Expert Advice on Finding Your Wedding Style (His, Too!)

For some couples, finding their wedding style can be a bit of a challenge. In the current issue of Bridal Guide magazine, Karen Bussen, an event planner and author of Simple Stunning Weddings, offers some good tips for working through your tastes and priorities to arrive at your ideal wedding style.  Karen works with engaged couples to smooth and speed up the process of nailing their wedding style, and I’m passing along a few of her suggestions:

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Karen’s first questions to an engaged couple are about themselves: How did you meet? Where did you meet? What are your interests? Are you outdoorsy, foodies, high school sweethearts?

Next, she asks them to describe the mood they envision for their wedding, and she recommends thinking in adjectives: hot and spicy? vintage? elegant and understated? whimsical and funky? Try some out to see what clicks with both of you.
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Write down your wedding priorities. Is it the food? the guest list? an eco-friendly event? the budget? Karen also says that if family members are contributing money and involved in the planning, you should play it safe and run everything by them to make sure their budget squares with your wedding plans.

After you’ve honed in on your wedding style and budget, Karen says, find your venue. Why? “This is your most important decision, because the venue will drive your choice of everything else, from the dress to the decor to the food.” As an example.: “Let’s say your mood will be earthy, but natural and elegant. You know you want something outdoors, with a certain number of people and you’ve agreed on a budget. So maybe, you’ll decide on a farm or a small inn.”
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If you choose, say, a farm, everything follows from there—sourcing your food and flowers locally, using seasonal flowers or even fruits for centerpieces, etc. Instead of a classic jazz trio, you might prefer a bluegrass group or a zydeco band. And, she says, it doesn’t mean you have to go casual. You can go rustic, but elegant in your choice of centerpieces, etc. Even some garden wedding favors can add a touch of elegance to your tables.

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For an urban chic mood, perhaps you’ll rent a modern art gallery, put in long tables, use a row of narrow, clear cylinders with a single flower in each for centerpieces and swanky cocktails. But if sustainability is also a priority, simply choose organic produce for the meal.

All this sounds like a simple, pain-free way to plan the wedding of your dreams—for both of you!
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