an outdoor wedding this past summer was huge. There were ceremonies and receptions in fields, on beaches, by lakes, in barns, and in backyards everywhere. Sunset ceremonies were especially popular among brides looking for a more romantic trend.

Farm tables, barns, mason jars, and rustic décor brought the down-home trend right to the ceremony and reception. Many brides went the casual route and enjoyed everything that the summer sun has to offer. Succulents were used quite often as table décor. They were given away as gifts for guests to take home and replant.

For indoor weddings, many brides chose to have a natural approach to décor. There was a huge trend to bring the outdoors inside as well. The use of natural pieces such as branches with new buds, fresh green leaves, wood, and potted plants paired with neutral colors and natural fabrics gave an outdoor impression on a reception held indoors.

The use of vintage dinnerware was prevalent at summertime indoor weddings. Teacups, teapots, and other age-old pieces were used to decorate and adorn each table. Along with these older gems came the use of bird cages, old photographs, and dried flowers as centerpieces.

Bold color palettes were used to give a more art deco flair to many wedding celebrations. Jewel-toned hues were incorporated to give a livelier feel to décor and dresses, too. Bold prints such as stripes, plaids, and chevrons in matte and metallic fabrics were seen all summer long to give a more celebratory feel to a reception.

Summer may be coming to an end, but these fabulous trends don't have to. Hopefully we'll see them make an eager appearance along with other new and great trends for the 2015 summer wedding season!