Dessert Bar versus Wedding Cake. More and more couples are having a dessert bar at their reception highlighting a selection of sweets and other desserts instead of having the traditional wedding cake. These desserts represent items they enjoyed as a child, a family recipe or just a personal favorite. The dessert bar is a treat for guests as each treat is individually plated, allowing guests a greater selection of such items as cupcakes, brownies, ice cream and candy.

Gourmet Comfort Food. What’s on the menu is extremely important to the couple. The traditional beef, chicken and fish are gone and gourmet comfort food has been introduced. Kobe beef sliders and truffle macaroni and cheese are popular selections.

Reception Service. Couples have gone away from the lavish buffets with action stations and passed hors d’oeuvres. They are thinking outside the box for their reception service. Entrée stations are becoming popular. Each station features the meat, starch and vegetable and guests can assemble their entrée they way they would like to enjoy it. The stations encourage guests to interact more with each other, creating a more festive reception atmosphere.

First Dance. With the popularity of Dancing with the Stars, bridal couples are choreographing their first dance making it a performance for their guests. (Check out YouTube for the most over the top)

Photo Booths. Professional wedding photos are fantastic, but usually focus on the bride and groom. Photo booths are a fun way for the couple to get impromptu photos of their guests, while also providing the guests with a little take away gift.

Signature Items. Brides and grooms want to be more original and more personalized with their wedding making it more of a reflection of them. Signature cocktails like a “his and hers” drink. Creating a customized beverage like a “Kelly-tini” (because the bride loves martinis) tinted in blue in order to match the color scheme of the wedding and customized favors are extremely popular and complement the couples style and personality.

Intimate weddings. With today’s economy, couples are hosting smaller weddings (50 or fewer guests) in order to maximize their budget. The magic of a smaller wedding is that not only can the couple be more extravagant; a smaller wedding also affords the couple more time with each guest.

Blue and the Beach. The color blue is still hot. Blue in any shade; turquoise, teal, sky blue, royal blue, and periwinkle are being seen in bridesmaid dresses, wedding flowers, cake designs, table linens, and much more. Beach themes are also hot. Brides are incorporating shells into bouquets, floral arrangements, and table scapes. A sand celebration, similar to a unity candle celebration, is in fashion too.

Bridesmaids Dresses. Emphasis on individual style for the bridesmaids is also in style. Instead of all of the bridesmaids wearing the same dress, shoes and identical hairstyles, it is fashionable to have a color scheme and give each bridesmaid the opportunity to select a dress that shows her personality and fits her style, yet complements the bride.

And last, but not least, petit fours are coming back!