When I was in high school, trends were the last thing on earth that I cared about. Trends were for the preppy kids who wore Espirit jeans and deck shoes. I was not preppy.
While the preppy girls were singling along to Jack Wagner and New Kids on the Block, I was blaring the Sex Pistols and worshipping at the altar of Joey Ramone. While the preppy girls went to house parties, I went to bush parties with boys sporting Mohawks.
Aren't The Ramones cute? Definitely the type you 'd like to bring home to momma.
Fast forward a few years and here I am smack dab in the middle of weddingland (how in the hell did that happen?) where everyone wants a unique wedding, but very few end up having one that is not influenced in some way by wedding trends.
Even the non-conformists in weddingland follow trends. No one is immune.
No one. Because were social beings and that means that no matter how much we try to be different, we are influenced by others.
See the girl with the day-glo pink hair and massive panda bear tattoo on her neck? Shes conforming to a sub-culture. See the guy with suspenders, vintage brim hat and pink argyle bowtie? Hes following trends too.
When I was 11 I remember passionately rejecting the Michael Jackson hysteria that swept across the land.
He sucks, I would say. You should listen to the Go-Gos instead.
My brother bought me "Vacation' when I was 10. I still know all the words to most of the songs.
Now I cant wait to try out Micheal Jackson: The Experience on my Xbox – for nostalgia’s sake.
In high school I rejected spiral perms because everyone had one. (I secretly wondered how I would look in one.)
I also rejected anything having to do with Kirk Cameron or 90210. (That was heartfelt.)
90210 was not part of my after-school plans.
Kirk Cameron was definitely not my type.
Although my rebel teenager days are over, my inner Sex Pistol is still alive and well. But I no longer dismiss trends simply because they are popular.
Because the masses arent always wrong. I love my Xbox Kinect and Lady Gaga is up there with Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed on my iPod.
So, what in the hell does this have to do with weddings?
Trends are EVERYWHERE in weddingland.
Last year it was typewriters, peacocks, mason jars, moustaches-on-a-stick, chalkboards, barns, circuses and cupcakes.
What will it be this year? There are people who spend their working lives predicting these things.
No matter what their crystal ball reads (honeysuckle is the colour of the year, you know – and pie is the new cake!), dont be afraid to blaze your own trail, buck the trends and get creative.
But only if you want to.
If pink, er honeysuckle floats your boat, run with it. Even if your inner rebel calls you a sell-out.
Or if youve got it bad for candy buffets and cupcakes (tisk, tisk theyre so last year!) dare to hold your head up high and be boldly out of style.
Final Image: Corey Klassen
