Planning a beautiful wedding can be easy when you know where to go, and McHenry County residents are fortunate to have some of the Chicago area’s top wedding service providers close to home.
What’s new for Bridal Season 2013 and beyond?
A few local wedding pros weigh in.
A Formal Invitation
Old world, upscale, crisp and classic are all ways to describe wedding invitation trends for 2013.
“It’s no longer bad taste to spend money on a formal affair,” says Anna Novak, invitation manager with Kathryn’s Bridal and Dress Shop in McHenry. “During the recession, it seemed like things were simpler, but now it’s trending back.”
Novak credits the British royal wedding as one of the driving forces behind the resurgence in formal looks, but destination weddings still call for something more casual.
As with bridesmaids’ dresses, this year’s hottest color is navy blue.
“It’s the new black,” Novak says.
One trend that isn’t connecting with local brides is a shift to electronic invitations and online guest list management.
“For a Tupperware party, yes. For a wedding, no,” Novak says.
She says that low response rates, as well as older guests’ discomfort with the Internet, are making these new options slow to catch on.
“There might be an option to reply online, but you always want to offer snail-mail, because seniors are a big part of most wedding guest lists,” she says.
However, the proliferation of GPS has made direction cards obsolete.
“Because they’re less necessary, couples are willing to spend more on the invitation,” Novak says.
Invitations by Kathryn’s • 3807 W. Elm St. (Route 120) • McHenry • 815-385-7330 •
kathryns-bridal.com
Additional places to look in McHenry County
*Please note this is not a comprehensive list
Barb’s Card and Gift • 1918 N. Richmond Road, McHenry Commons • McHenry • 815-385.6750 • barbscardandgift.com
Little Shop of Papers • 740 W. Northwest Hwy, Suite 6E • Barrington • 847-382-7733 • littleshopofpapers.com
Letter-Perfect
Derived from Greek for “beautiful writing,” calligraphy adds a special touch and a unified look to invitations, place cards, menus and more.
“There’s a quality to hand lettering that says, ‘This is important, this is our wedding,’” says Kim Shenberger, owner of The Constant Scribe in Crystal Lake.
Hand calligraphy is created using a pen with removable tips, and Shenberger says she can recreate any font.
“Most calligraphers have four or five different styles, but I can copy anything,” she says. “I haven’t found one that I haven’t been able to do.”
She also is able to precisely match wedding colors by using gouache, a water-based paint, rather than ink.
Shenberger says the upcoming bridal season promises a more traditional look with white and ivory invitations addressed in black or gold.
“I expect vintage to be huge this year – think ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’ – which will carry over into vintage lettering styles,” she says.
Informal and destination weddings are simple, incorporating natural tones with a pop of color.
Along with hand-lettering services, Shenberger also offers guidance and suggestions to clients concerning invitation etiquette.
Brides using the save-the-date cards, such as those with a long engagement, destination wedding or a wedding during the peak bridal season, should have the cards out at least six months ahead of time, she says. Brides sending invitations only should have them mailed six to eight weeks ahead of the date.
In either case, it’s best to schedule with a calligrapher as early as possible.
“They’ll want to contact the calligrapher soon after the engagement,” Shenberger says.
The Constant Scribe • Crystal Lake • 815-355-0375 • theconstantscribe.com
Additional places to look in McHenry County
*Please note this is not a comprehensive list
Calligraphy by Cristine • 1706 Hillside Lane • McHenry • 815-679-6440 • calligraphybycristine.com
Calligraphy by Linda • 2807 Kashmiri • McHenry • 815-385-2829 • lindamedeenscalligraphy.com
Here Comes the Bride
Kathryn Trocki, owner of Kathryn’s Bridal and Dress Shop in McHenry, says romantic, lace gowns and vintage styles are becoming increasingly popular as brides look for alternatives to the perennially popular strapless wedding gown.
“We’re seeing a trend toward cap sleeves or lace sleeves, keyhole backs or very low-cut backs which require a strap,” Trocki says.
Though British royal bride Kate Middleton — now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge — wore a long-sleeved lace gown, Trocki does not believe her dress inspired the trend.
“There were a few people who wanted replicas, but people weren’t really coming in and asking for it,” she says.
Instead, she feels that the shift is driven more by the popularity of vintage jewelry and a bride’s desire to express her individuality. Trocki says she’s want to include elements taken from a mother’s or grandmother’s wedding gown.
