Ten Hot Trends for Fall 2008 Weddings

Fall is just around the corner, and if you're one of the lucky brides to be getting hitched in Chicago, read on for these fun and easy-to-do ideas that will make your wedding day the fete of the year!

1. Jewel toned color pallettes. This fall be ready to surround yourself in sumptuous colors like rich burgundys, bold plums, deep reds, warm golds, and stunning emerald greens. For a simple yet easy way to include Fall's beautiful colors, simply choose napkins in these bold colors to complete a white on white table setting. Wrap your seats in bold colored chair ties to instantly spice up the night.

2. Bring the outdoors in! Branches, twigs, leaves, grass, fruit: all great ideas for easy and economical table centerpieces. Create unique decor for each table that gives your guests a different botanical scene from Chicago! Have one table with tree branches adorned with hanging votives and surrounded by tealights. Another table has ornamental grass studded with Swarovski crystals with scattered water lights. Yet another table features a cornucopia of Fall's natural beauty: pumpkins, apples, pears, acorns.

3. Think Green. Environmentally conscious but still want to have a great party? Send out invitations printed using recycled paper. Skip the favors and tell your guests you've made donations in their names, instead. Give guests seeds to plant or give them a plant ready to be given a great new home. Keep the ceremony and reception sites close together. Shorter driving distances save gas (and who can complain about that!) and lowers emissions.

4. Cocktail, anyone? Signature cocktails have caught on strong in the past couple of years and are still reigning supreme. Make the bar personal. Place a placard on a frame at each bar with the name and recipe of your (and the groom's!) favorite drink. This is a great way to save money, too. You can have a cash bar except for your signature drinks! These you can gift to your guests for free! If you don't have a favorite drink, don't despair. Work with your coordinator and the bartender to create a signature drink that you and your guests will remember. Another bonus, you get to name it!

5. Showcase local wines. Couples are trending towards pairing wines with dinner and instead of a house wine they are selecting specific wines based on the course. Go one step further and feature wines that are local. Chicago has some great wineries and your guests will really appreciate the special touch!

6. My Big, Fat Wedding Party. Yes, the economy is yuck and couples are looking to save anywhere they can, but the bridal party is not one of them. Worried about choosing between girlfriends for bridesmaids? Invite them all! They will be flattered by your request and will love the intimacy shared with the bride on her special day. Plus, this spreads out the costs incurred by the bridal party for things like showers, gifts, and of course, the bachelorette party! Same goes for the men. Imagine the fun they'll all have shooting nine holes of golf the morning of the wedding!

7. After Party. Couples are choosing to extend the reception by tacking on an extra hour or two to their contract with the venue or selecting a different after-hours site for the crowd that just hasn't had enough. Research possible choices with your wedding planner or work with the onsite catering manager for flexible options. Most venues are all too happy to add on these amenities and work with the bridal couple to make their event the most talked about occassion.

8. Sunday Brunch. Even if you and the new hubby are jetting off to some exotic locale for your own post-wedding celebration, don't forget the ladies you're leaving behind. A nice thank you for your mom, mother-in-law, bridesmaids and any other important ladies in your family circle is a Sunday brunch. Ask your catering manager at the venue you've selected or work with the catering staff at the hotel you're all staying at to price out a special brunch the morning after the wedding. Work with your planner or other onsite staff to keep a few of the centerpieces from the wedding that can be easily transferred to the brunch. This will tie both events together very nicely and be a wonderful end to a fabulous weekend.

9. Spa Rituals. No longer a lone sport, the pre-wedding spa retreat has become a precursor to the event of the year by bringing all the ladies involved in the wedding out for a day at the spa with the bride! Scout out your favorite spas and work with your planner or the spa manager to create a spa experience unlike any other for your girls. Treat them to manis and pedis or relaxing facials while sipping on mimosas and munching fruits and cheese. Spas are quickly catching on to the trend of full bridal party spa retreats by creating special packages for the party in which you even have the option of having the spa to yourself!

10. Let them eat cake. If not included in the price of your contract at a hotel or banquet facility, the cake can be an extravagant expense that most couples nowadays may not be able to afford. Costing upwards of thousands of dollars, the wedding cake is loved for it's aesthetic and artistic beauty. Of course, these scrumptous confections serve a more basic purpose (FOOD!) but the truth of the matter is, the cake is as much a centerpiece at the reception as the rest of your decor. Couples are opting to have an elaborate, intricately designed cake that is fake while offering their guests a sheet cake that costs much less. Brides are realizing the cost savings are worth it rather than wasting thousands on a dessert designed to be seen for an hour (if that) and then be consumed. Work with your caterer or baker to see the options available in a fake cake. Bakers are usually very willing to work with couples on a fake cake of wonderful design that will be easier and cheaper to deliver than a four-tiered work of art that must be eaten. Another option is to have the bottom layer of the cake be real so that you can still do the cake cutting.

Incorporating any of the above trends with your own unique vision will ensure you have the perfect wedding you've always dreamed of.