We've long suspected that Queensland brides are leaders when it comes to wedding trends, but now we have proof. Vogue Australia has just released a Pinterest list of the 10 biggest bridal trends for 2016 and we've seen them all before! From unconventional seating to ceremony seating in the round, and from mismatched bridesmaids to casual dining options, we have photographed weddings that incorporated all the elements listed on the list – and not just this year!
Number 1 on the list is casual dining, which we first saw in 2009 at Cassandra and Gile's wedding when they chose to have Noodles cooked on site and served in takeaway boxes! Cassandra and Giles clearly knew how to set trends because they also chose to have their ceremony "in the round" with seating arranged in a circle pattern which is the Number 3 trend on the Pinterest list.
Of course, Queenslanders know all about Number 2 on the list - alternative or unconventional seating - who hasn't been to a wedding where the seats are hay bales? And having those for your backyard wedding, Number 7 on the list, is almost a Queensland tradition, and one we first photographed in 2007, not long after we moved here.
We are proud to say we had mismatched but coordinated bridesmaid outfits at our wedding, way back in 2000, and have seen it at many weddings subsequently. Pinterest has this sensible and flattering way of keeping everyone in the bridal party happy at Number 4 on the list for trends in 2016!
We shot our first unplugged wedding back in 2012 when Kate & Brett asked for guests to avoid posting on social media until after they returned from their extended honeymoon. We always think this option, which comes in at Number 10 on the list, is always a good idea and our friends at The Wedding Alley have written a blog post about how to make it happen here https://theweddingalley.com.au/2016/06/16/how-to-create-an-unplugged-wedding/
Some of the other things that make the list, like an informal running schedule, chalkboard signs, and wishing wells - now rebranded as Honeyfunds - are nothing new either and it's a bit disappointing that the fashionistas at Vogue have only managed to find one thing on Pinterest - frozen desserts - that we have yet to see at a real-life Queensland wedding, though we did see them at an industry function last year!
So congratulations Queensland brides! You are clearly the most innovative trendsetters in the bridal industry and we hope that continues to be the case so we can keep capturing exciting new ideas before they become en vogue!