1. Color
   Forget the pale pastels! 2008 is all about bright colors, especially yellow. Yellow is an ideal wedding color because it is fresh, energetic and cheery. Lemon yellow can be paired with Chocolate Brown or a brighter shade of yellow can be paired with silver or gray. Bright dual combinations are also hot this year. Chocolate with Pink, Aqua with Brown, Red with Light Blue, Yellow with Orange, and Pale Yellow with Dark Purple are among the favorites.
    
2. Letterpress Wedding Invitations
   This seemingly old-fashioned form of printing is a hip and trendy look for today's modern couple. Letterpress is a printing technique that stamps ink into paper using raised lettering. High quality inks and papers are used to create a lush look. This makes any invitation an instant keepsake.
    
3. Green Weddings
   Many couples are looking for ways to give back to the environment by having eco-friendly weddings. Consider invitations made from recycled paper, gowns made from 100% silk or cotton, wedding rings with conflict-free diamonds or made from recycled gold, serving organic or vegetarian foods at the reception and having your wedding in natural settings (parks, beaches, backyards, etc.). With the rising number of second weddings and later-in-life marriages, many couples are asking guests to donate to charitable organizations in lieu of gifts.
    
4. Non-Traditional Wedding Cakes
   Forget the round layered cake...think square, octagonal or mixed shapes. One of the biggest trends for 2008 is the use of a monogram or calligraphy text on your cake. Words such as Love, Always, Forever, Honor are popular words when choosing calligraphy text.
    
5. Guest Participation
   Let your guests feel as if they had a part in planning your wedding. Create a blog or wedding web site where guests can participate in polls to vote on your wedding cake flavor, the entrees, favorite song for the couple's first dance, the type of reception music, etc. Revealing their selections at the reception adds an extra level of fun and excitement.
    
6.  Lots of Personalization
   Create a unique monogram design or use your first names and wedding date to personalize your wedding invitations, napkins, coasters, cups, glassware, thank you notes, and wedding favors. Putting your 'stamp' on everything is not only very trendy, but very personal.
    
7. Entertainment
   If you can afford it, consider hiring a live ethnic or cover band for your reception. Latin and Mariachi bands are a real hit and inspire festive dancing.
    
8. Food Stations
   Forget the sit-down dinner or buffet. People like to graze, so consider setting up food stations around the reception room. Each station can have a theme -- sushi bar, fondue station, dessert station, etc.
    
9. Clever Wedding Favors
   Hand out favors that not only practical, but useful. Consider personalized playing cards, ink pens, bookmarks, or coasters. Since eco-friendly weddings are in style, consider eco-friendly favors, like soy candles and wildflower seeds. If you still want to hand out the traditional almonds and chocolates, consider putting them in gift boxes made from recycled materials.
    
10. Wardrobe Changes
    Gone are the days when the bride has only one look for her wedding day. Today's bride can have one look for the ceremony, and a fun, laid back look for the reception.

You will probably have music before, during and after the wedding; selecting the appropriate music will enhance your ceremony.  Before selecting any musical pieces, please check with the officiant in charge of the ceremony because some religions have strict guidelines concerning secular music.  Contact the music director or organist of the ceremony site; they may have information and ideas that you may not have considered.  Wedding music is usually segmented into four different parts: prelude, processional, ceremony and recessional. 

The prelude begins from the time the first guest arrives until everyone is seated and the mother of the bride is preparing to be ushered down the aisle.  Selection of music for the prelude can be varied.  You may prefer upbeat or slow paced or a bit of both.  The prelude should keep your guests entertained as well as set the mood for the ceremony.  Following the prelude is the perfect time for a soloist to sing.  The mother of the bride should be escorted to her seat during this time.

The processional is the music played while the bridal party enters.  When it is time for the bride and her father to take "the walk," you may use the same music or choose a piece especially for you.

The ceremony music is played while the wedding takes place.  Consult with your officiant regarding the proper time for a solo to be added.  The lighting of the Unity Candle is usually an appropriate time for a heart felt song.

The recessional is your exit music.  This song should be upbeat and joyous, celebrating the union of the bride and groom.

