We’re skipping ahead to 2019 to have a look at wedding trends with our Business Development Manager and wedding expert Melissa Neisler Dickinson.

Bright, relaxed and personal – these are the three key aspirations of couples as they plan their weddings, says Melissa.

“At Wivenhoe House our couples want to inject colour into their weddings with vibrant cerise pinks, purples, oranges and yellows proving very popular. They are keeping the background as a neutral canvas with the brightness coming from the flowers , accessories and bold bridesmaids’ dresses,” she said.

“They are looking for venues like ours, a country house setting, where the atmosphere is informal but the team is professional. More and more weddings are a celebration rather than a formal occasion,  couples want to gather their close friends and family together to mark their life together.

“Couples want their guests to remember their day as very special, with personalised wedding favours and extra touches like flip flops for tired feet.

“Weekend weddings are no longer the norm, people will pick dates that have special meaning for them, so it can be any day of the week.  Save the date cards have become very popular and, as long as guests have plenty of notice, they don’t mind taking a day off for their special friends.”

Another consideration would be dates with particular meaning. If your wonderful grandparents are celebrating sixty years of wedded bliss and their anniversary date is available, you might want to ask them if they would mind if you chose the same date. Chances are they would be thrilled!

2020 is the next year with a series of unusual dates and is now less than eighteen months away. It’s a Leap Year of course and 29 February is regarded as lucky by some. February that year has some amazing opportunities for memorable dates. February 2 2020 is a palindrome, reading the same backwards and forwards. There is also 20 02 2020 and 22 02 2020 to consider, and that last date is a Saturday. There’s also October 10 2020 to consider and that’s a Saturday too!

And what should you be looking for in a wedding planner? Melissa has some sage advice. “Wedding planners need to be professional with every couple. Keeping in contact with them, reassuring them and, above all, listening to them about what their perfect day will look like. We provide a starter pack for all our couples, guiding them on everything from table plans to booking a registrar.”