NEW YORK — Vogue.com editor Jessica Sailer Van Lith cites signs that a wedding will be one to remember:
• It’s personal. The wedding should seem like it belongs to the bride and groom, not like they’ve plugged into someone else’s dream. The “perfect” look and feel will come from authenticity, not trends.
• They’ve gone local. Embrace the place in food, decor or music. “Don’t truck in flowers or caterers,” says Sailer Van Lith. “… Immerse you and your guests in the place you are — and have chosen to be.”
• The bride looks like herself. She shouldn’t look for a “perfect dress” because there are too many of those, says Sailer Van Lith.
• The seating chart makes sense. The seating chart is — and sort of should be — one of the most stressful parts to plan, but the payoff of success is huge. “Where someone has been thoughtful of the seating chart, all the guests will know the bride and groom have put them there for a reason: because they want these people from other parts of their lives to make a connection.”
• Less can be more, especially with the head count. “Everyone invited is someone the bride and groom want to have there,” says Sailer Van Lith. Period.
• There isn’t a set schedule. A wedding isn’t a science, it’s an art, and, she says, the only people it all needs to make sense to are the bride and groom. If they like a daytime wedding with formal dress, it’s OK, and the same goes for the wedding that moves straight to dancing from the cocktail hour.
Her advice to couples looking to achieve these goals and more: “Think of the wedding you want, and work backward.”
