Here comes the bride...and all the options

So many options are popping up this year for brides planning the perfect wedding that I am quite happy to not be planning our wedding anymore. So is the Hero, who still has nightmares from his varied and numerous duties for our wedding ("I have to be at the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, AND the reception? Can't we have stand-ins for some of that?").

Brides today, I have learned, are into weddings that express their own unique "they-ness," fun celebrations that represent their lifestyle. Admittedly, some are still a little hesitant to let their grooms express their they-ness, which might be somewhat embarrassing to the brides.

The biggest recent change is that brides are no longer tied to a white wedding dress. Gowns in soft, romantic colors are gaining ground, raising a very important question: What do the the bridesmaids wear?

If the bride wears, say, a mint-colored gown, do the bridesmaids wear white? Black? The same color as the bride, but in a totally unflattering style so there is no mistaking which one is the bride? A different yet complementary color to the bride's dress? No wonder brides are under so much stress!

Brides are also starting to look at "options for sleeves," according to one source. As if it was ever the brides' fault that they hadn't considered them before. There WERE no sleeves before. Sleeves have not been available on bridal gowns since 1972. 

Here are some other wedding trends, according to my source:

Lounges
Couples are providing areas for their guests to relax in, with couches, ottomans, big-screen TVs, bathrobes, etc. Now guests can rest openly, in comfort and style, Instead of napping the old-fashioned way at a celebration, which involved sheepishly looking around to make sure no one was watching, and then crawling under the nearest table covered with a long skirt and remaining there until the cleanup crew came in.

Outdoor? Indoor?
One expert notes that we will soon see more indoor touches at outdoor weddings, and vice versa. The idea, according to this individual, is to "put things where you're not expecting them." This is excellent training for brides, most of whom will later discover, after they have settled with their groom into their abode, that their beloved is continually putting things where they are not expecting them.

Dining options
Guests at receptions may notice another trend: downsized food. Tiny portions of creatively arranged food are considered very chic, at least by wedding planners, who are off enjoying a 12-ounce steak while the actual wedding guests are trying to figure out if the servers were just joking when they said three Brussels sprouts were all the guests were going to get. Tiny portions of foods such as sliders, mini donuts, and ice cream crammed into a shot glass convey to one's guests: You should have eaten before you came!

This helps to explain another trend in wedding dinners: a late-night visit from a food truck or the pizza guy. This came about as a result of many guests, famished after surviving only on their napkins, were fainting on their way home from the reception.

Dessert, front and center
Luckily for guests, there appears to be strong interest on the part of many bridal couples to consider dessert a separate course. Yes. This is due in large part to the fact that wedding cakes, having become outrageously expensive, are now simply cardboard underneath all that lovely frosting, creating an urgent need for other, edible dessert options.

Seating 
More couples are opting out of both head tables and "sweetheart" tables, instead sitting with friends or family. Soon, possibly, they will do away with tables altogether and everyone will cram into the facility's kitchen and eat over the sink. This fad, we predict, will be especially popular with grooms and any bachelors amongst the guests.

Those are just a few of the exciting new traditions we can expect to see in upcoming weddings. And here are some wedding trends that are out, or are on their way out:

Food
As we have seen, any decent-sized portions of food are no longer in. Other food trends to say goodbye to include cupcake towers, colored chocolate, and candy bars. Personally I think the industry is being a little bit hasty in getting rid of the candy bars. Just sayin'.

Birdcages for headwear
I frankly was not aware that these were ever in. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.