Lieke from Stories by Mabel and her team organize highly personalized wedding ceremonies and wrote down her top five tips for us.
Photo (above): Photographer: Melissa Melis - Organization, styling & ceremony: Stories by Mabel
Now let's get married our way honey
Couples are increasingly getting married at a slightly later age. Not just in their early twenties, but in their mature thirties – and often they also get married as a family. They have a strong backbone as individuals and as a couple, and in that way they know much more clearly ‘this suits us’ or ‘we're definitely not going to do this’. Out with the obligatory numbers and in with their own ideas. The renewal of their wedding vows is also part of this trend.
Our Story: The Celebration
We have been familiar with the traditional American images of the gazebo with the couple for some time now. However, the days when Belgian bridal couples labeled a ceremony as something American, and which only a few dared to plan here in the past... those days are behind us. (yay!) A wedding ceremony is increasingly becoming an integral part of the day. What's more, precisely because a ceremony can be much more personal than a church wedding and/or a civil ceremony, that same ceremony becomes the anchor point of the day. It's not the five-course menu that people remember, but the story. Because getting married is something you do with your heart, not just for the sake of the law. Getting married is something you do based on your story.
Let's take our time & relax
No more days with four stops and a packed schedule, leaving the bride and groom exhausted by 11 p.m. Precisely because more and more couples dare to stray from the beaten path, they choose to spread out their activities. Their civil wedding takes place a while before their big day, and they combine it with a nice dinner in an intimate setting. Others get married legally and follow this with the traditional reception, so that they have more time for each other and their guests on their actual wedding day. The run-up to the big day is marked by various milestones and associated events: an engagement party, a bridal shower, a civil wedding, a ... More and more often, couples are also opting for a weekend, where they enjoy brunch together on Sunday and reminisce. Party venues no longer have to be next door, as long as there are soft beds. Talk about a wedding experience!
Size, colors, fabric... do matter!
It's no longer just about ‘The Wedding Dress’. The statement that couples make on and through their wedding day goes much deeper today. Couples invest time and money in the design and decoration of their day. Because it is in those decorations that they put their signature, their story. The personal input and attention to detail are often a source of great joy—from the save the date, to the invitation, to the decoration of the lovebirds' chairs... Scrap ‘cheesy’, hello spark and fireworks!
Who needs sun when you can have snow?
Autumn and winter weddings are clearly on the rise. The weather may be unpredictable, but couples are resolutely opting for cosiness, lights and candles instead of the sometimes vain hope of sunshine. People are so much more relaxed during a winter weekend. After months without summer barbecues and festivals, guests are longing for cozy get-togethers again—and you can feel it from the very first minute!
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Trend: Romantic weddings in the color “blush”