“Brides have brought in their mother’s veil or a piece of heirloom lace from Grandma’s gown to incorporate into their dress,” she says. “It’s wonderful when you can incorporate that into a bride’s complete look.”
Veils in all sizes and styles also are popular.
“Brides often think they don’t want one, but then they put it on and it just completes the look,” Trocki says. “With a veil, you truly look like a bride.”
Deep blues, in a spectrum of shades, are popular choices for bridesmaids.
“Navy blue and marine blue are colors many people look good in and pair with other colors so well,” Trocki says. “Flowers are enhanced beautifully; it’s a crisp, classic look.”
Wedding mothers can be among the most challenging members of the bridal party to dress, and Trocki says that it’s important to work one-on-one with the women to find the right dress.
“We suggest colors they love, while keeping in mind complementing the bride’s colors,” Trocki says.
“Often, they want darker colors and dresses that are sophisticated and elegant.”
Kathryn’s Bridal and Dress Shop • 3807 W. Elm St. (Route 120) • McHenry • 815-385-7330 • kathryns-bridal.com
Additional places to look in McHenry County
*Please note this is not a comprehensive list
A L’Amour Bridal and A L’Amour Party • 236 W. Northwest Highway • Barrington • 847-381-5858 • alamour.com
Wedding Belles LTD • 334 W. Main St. • Barrington • 847-304-0414 • weddingbellesltd.com
Topping it Off
Vintage-styled, eye-length veils and colorful hair fascinators adorned with large flowers, feathers and beads provide a unique accent to bridal gowns, bridesmaids’ and mothers’ dresses.
Janice Stretch, owner of JaniceStyle and creator of such fascinators, believes that some of the interest in vintage style is a reaction to the royal wedding, but it’s also a yearning for a different pace of life.
“I think we’re so inundated with technology and our lives seem to move so fast, vintage helps people remember to slow down,” she says.
Stretch said the bandeau veil, which has French netting over the eyes, pairs especially well with the currently popular lace and vintage looks.
“Brides are looking for a dress that makes them feel special, and the trends I see for next year include long sleeves, higher necklines and lace,” she says. “It’s classic and elegant, a welcome alternative to strapless.”
Her custom-designed hair fascinators combine the bridal party colors, crystals, rhinestones and beads.
“If a bride doesn’t want color in her dress, she can pull in her bridesmaids’ colors into the hairpiece,” Stretch says.
Popular colors are vibrant shades of aqua, eggplant and orange, and looks range from simple to showy.
“It depends on the bride’s taste,” Stretch says. “Some brides are more conservative, others are open to more flashy pieces. I like to encourage them, because it can really set the style for the wedding.”
JaniceStyle McHenry • 815-355-7890 • janicestyle.com
Fresh, Natural … and Fabulous
For bridal bouquets, classic, elegant flowers such as orchids, lilies, roses and dahlias continue to be popular, says Linda Mahoney, owner of Chapel Hill Florist in McHenry.
“This year we saw a lot of purple and more bright colors,” she says.
Often, bouquets are embellished with feathers, beads, rhinestones and crystals. Long, trailing cascade bouquets are seeing resurgence, though the round, symmetrical “hand-tied” bouquets continue to be popular.
Mahoney says there also is an interest in natural looks that include fewer flowers and more greenery, pods and grasses. Male members of the wedding party are wearing simple flowers, including thistle and a yellow, ball-shaped blossom called crespedia.
Mahoney says that many of her brides hold their ceremony and reception at the same location and like to use hydrangea, orchids and stock to decorate.
For centerpieces, brides often prefer a simple style, usually sticking to one or two types of flowers, paired with candles, glass cylinders, cubes and mirrors.
“We’re still seeing submerged flowers with the candles floating on top,” she says. “I don’t know how much longer that will continue, as it’s been around a while, but we’re still seeing a lot of it.”
Chapel Hill Florist • 2913 W. Elm (Route 120) • McHenry • 815-344-0290 • chapelhillfloristil.com
Additional places to look in McHenry County
*Please note this is not a comprehensive list
Countryside Flower Shop • 5301 E. Terra Cotta Ave. (Route 176) • Crystal Lake • 815-459-8130 • countrysideflowershop.com
Huntley Floral • 10436 Route 47 • Huntley • 847-669-0900 • huntleyfloral.com