Here are a few suggestions for music and their composers:

Processional	Ceremony	Recessional
Austrian Wedding Song, traditional	All I Ask of You, Norbet and Callahan	All Creatures Great and Small, Williams
Ave Maria, Shubert	Cherish the Tresure, Mohr	Pomp and Circumstance, Elgar
Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride), Wagner	My Tribute, Crouch	Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven, Goss
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies, Tchiakovsky	Now Thank We All Our God, Bach	The Russian Dance, Tchaikovsky
Ode to Joy, Beethoven	Panis Angelicus, Franck	Toccata Symphony V, Widor
The March, Tchaikovsky	Saviour Like a Shepherd Lead Us, Bradbury	Trumpet Fanfare (Rondeau), Mouret
Trumpet Tune, Purcell	The Bride's Prayer, Good	Trumpet Tune, Stanley
Trumpet Voluntary, Clarke	The Irish Wedding Song, Traditional
Trumpet Voluntary, Dupuis	The Lord's Prayer, Malotte
Waltz of the Flowers, Tchiakovsky	The Unity Candle Song, Sullivan
Wedding March, Medelssohn	The Wedding Prayer, Dunlap
	The Wedding Song, Paul Stookey
	We've Only Just Begun, The Carpenters
	Wherever You Go, Callahan

Most organists will welcome any imput from the bride concerning the prelude selections.  Consult with the organist, chances are he or she has a lot of experience with song selection for weddings - use that to your advantage.  Your wedding should sound just as lovely as it looks.

• If your maid-of-honor changes her telephone number and does not give you the new one.
   
• If you decide to gain weight just so your parents will buy you a different wedding gown.
   
• If getting caught by a red light on your way to the nail salon cause your blood pressure to rise.
   
• If no one answers your email or text messages.
   
• If your groom avoids talking about the wedding at all.
   
• If your groom does talk about the wedding and your eyes begin to roll.
   
• If you own parents move and leave no forwarding address.
   
• If, during every telephone conversation with one of your wedding professionals, you mention, "my daddy is a lawyer . . ."
   
• If you think people should just know what you want.
   
• If most of the response cards are returned with "unable to attend" checked.
   
• If you wedding party shrinks day by day.
   
• If, even with make up on, you scare the flower girl.
   
• If you are unable to carry on a conversation about the wedding without swearing.
   
• If you can hardly wait to shove wedding cake up your groom's nose.
   
• If you own father offers you $10,000 to elope.
   
• If your clergyman or premarital counselor highly recommends a longer engagement.
   
• If you hair dresser decides to take a long cruise beginning the day before your wedding, with no notice.
   
• If the car service suggests renting two cars - one for you and one for everyone else.
   
• If your future in-laws are nothing but a major aggravation to you.
   
• If the only way you can get anyone to come to the reception is the promise an open bar all night.
   
• If you think you are the center of everyone's universe.
   
• If you want your attendants in ugly dresses so no one shows you up.
   
• If you insist all your attendants have the same hair color and style.
   
• If you expect everyone to be on time and you are always running late.
   
• If your wedding planner suddenly decides to retire 24 hours before your ceremony.
   
• If your friends decide to throw nuts instead of rice at you after the ceremony.

• The term honeymoon came about from ancient Teutons. Couples would only marry beneath a full moon then drink honey wine for thirty days after.
   
• Rice throwing began in the Orient. Rice is a symbol of fertility and was thrown on newlywed couples in hopes of a marriage that would produce many children.
   
• The bridal shower custom began in Holland when a father disapproved of his daughter’s choice for a husband, the local miller. The father withheld his daughter’s dowry so the townspeople "showered" her with gifts from their own households.
   
• The ring finger is considered to be the only finger connected by a vein directly to the heart.
   
• The wedding cakeoriginated in Rome, when a loaf of wheat bread was broken over the head of the bride. This symbolized fertility and a fulfilling life. The custom found its way to England during the Middle Ages. Guests would bring small cakes and all were piled together for the bride and groom to kiss over. Eventually someone came up with the idea of a multilayered cake covered with icing.
   
• The term trousseau originated in France. French brides brought their clothing and other personal possessions with them to their new home in a small bundle, called a trousseau. Even though the standard dowry became significantly more than a bundle, the word remained the same. The gifts the bride-to-be receives today are considered the modem day trousseau.
   
• Carrying the bride over the threshold is another custom that originated in Rome. The reluctant (or pretending to be) bride had to be carried into the wedding chamber. There also a legend that evil spirits were believed to linger at the threshold so the groom would carry his bride over them.
   
• Today old shoes may be tied to the rear bumper of the newlywed’s car but at one time they were actually thrown at the bride by her father! This act showed his yielding possession of her to her husband.
   
• Tossing the garter and bouquetbegan in the 1300’s in France where guests chased the bride and tore off her garter. This was considered good luck. As years passed brides wisely began to remove the garter themselves and then throw into the crowd. Later the bridal bouquet was added and the lucky girl who caught it is believed to be the next one married. And the man who catches the garter is supposed to be the next groom.