There may be nothing new under the sun, but every once in awhile you see something a little different come along.  This year, a new trend for wedding receptions will be in the area of entertainment.  Instead of just the typical dinner and maybe some dancing until it’s time to go home, new forms of entertainment seem to be popping up.

Karaoke is finding its way into receptions, as well as other activities that will keep the guests involved.  Trivia games, guessing games, and drawing games are all great ways to lure guests into actively participating in the celebration.

Some couples are hiring artists to do candid sketches of their guests as prizes or take-home keepsakes from their wedding.  If this idea appeals to you, check into finding budding art students that might be interested in making a few extra dollars.

Wine & cheese tasting, or sampling different coffees or desserts is another idea that is gaining in popularity.  Use your imagination; be creative.  Just remember, when it comes to this year’s receptions, ‘interactive’ seems to be the buzz word.

Wondering how many people to invite to your wedding?  Of course the final number is totally up to you and your fiance, however, if you’re one of those people that like to follow the trends, then you’d better be prepared for a fairly good-size wedding.  According to Kate Aspen, a well-known and respected manufacturer and wholesaler of high quality wedding favors, about 40% of brides surveyed are inviting 100 - 150 people.  Nearly that same percentage, 36%, are planning on inviting 150 or more guests to their wedding.  It seems like even in these difficult economic times, brides don’t want to ‘pinch pennies’ when it comes to their weddings.

Don’t feel bad, however, if you happen to be in the group that prefers a smaller wedding.  There’s something very special about a small gathering of truly close friends and family members to help you celebrate the beginning of your married life.  The true meaning of the wedding day isn’t as easily lost when the focus is kept on a smaller scale. 

At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter how many people were invited or what size your wedding reception was.  The important thing to remember is that the wedding day is only the beginning with a lifetime of tomorrows to follow.  Ultimately, it’s the marriage the counts!

Yes!  Birds seem to be swooping in as a popular favorite when it comes to 2009’s wedding trends.  These lovely little creatures are beginning to be found everything in the wedding decor, from centerpieces to the bridal bouquet. 

If the idea of birds doesn’t quite appeal to you, you can still be up-to-date with today’s latest trends by incorporating just the feathers.  The feather’s intricate details can be a beautiful touch on wedding invitations, wedding cake decorations, and wedding favors.  Using the plumage from more exotic birds can add an interesting touch to centerpieces and bridal party bouquets. 

Another unique wedding decorating idea using the bird theme would be to use small wire birdcages or nests.  Bird eggs made from soap, displayed in tiny nests make wonderful favors that are not only unique buy also practical.

Having your guests throw birdseed instead of rice, is not only a trendy eco-friendly idea, but many reception halls prefer this option.  If this idea appeals to you, you’ll want to check out the rules at your reception hall to make sure this is allowed.

You don’t have to shop very long before you realize there are literally thousands of types of wedding favors out there.  Choosing the perfect wedding favor is not only fun, but it’s one of the best ways to express your own unique style. 

There are several different favors that seem to be emerging as 2009’s most popular.  Candle wedding favors have been a top favorite for some time now and it looks like it’s going to keep that honor for this year as well.  They’re not only beautiful and practical, but you can find candles in almost every shape, color, scent and size that you want. 

Small framesare another wedding favor that is growing in popularity.  If you’re planning a reception that will have an assigned seating arrangement, these frames can double as placecard holders.  After the reception, you simply invite your guests to take their frame home to hold they own personal photograph. 

Eco-friendly favors are definitely taking their place as one of 2009’s popular favors.  With the increased interest in ‘going green’, these favors are as conscious-friendly as they are earth-friendly.  Seed packets, or favors embedded with wildflower seeds are just a couple of the available environmentally-friendly favors.

As for bridal shower favors, the growing trend seems to be toward manicure & pedicure sets as well as cosmetic bags.  Keeping the favors as personal as possible is the goal when it comes to the bridal shower. 

One wedding theme that is gaining in popularity in 2009 is the eco-friendly theme.  Lavish centerpieces are being replaced by more simple arrangements of bark, moss, herbs and rocks.  Other eco-friendly centerpiece ideas are made from various fruits, nuts or pine cones which can be arranged in vintage tins or baskets for a nice earthy touch.

The trendy colors of green, turquoise and yellow work well into an eco-friendly theme.  Wedding favors are following this trend with plantable favors embedded with wildflower seeds or favors made from bamboo or seashells.  Even smaller versions of the centerpieces can be given as favors.

Another earth-friendly idea is wedding invitations and thank-you cards made from recycled paper.  Instead of including response cards, which use more paper and cost more in return postage, set up a wedding website where guests can log in and relay their intentions.  Using the website to give directions and area hotel information will also cut down on additional paper and postage.

