ON PAPER We’re trying to choose our wedding stationery – what styles and designs are set to be popular in 2022? Are there any big trends we should watch out for? 2022 will be an interesting year in terms of wedding stationery and styling! Key trends that emerged early 2020 are still popular, such as the vogue for foliage, especially in the form of laurels, wreaths and watercolour illustrations, but there are also new directions to look out for. My top three trends for this year are minimal styling, dark florals and all things celestial. Minimal styling invitations use the bare minimum of words, very simple designs focussing on quality card stock and different coloured or textured inserts for information cards. For example, an invitation with a white card and green text; several different greens used on the insert and a contrasting liner for the envelope. This can be enhanced using foil or letterpress for the print – simple, neat and oh-so stylish. Gorgeous dramatic, dark floral designs involve deep, rich colours against a complementary background. Jewel tones and detailed fonts with interesting swashes and ligatures bringing the text to life. If you know my work, you’ll know I have a special interest in anything floral, and I love this style! Florals can be illustrative or photographed, either way, the deeper, darker and richer the colours, the better. This for me is the new bohemian direction. Lastly, there’s a definite trend for all things celestial emerging. Think starry nights, cosmic connections, astrological symbols, the night sky on the day you met – all wonderful ways of creating a fabulously timeless and effortlessly personal design. There’s so much to choose from! I haven’t even touched on the trend for colouring, which I personally love – splashes of paint, roughly coloured borders, real fun and great for a DIY stationery vibe. Whatever your palette and carefully chosen theme, this season you’re certain to find something that suits. Ling Warlow | Paper by Dragonfly www.paperbydragonfly.com www.esmewhitesidephotography.co.uk SNAP HAPPY We’re looking for a wedding photographer, but we’re a bit worried about booking someone online we’ve never met. Do you have any suggestions? In this day and age, it seems our entire lives can be run online, and indeed over the last two years much of our lives have been forced online. Whether it’s ordering a pizza or shopping for a wedding photographer, it’s often our first port of call in a busy life. When your life is hectic and you haven’t managed to meet photographers at wedding fairs or other weddings, looking at their websites and chatting online can be fitted in any time. What catches your eye first will be the style of images they present. Do they appeal to your own sense of style? Take time to read any recommendations as well as any blogs they may have written as these will give you an idea of their personality. Clearly, you need to be able to communicate easily and comfortably. Ideally, they should respond to your initial enquiry within 24 hours, even if it’s just a, “Thank you and welcome, we’re working at a wedding today but will chat tomorrow.” A helpful, fairly rapid response is always a good indicator. Over the last couple of years we’ve all become accustomed to Zoom calls. They’re a useful tool when you can’t meet in person. They give you a chance to see faces, hear voices, ask questions and look at possible products such as photo albums. They give you the opportunity to see if the photographer is a good match for you both – just don’t judge them by their wallpaper or contents of their shelves! We’ve enjoyed many giggles with clients negotiating the vagaries of video calls. Never be afraid to ask questions. You might even want to know if they have any previous couples who’d be willing to chat with you. Planning your big day should be a pleasure not a chore, so most of all, enjoy yourselves! Karen Boyle | Andy Boyle Photography www.andyboylephotography.com www.andyboylephotography.com 62
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