10 Wedding Trends That Are Past Their Sell By Date

In weddings, as in anything else, fashions come and go. Some new trends that have come along in rece


In weddings, as in anything else, fashions come and go.

Some new trends that have come along in recent years are to be welcomed - like dressing your bridesmaids in different dresses.

Others ... well, I think they're not so good. Here's my list of wedding trends that you really don't need to follow. And if you've any to add yourself, please leave a comment below!

1. Expensive hen parties. The film 'Bridesmaids' nailed it in so many ways, particularly when the chief bridesmaid organised an eye wateringly expensive hen weekend away that the heroine really couldn't afford (but felt she had to attend anyway). If you're organising a hen do, look at the whole group and consider whether everybody is going to be happy going away on a spa weekend break with costly treatments or flying off to Barcelona or another European city to go clubbing and drink cocktails. There are all sorts of hen parties on offer nowadays - so try and offer different activities so everybody can join in with some part and not feel left out if they can't do a big splashy trip.

2. Weird wedding themes. Well I suppose this is really up to the bride and groom. The important thing is to consider who is attending the wedding. If your grandparents are coming or great auntie and uncle, they might not be too thrilled at the prospect of having to dress up as a character from Alice in Wonderland or a Superhero (although you never know).

3. Group wedding photography. You know the sort. All your guests are gathered together a bit like a school class photo. It's hard to work out who is who and a nightmare to get everybody together. One way around this is to get your photographer to shoot the group from above and get everybody to stand in a heart shape - it makes for a much more interesting image.

4. A tiered white wedding cake. You don't have to have a wedding cake at all you know - and not a traditional tiered one with white icing. Consider other options. You could have an enormous pile of profiteroles instead of a cake. You could have a 'cheese' wedding cake. A chocolate wedding cake. A fruit cake covered in white icing? It doesn't have to be that way.

5. Matching the groomsmen's ties with their buttonholes. Go on, be adventurous. How about a bit of a contrast. Maybe an orange or pink tie with a purple flower? Talk to your florist and get some ideas. You also don't have to have a rose you know. How about a gerbera? Or a blue cornflower?

6. Wearing a veil. If you really feel a veil doesn't suit you then don't wear one. You could opt for a birdcage veil, a jewelled hairslide or even a statement hat.

7. A white wedding dress. Okay, so this might be a little more controversial but not every bride suits white or ivory. And if you're getting married second time around you might want to opt for something a little different. How about a blush pink dress or something in baby blue. Or you could wear emerald green, red, grey ... you might decide to invest in a dress that you know you'll wear over and over again, rather than something that really is a one-off.

8. Having a top table. More and more brides and grooms are ditching this tradition. You could have a table laid just for the two of you and then move around your guests between courses chatting. Or each member of the family party - the bride and groom, the bride's parents, the groom's parents - could host a table of their own.

9. Butterfly releases. Not green, not ethical, not something you want to be doing.

10. Following wedding trends. Really, it's your big day. Keep an eye on trends appearing but you know something. You should have the wedding you want, rather than the one you think fashion dictates. So keep your own ideas, your own dreams and work them into your big day.