The traditional round white wedding cake will always be in style, but a few new trends are starting to spring up.  Depending on your wedding theme, your cake can fit easily into the new ‘in’ colors.  Black and white cakes incorporate a truly elegant, chic and sophisticated look that is very much in style for this year.  Pastel hues in the blue, turquoise and green families are perfect for spring or garden weddings.  Pink is still a longtime favorite and shows no signs of losing that distinction.

The shape of wedding cakes is another area in which today’s trends are differing.  Square, hexagonal and other atypical geometric designs are replacing the more traditional round or heart-shaped cake.  Although they can be very traditional-looking , these new shapes can also give the cake a very modern and contemporary look, in addition to adding a lot of visual interest to any reception.

Wedding cakes made entirely out of cupcakes is a fairly recent concept that more and more brides seems to be intrigued with.  The newest twist to this idea is in the shape of the cupcakes.  As with the wedding cake shape, square cupcakes, as well as other geometric shapes, are replacing the typical round cupcakes. 

Shopping for wedding favors is one of the most enjoyable jobs of planning your wedding.  There are so many wonderful items out there to choose from.  The only tricky part is deciding on when to order them. 

It’s probably best to start looking for your favors as soon as you’ve decided on a general theme, if not before.  In fact, finding the perfect wedding favor may even help you choose a theme for your wedding.  Shop online and compare prices.  Remember, as I’ve discussed in earlier blogs, ‘low price guarantees’ are not what they seem to be.  Check out shipping prices and policies, return policies, and quantity requirements.  Find out where your favors will be shipped from and the number of travel days it will take before you receive your order.  Place mock orders (without putting in your payment information) and check out the cost of shipping.  Many companies inflate shipping costs in order to make their favors appear less expensive. 

Narrow down your favor choices to 2 or 3.  You may even want to choose several favors that could work in combination with each other.  This could save you money and help avoid the whole ‘more guests than favors’ dilemma, especially if you need to reorder at the last minute and one of your favors is out of stock. 

If you’re planning on a seasonal wedding, such as a winter or fall theme wedding, order your favors as early as possible.  These type of favors tend to be more difficult to find in stock if you delay placing your order until a month or two beforehand.

Although no color scheme ever truly goes out of style for a wedding, there have been definite trends for color over the years.  Just about every color palette you can think of has had ‘its day’ in the wedding ceremony.  From pastels with the light blues and pinks to brighter, bolder colors like red, purple and forest green have all made an appearance.  Until recently the color of choice seemed to be chocolate brown along with all its complimentary shades.  This year, however, the color that is emerging as the favorite of 2009, is the color gray.

Gray may seem a little on the uninteresting side of the color wheel, but being a neutral, it lends itself beautifully to nearly every other color.  It can be combined with just about any hue you can think of, from soft pastels to more saturated, darker colors.  It creates a wonderfully elegant and chic look for any wedding.

If the color gray still leaves you a little flat, you may prefer something a little more eye-catching like silver.  This sparkly version of gray really adds the sophistication that many brides are looking for and it can still be partnered with most every color.  The beauty of silver is that is also works great as a solo color, incorporating only the white of the bride’s wedding gown.

One of today’s most popular wedding trends seems to be the vintage wedding.  Period fabrics like antique lace, tulle and chiffon are quickly becoming the preferred wedding gown materials.  Victorian-style scroll-work is incorporated into wedding cake decorations and wedding favors.  There’s an increased demand for vintage cake toppers, wedding invitations, and decoration ideas.  Couples are booking sites such as historic American hotels, elegant ballrooms, or old Victorian-style homes to hold their wedding ceremonies in. 

Creating a vintage atmosphere for your wedding and reception can be challenging, but there are many resources online and in libraries that can be invaluable.  The first thing to do is to choose a time era you want to work within and then keep that focus throughout the planning of your wedding.  Incorporate the music, foods, colors and styles of that period.  Whether you’re dreaming of a garden wedding at an old southern plantation, or a Hollywood era wedding at a restored theatre, you’ll want to do your research.  Remember the secret to creating a successful theme wedding of any kind is found in the details. 

Traditionally more weddings take place in June than any other month of the year.  Naturally, you might think that this is because of the wonderful weather that we enjoy nationwide during this month.  While that may be the deciding factor for a lot of brides and grooms, there’s a lot more to this tradition than just the weather.  There are actually several good theories to the origin of this popular wedding tradition.

The custom for June weddings may have begun in ancient Rome.  Roman mythology dictated a lot of their customs and traditions and the goddess, Juno, was the Roman goddess of marriage.  Desiring their marriages to be blessed by Juno, they honored her by marrying in the month named after her.

Another theory to the origin of this custom dates back to the 1400’s when the ‘annual bath’ was held in May, making the large gathering for this type of celebration a little less offensive in the odor department.  Still another theory suggests that since many brides became pregnant on their honeymoon, the newlywed wife wouldn’t be too far alone during harvest time if the wedding was in June and could therefore still be of help bringing in the crops.

Today many couples have to plan their weddings around school and work schedules, and typically, the summer months are a little easier to plan for.